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Unilateral Training
Get strong abs with single-sided training.
By Amanda Vogel
Looking for the key to firmer abs without a lot of fuss? Try performing traditional resistance exercises with just one leg (or arm) instead of two. It’s called unilateral, or single-sided, training, and it’s guaranteed to give you stronger abs and a fitter body—on the double. 
What it is
"In a nutshell, unilateral training means using only one side of your body at a time to lift or move some form of resistance," explains Suzanne Gove, a personal trainer and the owner of FitnessLeadersOnline.com, a fitness consulting company based in Roseville, Calif. Two examples are a one-legged squat and a one-arm chest press.
You may think that targeting only one limb at a time makes an exercise easier rather than harder. But the opposite is true. Unilateral training intensifies moves because it requires whole-body coordination, balance and core strength. Read on to find out why.
Why it works
Single-sided exercises are a form of functional training, meaning they mimic how we move in daily life. Picture yourself reaching for a jar of peanut butter stocked high on a supermarket shelf. You might be teetering on your right foot as you stretch for the peanut butter with your left arm. That’s unilateral movement. Practicing it in your workouts makes everyday tasks like these easier and safer because you gain better single-limb strength, coordination and, yes, even fitter abs.
Dale Huff, R.D., C.S.C.S., is a spokesman for the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and co-owner of NutriFormance Fitness, Therapy and Performance in St. Louis, Mo. He explains why unilateral training targets and firms your midsection even when your main focus is on strengthening entirely different body parts like the arms and legs. "The stabilizing muscles of the hips and abdominals will engage more strongly with some unilateral exercises to resist the gravitational forces of the weight load or the body’s weight on one leg," Huff says. In other words, when you’re perched on one foot or doing a single-arm dumbbell raise, you’re in a more unstable position than if you were standing on two feet or lifting both arms together. Because of this, the core muscles must work harder to stabilize you during unilateral movement than during more stable bilateral, or dual-limb, training.
In addition to tightening your midsection, single-sided exercise creates equality between the limbs. "We all have stronger and weaker sides or muscle groups," Gove says. "Unilateral training forces that weaker side to catch up to the stronger one." Say your right biceps muscle is able to lift more than your left. When you do bilateral biceps curls with a barbell, it’s likely that the right biceps will compensate for its lagging counterpart. Single-limb training reduces muscle imbalances and narrows strength discrepancies between right-left body parts by targeting each side separately.
How to do it
Now that you’re sold on unilateral training (we hope!), here’s how to add it to your repertoire. "Blend this type of training with the exercises you currently do," Gove recommends. "Bring in one to three new unilateral moves per program or workout, then swap them for new ones every month or so." Because the physical demands of unilateral training are quite high, especially for lower-body movements, perform these exercises first while you’re still feeling fresh, Gove adds.
When planning your workouts, keep in mind that it takes twice as long to complete a set of one-limb exercises compared to working both limbs at once. If you’re pressed for time, Huff suggests opting for one unilateral set followed by a more time-saving bilateral set. Remember that you get bonus core training with single-sided moves, so the extra time is worth it. Here are six expert-recommended unilateral exercises to get you started.
The exercises
One-sided exercise has a high learning curve because of its complexity and the fact that it requires extra balance, Huff says. So approach most unilateral moves like you would with any advanced exercise: progress only when ready and use a spotter as needed.
To minimize strength differences between the right and left sides of the body, start the exercises below with your weaker arm or leg. That way the weaker side dictates the number of repetitions and resistance for both limbs.
Courtesy of Dale Huff
- Cone touches: Place a cone (or dumbbell standing vertically) about two feet in front of you on the floor. Face the cone and balance on your right leg. Reach to touch the cone with your left hand by hinging from the hips and keeping a neutral spine (don’t round the back). Concentrate on contracting the glutes and hamstrings to bring you back to a standing position. Do eight to 12 reps. Repeat by balancing on left leg and reaching with right arm.
- One-arm rows with balance: Stand with neutral posture holding a dumbbell in your right hand while balancing on your left foot. Start with right hand by the front of right thigh, then bend elbow, bringing the dumbbell to no higher than chest height. Maintain neutral wrist alignment. Perform eight to 12 reps; change to left arm and right leg.
- Single-leg squats: Balance on right foot with left foot lifted off the floor and left knee and hip bent to a 90-degree angle in front of you. Begin by performing a three-quarter squat, then progressing to a full squat. Push your buttocks out as you squat in the same way you would when sitting down on a chair. Do not allow your right knee to exceed your right toes or deviate to the sides. Do eight to 12 reps; repeat left leg.
- Single-arm chest presses on stability ball: Lie face up on the ball in a bridge position with feet shoulder-width apart on the floor, head and shoulders on the ball and abs and glutes tight. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, with right arm bent at a 90-degree angle (upper arm parallel to the floor). Slowly straighten right arm only, moving the hand toward the ceiling as with a regular bilateral chest press. Complete eight to 12 reps; repeat left side. For optimal safety, use a spotter.
Courtesy of Suzanne Gove
- Forward lunges with quadriceps extensions: Start by standing in neutral with feet side by side, holding a dumbbell in each hand (optional). Step the right foot forward as you lift the left heel up. Lower the back (left) knee toward the floor and bend the right leg, making sure right knee is aligned over right ankle. Push under the right heel to return to a standing position, but keep the right leg in the air as you balance on your left foot, core contracted. With right leg bent at 90 degrees, knee at hip height, straighten leg to full extension, pointing toes. Bend right leg, then return to standing position. Do eight to 12 reps, then change legs.
- One-arm reverse-grip triceps extensions: Use a "D" handle (the one that’s shaped like an uppercase letter "D" or a horeshoe) attached to a high-cable pulley. Stand facing the cable (far enough away from the machine so the cable is not slack) with left foot slightly in front of you, body weight distributed evenly on both feet. Hold the handle in your right hand with an underhand grip, then pull right hand down until arm is bent at 90 degrees and elbow is slightly behind the body (the inside of right upper arm should be close to right side of ribcage). Holding the upper arm stationary, move from the elbow, pressing the knuckles down and back as you straighten the right arm. Return to 90-degree bend at elbow. Do eight to 12 reps; repeat with left arm working and right foot forward. Note: For increased intensity, perform this move while balanced on front foot.
Benefits of unilateral training
- Improves whole-body coordination
- Recruits stabilizing muscles, including the core
- Promotes body-part symmetry
- Decreases muscle imbalances and risk of injury
- Derails training ruts and reduces boredom
- Enhances functional and sport-specific training
Unilateral resistance training also boosts your performance and efficiency in aerobic-based activities that require you to constantly transfer your body weight from one leg to the other, as in:
- Walking
- Running
- Skiing
- Skating
- Kickboxing
- Stepping
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