USE
MORE UNILATERAL MOVEMENTS IN
YOUR WORKOUT FOR GREATER GAINS
Unilateral movements are
simply training only one arm or one leg at a time to complete a movement.
Unilateral exercises are primarily done with dumbbells and/or machines.
Unilateral Leg Press
Unilateral Preacher Dumbbell Curl
Why can you expect greater
gains? Science tells us you can move approximately 20% more weight using
unilateral movements than you can lift using bilateral movements. For example,
let’s assume you can curl 100 pounds using both arms for 10 reps. You can
probably lift a minimum of 55 pounds on each side for the same number of reps
when training one side at a time. Or using 50 pounds in each hand you can
likely hit 12 reps per hand instead of 10.
The reasons you can lift 20%
more unilaterally aren’t exactly clear. But there are several theories.
1.
The arm in use is
keenly aware that no one is coming to the rescue.(More likely, the central
nervous system is aware)
2.
Using two arms
provides an innate and automatic balancing apparatus. When using only one arm,
more stabilizing muscle fibers are automatically pressed into service, adding
power.
3.
Your body will
naturally assume a posture or position that provides more advantageous
leverage.
4.
All of the above
Unilateral exercises are also
an excellent way to bring up lagging muscles and for many rehab situations by
being able to use different weights for each limb.
Regardless of the reasons,
the fact is it works. You are able to increase the work performed by 20% and
that leads to greater gains in both size and strength.
Need help with suggestions
for unilateral exercises. Contact me at alphaedgefitness@gmail.com or in the comment section below.
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