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One-sided exercises why they should be in training

Homepage Articles One-sided exercises why they should be in training

One-sided exercises why they should be in training

Unilateral exercise has many benefits for strength and stability and injury prevention, and should therefore be included in any training plan for both athletes and recreational trainers.

Table of Contents

1. Characteristics of one-sided exercises

Examples of unilateral exercises for the lower half of the body are strokes, and for the upper arm the squeezing of the handle over the head with one arm. It is therefore worth considering them in your plan, especially since many of the basic movements during training take place in the arrow plane with an emphasis on working the side.

2. Strengthening the core muscles

Proper stamina and postural muscle strength are important elements of rehabilitation, sports training and recreation. However, as already mentioned man is not symmetrical, so muscle strength on the left side of the body can deviate from the right. Unilateral exercises require balancing the lack of resistance on the opposite side, which increases core muscle activation. Saeterbakken et al. 2015). Core muscles are responsible for the stability of the whole body.

3. Rehabilitative use of unilateral exercises

This is due to cross-education, a neurophysiological phenomenon involving the stimulation of the ipsilateral (same side of the body) and contralateral, opposite sides of the cortical motor areas. The results of the above analysis showed that cross education was present in each of the study groups, and the level of occurrence ranged between 1529%. Green, D.A. Unilateral exercises are also applicable in rehabilitation, and this model of work is often used for single disorders or disturbances, including deterioration, impaired limb injury, or problems with the circulatory system, which may affect the functioning of one side.

4. One-sided workouts are a great solution for athletes

However, it is worth noting that a large part of sports in their specifics involve activities of a unilateral nature, such as changing the direction of the run or service in volleyball or tennis. Unilateral work involves operating at a much lower external load, but nonetheless it is still possible to form a force that will additionally translate into bilateral exercises. Appleby, S.J. Newton 2019).
Source

Appleby B.B., Cormack S.J., Newton R.U., Specificity and Transfer of Lower-Body Strength: Influence of Bilateral or Unilateral Lower-Body Resistance Training, „Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” 2019, 33(2), 318–326.
Arokoski J.P. et al., Back and abdominal muscle function during stabilization exercises, „Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation” 2001, 82(8), 1089–1098.
Green L.A., Gabriel D.A., The effect of unilateral training on contralateral limb strength in young, older, and patient populations: a meta-analysis of cross education, „Physical Therapy Reviews” 2018, 23(4–5), 238–249.
Saeterbakken A. et al., The Effect of Performing Bi- and Unilateral Row Exercises on Core Muscle Activation, „International Journal of Sports Medicine” 2015, 36(11), 900–905.
Saeterbakken A.H., van den Tillaar R., Seiler S., Effect of Core Stability Training on Throwing Velocity in Female Handball Players, „Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” 2011, 25(3), 712–718.