Single leg training, otherwise known as unilateral training, may be the most underdeveloped and overlooked area of strength & conditioning. Just because an athlete can squat 500 pounds on two legs doesn’t mean they can squat and control their own bodyweight on one leg. The development of single leg strength is extremely important in athletics. For example, running is simply a series of single leg bounds where the athlete spends little time in contact with the ground. If an athlete is not strong on one leg, they will be unable to cut and fun fast while staying injury free.
Stabilization plays a key role in injury prevention. An athlete must be able to stabilize their extremities while resisting external forces and do so under extreme conditions. In order to stabilize the lower extremities during single leg movements, the body utilizes what Mike Boyle calls the lateral-sub system. The lateral-sub system is comprised of the gluteus medius, the adductors, and the quadratus lumborum (Boyle, 2007). The muscles of the lateral sub-system are recruited only during single leg activities and work to stabilize the femur by resisting rotation (2007). During double leg or bi-lateral exercises, the lateral sub-system is not called into action and therefore not being trained. This is why single leg training is so beneficial and functional to an athlete’s physical development and injury prevention. So the next time you train, try to add some single leg squats or lunges in your workout.
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