I’m sharing a list of my favorite exercises and what I consider to be the best one-leg exercises! I hope this post inspires you to include more unilateral training in your routine.
Hello hello! How are you doing today? I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far!
For today, let’s talk about things related to fitness. Single leg exercises are one of my favorite elements to include in lower body workouts. Single exercises are (you guessed it) exercises that use only one side of your lower body at a time. Leg strength is important no matter what sport you choose or what form of fitness you enjoy. Strong legs support everyday movements and our ability to perform, and focusing on one leg at a time can have several benefits. In today’s post, I’m sharing a roundup of the best single-leg exercises that can help you reach your legs’ full potential.
(The game was gifted by Vuori. I love everything on your site, and especially his tights and runners.)
Why train unilaterally?
It is VERY easy to use bilateral exercises to *depend* on our stronger side. Think about a barbell biceps curl versus a dumbbell curl. With the barbell, you will lift the weight without having the real ability to determine if the weight is divided equally between the sides. Your stronger side will always step in to help you complete the rep, which can cause muscle imbalances to go unnoticed. By training one side at a time, such as with a dumbbell curl, you can really focus on building strength on the weaker side. This will not only promote muscle symmetry, but will also prevent altered movement patterns from relying on the stronger sides of the body.
These are some of my favorite single leg exercises to include in leg day! As always, consult a doctor before making changes to your fitness level. Honor your body and modify it as necessary.
The best single leg exercises
Single Leg Deadlift (aka Single Leg RDL)
Holding a dumbbell or kettlebell, shift your weight to your left leg, then float your right leg off the floor behind you. Keeping the weight on your front leg, twist at the waist and lean forward, keeping your back straight, until the weight reaches just below your knees (or as far as you can go while keeping your back flat). Keep your right leg extended behind you. Exhale and return to an upright position. Repeat with the other leg. Be sure to keep your hips parallel to the floor and look straight ahead during this leg workout.
Bulgarian split squat
If you’re not familiar with this one, think of it as a more challenging reverse lunge. Stand in front of a sturdy bench or chair and then place one foot on top. Keep your hips and shoulders facing forward and maintain an upright posture as you bend your front knee. Press all the way through your front foot and exhale to rise. Don’t worry too much about keeping your front knee stacked over your ankle (if you have flexibility in your ankle, you can move a little forward past your toes), instead focus on keeping your torso upright and sinking. DOWN instead of forward. Another tip: I like to curl my toes back on the bench, so the top of my foot or shoe is facing down. This puts more emphasis on the working leg.
Single-leg hip raise (also known as glute bridge)
Start on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift one leg off the floor and press your heel toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips, keeping your upper back pressing into the floor and your hips parallel to the floor. Lower yourself toward the floor (don’t touch it!), exhale, and come back up. Continue with all reps, then switch legs.
Single Leg Calf Raise
Stand with your legs hip-width apart and stand on your toes. Lift one leg and gently wrap your foot behind the leg that is still on the floor. Lower your heel toward the floor, but don’t let it touch the floor between each rep to keep tension on your calf. Hold on to a wall or sturdy surface for balance if necessary.
Lateral leg raise
Standing with your feet wider than shoulder width, shift your weight to one leg while lifting the opposite leg off the ground. Keep your toes pointed forward and use your glutes to lift your leg, lower yourself with control, and exhale to come back up. For more of a challenge, use ankle weights.
hip extension
Start standing with your hips and shoulders aligned. Bend one knee slightly and place the opposite foot on the floor behind you. Using your glutes, exhale to lift your back leg off the ground. Return to the starting position with control and repeat.
Single leg curl
For this part of your workout routine, use the curl machine at the gym or a towel at home. Place a towel on the floor (or a paper plate if doing this on a rug), lie on your back, and place one heel on the towel. With your knees bent and shoulders pressed into the floor, lift your hips. , off the floor and then push the towel forward to straighten that leg (the working leg). Exhale to bend it toward your hip. Repeat all your reps on one side before switching to the other side.
One-leg seated press
Start seated on a leg press machine set to 1/3 your typical leg press weight. Place one foot on the plate, making sure you have approximately a 90-degree angle with that leg (90-degree angles help prevent injuries to both the leg and back). Exhale as you press your leg into the plate to straighten it, engaging your glutes and hamstrings. Inhale, slowly return to the start and repeat.
TRX Single Leg Pistol Squat or Single Leg Squat
TRX Single Leg Pistol Squat: stay away from the TRX base point, holding the straps with both hands. The straps will be straight and your chest will be lifted, with your core engaged. Lift one leg off the ground and flex your foot, raising your leg as high as you can. Inhale to sink into a squat (the goal is to end up with your knees in a line) and exhale to rise up. Pay close attention to the supporting leg and keep it as stable as possible. Squeezing your glutes really helps. If necessary, start with a smaller range of motion.
For the single leg squat (if you don’t have a TRX), stand in front of a chair or bench, with the chair or bench about 2 to 3 feet behind you. Make sure your feet are under your shoulders (hip-width or slightly wider is good) and your toes are slightly turned out. Focus on sitting up, while keeping your chest lifted and core tight. Inhale to go down and touch the chair with your butt, exhale to go up. Do this on one leg with the opposite leg extended in front of you.
Press single leg band out
Begin lying on the floor with a band just above your ankles. Raise your feet above your hips, as if trying to press your heels into the ceiling (feet are flexed). Create some tension with the band pressing outward. Hold it here and then press one leg out and in, out and in. Complete 15 to 20 repetitions before switching to the opposite side. This is an amazing gluten activation exercise. Make sure you stay within a comfortable range of motion.
Here’s a quick leg workout video tutorial I put together, featuring some of my top exercises from the list above:
How often do you use unilateral training in your routine?
If you’re looking for a phased workout designed for body composition goals, we’d love to have you on Fit Team! New workouts come out on the 28th of each month and you get instant access to the current month’s workouts + bonus material.
xoxo
gina
