Most people are impressed by marathon runners and Olympic athletes who can seriously run like the wind or jump like a mountain lion. You can fine-tune your fitness by staying dedicated to your strength training. If you’re looking for a way to boost your lower-body power, you might want to consider unilateral training. Single-leg (unilateral) training could propel your fitness to the next level, according to the research. Bulgarian split squats, anyone? Time for a reverse lunge?
The Study
In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology, researchers compared the effects of unilateral (single-leg) training and bilateral contrast training (using both legs) on lower-limb explosiveness, agility, and balance. The study involved 20 male college basketball athletes, who were assigned to either a unilateral or a bilateral group.
Both groups completed an eight-week strength-training program with workouts twice a week. The unilateral group powered through six Bulgarian split squats and 10 reverse lunge jump squats, while the bilateral group powered through six barbell rear squats and 10 double-leg vertical jumps.
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