If you are an experienced CrossFitter or functional fitness enthusiast, consider the following situation...You come into the gym for your group fitness class and Back Squats are on the menu. Today’s workout calls for a 1, 2, or 3-Rep Max attempt for the day. You haven’t been doing Back Squats routinely, so you don’t expect much out of yourself today. You start to get some warm-up sets in and you’re pleasantly surprised that the weights are feeling pretty light. You continue to throw weight on the bar and you eventually get to that Max attempt. You hit a new personal record (PR) and you say to yourself “that’s awesome, but where did that come from? I haven’t even been squatting lately!”

You think about it some more and eventually you come to the conclusion that you just got a good night sleep and you were feeling fresh. Although that may very well have played a role in your performance that day, did you think about what other training you may have done that could have contributed?

There are many factors involved in being able to achieve a new PR in any exercise, but when it comes to squats, I’m thinking about single-leg strength (also known as unilateral strength). Did you ever consider that those Bulgarian Split Squats or Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts your coach has been programming probably have a large role to play in your ability to lift more weight? Or do you normally dismiss those exercises as just extra “accessory work” that you can just lolligag through or skip altogether because they’re not as cool as lifting a barbell?

If you’re not doing them regularly, consider the following list of benefits you are potentially leaving on the table:

• Injury prevention through Improved dynamic single-leg stability; meaning you will improve your hip, knee, and ankle stability in a variety of movements such as walking, going up or down and flight of stairs, running, jumping, and other sporting activities.

• Along with injury prevention comes increased longevity in sport; meaning you will be able to continue doing the physical activities you love to do, for a longer period of time.

• Increases utilization of core musculature and helps correct or prevent muscle imbalances.

• Can increase strength, speed, and change of direction abilities to the same extent as bilateral (e.g. back squats, front squats) exercises without the added strain on your spine.

I now hope you are at least somewhat convinced of the importance of unilateral exercises, not just for the lower body but for the upper body as well. Below you will find a list of my Top 5 favorite single-leg exercises, with video demonstrations, that I’ve used in the past and continue to use to this day to help build muscle and address side-to-side imbalances.

Experiment with them and always remember to start a bit more conservatively when choosing a weight and repetition progression with these exercises if you haven’t done them before. I’ll include a suggested starting point for each one.

Bulgarian Split Squat

Start with bodyweight. When comfortable doing 8-10 reps per side, add some weight in a farmer’s carry or front rack position.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts (RDL)

Start with bodyweight. When comfortable doing 8-10 reps per side, hold a kettlebell with both arms in front of you.

Skater Squat

Start with bodyweight and a higher box/bench height that will keep you at a squat depth you can keep proper body position in. When comfortable doing 8-10 reps per side to a depth where the hip is at least even with the knee, consider adding some weight in a farmer’s carry, front rack, or goblet position.

 Kettlebell Swaps and Presses

Start with single-leg balance. When comfortable holding bodyweight balance for at least 30 seconds, start swapping one weight, or pressing one or two small weights overhead. A good starting point is to be able to do 8-10 swaps per side before adding more weight. Same goes for the presses. Once that becomes easy, you can stand on an unstable surface or add more weight.

Single-Leg Hops

Start with very small single-leg hops in place before you begin to go in different directions. Practice hops with immediate take-off or hops with a solid landing. Immediate take-off will focus on helping you build change of direction abilities and power, while solid landings will help you build single-leg stability and the ability to absorb a high-impact load more effectively (great for running). Do sets of single-leg hops of 30 seconds to 1 minute. If attempting to develop greater power, focus on explosive jumps for reps with some rest in between rather than time.

Hope you enjoyed this article. Please leave some comments if you have any specific questions about exercises progressions.

Please also remember that you should have a very solid foundation of bilateral resistance training before you begin single-leg exercises. Master your own bodyweight first, then challenge yourself more with these exercises.

about the author

Coach Adrian Wolff has been working in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and group fitness coach since 2016. He grew up in Chicago, IL playing ice hockey, soccer, and tennis, and developed his passion for fitness while serving as an officer in the United States Navy.

Shortly after leaving active duty, he began a career in the fitness industry as a CrossFit coach. Then he decided to pursue a master’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. While working on his degree, he continued to coach people of various backgrounds in the aspects of sports performance, functional fitness, and nutrition.

He graduated with a Master of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Physiology in 2019, then moved to Las Vegas. He continues to work with developing youth athletes, Division 1 level collegiate athletes, and everyday people to help them achieve their health and fitness goals.