If you’re looking to improve your overall performance, health, or aesthetics, single-leg exercises should be a key component of your workout program.
Single-leg training delivers some pretty amazing benefits including:
Inarguably, there is a tremendous amount of benefit to be gained from single-leg exercises,yet single-leg training is often neglected, as many people focus exclusively on more conventional (and perhaps ego-boosting) double-leg exercises like squats, deadlifts, and hip thrusts. Since most movements in everyday life and sport are unilateral in nature, in order to reap the benefits listed above, as a general rule, I recommend including single-leg lower body exercises as a key element in a well-rounded training program.
Single-leg exercises can be categorized into squatting, lunging, hinging, and thrusting movements. Here are four of my favorites that I encourage you to try:
The skater squat, as the name implies, is a squatting movement. This extremely underrated and under-utilized exercise strengthens and develops the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. The skater squat requires a combination of stability, strength, and mobility.
Equipment needed:
Depending on which variation you choose, you will need nothing more than your own bodyweight, a weight plate, or dumbbell(s).
Coaching Cues:
Regression:
You can make this exercise easier by touching your knee of the striding leg down to a pad/mat.
Progressions:
Once you are able to perform six or more properly executed reps with just your bodyweight, you can progress to holding a dumbbell or plate and extending your arms forward as this will help with your balance. You can make it more challenging by holding the weight close to your chest as this removes the counterbalance assistance.
For an additional challenge, hold two dumbbells down by your sides, perform this exercise with a barbell in a front- or back-loaded position, or stand on a box/step and do deficit skater squats.
This single-leg exercise is a hip hinging movement, and strengthens and develops the muscles in the posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings). You can also use this exercise as part of your warm-up before you any deadlift variation.
Equipment needed:
You will need a resistance band and a secure post, column, or rack on which to fasten the band. The thicker the band, the more challenging the exercise will be.
Coaching Cues:
Tip: Contract your lats to “screw” your arms into your sides (pretend that you are crushing something in your armpits), and brace your core to lock out, but avoid hyperextending your back or flaring your rib cage.
Regression:
You can make this exercise easier by performing the double-leg variation until you gain the necessary strength and stability to perform the single-leg variation.
Progressions:
You can make this exercise more challenging by using a thicker band, so long as you are able to perform it correctly. You can also perform negative reps, taking three full seconds to hinge your hips back.
The hanging single-leg hip thrust with leg curl involves both, a single-leg hip thrust and a single-leg hamstring curl. This exercise strengthens and develops the hamstrings and glutes, and strengthens the muscles in the upper body and the anterior core. I often perform this exercise after I have performed some heavier compound movements for the posterior chain muscles, like deadlifts or hip thrusts.
Equipment needed:
You will need a bench or box, and a barbell that is set up in a squat rack. A Smith Machine, TRX or rings will also work.
Coaching Cues:
Tip: Maintain a neutral spine the entire time. Lock out at the top of the hip thrust by squeezing your glutes, not by hyperextending your lower back or flaring your rib cage.
Regression:
You can make this exercise easier by performing the double-leg variation until you gain the necessary strength and stability to perform the single-leg variation.
Progressions:
You can make this exercise more challenging by pausing at the top of the hip thrust for three to five seconds and squeezing your glutes, or by performing negative reps and really challenging your muscles eccentrically, taking three to five seconds to lower the hip thrust.
The is one of my favourite glute exercises as it delivers a tremendous bang for your buck. This exercise involves an isometric glute bridge, while simultaneously abducting the opposite leg, and performing a bottoms-up kettlebell hold. The isometric hold strengthens the glutes, the leg abduction movement forces the body to resist rotation and targets the anterior core and obliques, and the bottoms-up kettlebell hold develops shoulder stability.
Equipment Needed:
You will need a kettlebell.
Coaching Cues:
Regressions:
You can make this exercise easier by performing it without the kettlebell until you gain the necessary strength and stability to incorporate the kettlebell. You can also drop your hips down to the floor between each rep, or shorten the range of the leg abduction.
Progression:
Once you can perform this exercise properly, you can make it a little more challenging by replacing the bottoms-up kettlebell hold with a bottoms-up kettlebell press.
With Girls Gone Strong Coaching, you’ll get the support, accountability, and expert coaching to eat and exercise in a sustainable way — without restrictive diets or spending your life in the gym.
Whether your health and fitness goals are to…
... or anything else, we’ll help you achieve them. You can experience life-changing results while eating and exercising in a way that actually fits into your life — instead of controlling it.
Throughout our 12-month program, you’ll get a simple, step-by-step plan for developing nutrition, fitness, and mindset habits that will lead the way in reaching your goal.
Your coach is available 5 days a week to answer questions and help you navigate situations — like eating while you’re on vacation, exercise substitutions so you don’t aggravate your knee pain, or planning a workout with limited equipment options — so you always have support when you need it. And together, you'll find the best path toward long-term results in a way that works for you.
You’ll learn how to:
And you’ll become the happiest, fittest, strongest version of yourself, one step at a time.
Interested in learning more? Join our free, no-obligation pre-sale list.
Twice a year we accept a small number of new coaching clients. Join the free, no-obligation pre-sale list below for the chance to enroll early and save up to 45% off the general public price.
We'll send you more info about the program and give you the chance to enroll early and save up to 45% off the general public price.
The program opens only twice a year. Spots are limited.