I’m sharing a list of my favorite exercises and what I consider to be the best single leg exercises! I hope this article inspires you to include more unilateral workouts in your routine.
Hello hello! How are you today? I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far!
For today, let’s talk about fitness. Single leg exercises are one of my favorite things to include in lower body workouts. Simple exercises are – you guessed it – exercises using only one side of the lower body at a time. Leg strength is important no matter what sport you choose or what fitness mode you enjoy. Strong legs support daily movement and our ability to perform, and focusing on one leg at a time can have several benefits. In today’s article, I’m sharing a round-up of the best single leg exercises that can help you reach the full potential of your legs.
(The set was offered by Vuori. I love everything about their site, and especially their leggings And joggers.)
Why train unilaterally?
It’s SO easy to use bilateral exercises to *depend* on our stronger side. Think about a dumbbell biceps curl versus a dumbbell curl. With the barbell, you will be lifting the weight without having the true ability to determine if the weight is distributed equally between the sides. Your stronger side will always step in to help you complete the repetition, which can cause muscle imbalances to go unnoticed. By training one side at a time, such as with a barbell curl, you can really focus on developing strength on the weaker side. This will not only promote muscular symmetry, but also potentially prevent altered movement patterns from relying on the stronger sides of the body.
Here are some of my favorite single leg exercises to include on leg day! As always, consult a doctor before making any changes to your physical condition. Honor your body and modify it when necessary.
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 your weight on your front leg, bend at the waist and lean forward, keeping your back straight, until the weight reaches just below the knees (or as far as possible while keeping your back flat). Keep your right leg straight behind you. Exhale and return to the upright position. Repeat with your other leg. Make sure to keep your hips parallel to the floor and look straight ahead throughout this leg workout.
Bulgarian Split Squat
If you’re not familiar with this one, think of it as a more difficult reverse lunge. Stand in front of a sturdy bench or chair, then place one foot on it. Keep your hips and shoulders facing forward and keep it straight as you bend your front knee. Press through your entire front foot and exhale to stand up. Don’t worry too much about keeping your front knee stacked over your ankle – if you have ankle flexibility, it can move forward a little past your toes – but instead focus on keeping your torso straight and its descent instead of advancing. Another tip: I like to curl my back toes on the bench, so the top of my foot or shoe is facing down. This places more emphasis on the free leg.
Single Leg Hip Raise (aka Glute Bridge)
Start on your back with your legs bent and your 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 pressed into the floor and hips parallel to the floor. Lower yourself to the ground (don’t touch it!), exhale and come back up. Continue for all reps, then switch legs.
Single Leg Calf Raise
Stand with your legs hip-width apart and stand on your tiptoes. Lift one leg and gently curl your foot behind the leg that is still on the ground. Lower your heel toward the floor, but don’t let it touch the floor between each repetition to maintain tension in your calf. Hold on to a wall or solid surface for balance if you need to.
Lateral Leg Raise
Standing with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, shift your weight to one leg while lifting the opposite leg off the floor. Keep your toes pointed forward and use your glutes to lift your leg, lowering it with control and exhaling to raise it back up. For more of a challenge, wear 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 floor. Return to the starting position with control and repeat.
One 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 you’re doing this on a mat), lie on your back, and place one heel on the towel. With your knees bent and your shoulders pressed into the floor, lift your hips. , off the ground, 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.
Single Leg Seated Press
Start seated in a leg press set at 1/3 of your typical leg press weight. Place one foot on the plate, making sure you have about a 90-degree angle with that leg (90-degree angles help prevent leg and back injuries). Exhale as you press your leg into the plate to stand up, engaging your glutes and hamstrings. Inhale, slowly return to start and repeat.
TRX Single Leg Pistol Squat or Seated Single Leg Squat
TRX Single Leg Pistol Squat: Stand away from the base point of the TRX while holding the straps with both hands. The straps will be straight and your chest will be lifted, with an engaged core. Lift one leg off the ground and flex your foot, lifting your leg as high as possible. Inhale to lower yourself into a squat position (the goal is to end up with your knees aligned) and exhale to stand back up. Really pay attention to the standing 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 sit squat (if you don’t have 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, keeping your chest lifted and core tight. Inhale to lower to touch your butt on the chair, exhale to rise. Do this on one leg with the opposite leg extended in front of you.
Simple press-on leg band
Start lying on the floor with a band loop just above your ankles. Bring your feet above your hips, as if you are trying to press your heels against the ceiling (feet are flexed). Create some tension with the group by pressing on it. Hold it here, then press one leg out and in, out and in. Complete 15 to 20 repetitions before switching to the opposite side. This is a great gluten activation exercise. Make sure you stay within a comfortable range of motion.
Here’s a quick leg workout video tutorial I did, showcasing some of my best exercises from the list above:
How often do you use unilateral training in your routine?
If you’re looking for a progressive workout designed to achieve your body composition goals, we’d love to have you on Fit Team! New workouts release on the 28th of every month and you get instant access to the current month’s workouts + bonus gear.
xoxo
Gina
