The improvement your leg day needs!
Talking about Leg Day is commonplace. It is the kind of exercise that actually tones your muscles and burns your legs and glutes. But what's the actual intensity of your training? You may increase the intensity and provide fresh sensations to your leg training by doing these unilateral exercises, which include working one leg first, followed by the other.
Your weaker leg will no longer rely on your dominant leg while you conduct unilateral workouts, allowing you to adjust for the discrepancies between the two sides. Furthermore, you move comparatively more weight than you would with bilateral exercises like the conventional squat or deadlift, which helps you build stronger leg muscles. This is referred to as a bilateral deficit in the scientific community. Bilateral deficit is "the difference between the sum of the actions you perform with your left and right limbs and the weight you can lift bilaterally," according to American strength and conditioning specialist Michael Boyle. In addition, training one side also stimulates the other, per a meta-analysis including data from 785 people. This is particularly intriguing when one is returning to training following an injury.
Here are some more advantages of unilateral training, but for now, let's move on to five challenging single-leg squat exercises that you should absolutely attempt.
#1 Split squats
You may already be doing the traditional split squat, sometimes known as the lunge. If not, it's time to incorporate it into your workout routine. Step back with your right leg while standing, bending your knees to bring your right leg closer to the floor. Put pressure back on your front foot.
Muscles: the muscles of the thighs, particularly the glutes and leg extensors
Note: Turn your weight to the front of your leg. You can slip your knee over your toes securely, despite the classic fitness myth. Rather, ensure that your knee stays straight and does not flex inward.
#2 Reverse Lunges
The motion used in this lunge variant is the same as the traditional split squat. You do, however, go back to your starting position after every repeat. Compared to the split squat, this exercise teaches your strength and endurance more so than stability and balance.
Muscles: legs, especially the glutes and hamstrings
Note: Slow down if you start to lose your equilibrium. When doing an activity that is a component of your strength training program, accuracy is more crucial than speed.
#3 Side squat
Restart from standing at this point. Use your right leg to take a large stride to the side. With your toes pointing slightly outward, your feet are in a straight line. Lunge to the side by bending your right knee and extending your left. To increase the intensity, repeat all the repetitions on one side first, then the other, or go back to the beginning position and swap sides.
Muscles: thighs, concentrating on the adductors and glutes
Note: Your torso is stiff, and your back is still stretched.
#4 Curtsy lunge or cross lunge
The beginning of this workout also involves standing up straight and tensing your trunk. With your right leg, take a diagonal step behind your standing leg. While maintaining your upper body erect, bend your front leg to a 90-degree angle and bring your rear knee toward the floor. Push back to the starting position with your front foot to complete the exercise again.
Muscles: thighs and glutes
Note: Verify that the supporting leg's knee is stable.
#5 Step-ups
Place yourself in front of a Plyo Box or weight bench. Put your right foot on the bench and push off of it. With your left foot, take a step back down to the earth. Once more, you can switch sides or train one side first, then the other, until your muscles burn.
Muscles: muscles of the thighs and glutes, core
Note: You can also choose to execute the exercise with a tight grip adjacent to your body or with additional weight in front of your chest by using dumbbells or kettlebells.