Can Single Leg Training Fix Bilateral Dysfunction
Why Unilateral Work On An Asymmetrical Foundation Strengthens Compensators
Single leg training has become the default prescription for bilateral dysfunction. Hip shift in the squat? Bulgarian split squats. One glute bigger? Single leg press. The logic seems sound. In practice, it fails far more often than it succeeds.
Why Single Leg Training Seems Like The Answer
Isolating the weak side should strengthen it and close the gap. This assumes the weak side is undertrained. The weak side is under-recruited due to positional inhibition. Single leg exercises do not change the positional environment that caused the dysfunction.
How Compensation Persists During Unilateral Work
When you do a Bulgarian split squat on your left leg, your left hip is still in the same rotated position. Your left glute is still inhibited. Your left foot still contacts the ground in the same pattern. The compensators on the weak side get stronger at compensating. Numbers go up. The target muscle (the glute) is not being recruited more effectively.
What Actually Happens During A Split Squat On A Rotated Pelvis
Your center of mass shifts laterally. Hip adductors overwork. The trunk leans to counterbalance. The exercise becomes a test of how well your body manages asymmetry on one leg, not a test of single leg strength. Adding load adds load to the compensation.
The Correct Sequencing: Position Then Load
After six weeks of dedicated single leg work, if the hip shift is still there during bilateral squats, the single leg work strengthened the compensation, not corrected the dysfunction. The correct sequence: correct position first, confirm bilateral symmetry, then add unilateral loading.
When Single Leg Training Actually Works
Single leg exercises become legitimate when the foundation is symmetrical. Bulgarian split squats with a neutral pelvis actually train the glute. MOVECHECK identifies bilateral versus unilateral deficits and addresses positional causes before prescribing unilateral training.
See This In Your Own Body
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