Think about how often an athlete is standing on two feet at the same time or pushing/pulling evenly with both arms. Not very often right? If you are standing with both feet on the ground, you are doing just that – standing there! That is the last thing I want to see from any of the soccer or hockey players I train at Revolution Conditioning. Even the alpine skier racers who workout here need to keep both skis on the ground as much as possible, but they will need to shift their weight rapidly from side to side while maintaining stability. This is why almost all of the exercises we use to train athletes progress to a unilateral or single sided version. Here is an example:
I love squats – front squats and split squats are great exercises, but my goal it to get everyone of the athletes performing a great single leg squat.
Good exercise.
Single leg version requires more athleticism.
I like bent over rows – great exercise for the mid back while requiring stabilization from the hamstrings, glutes and back extensors.
Good exercise.
Single arm version adds rotational stability component.
So if you are looking to take your play to the next level, try some of the unilateral training techniques I use with the London, Ontario based athletes who workout at Revolution Conditioning. Going to unilateral training accomplishes three things:
- It makes your big muscles stronger
- It builds strength and endurance in your stabilizers
- It teaches your big muscles (prime movers) and stabilizers to work together which is the key to developing functional strength or strength that can be used on the field of play.
Cheers,
Maria
