Flex_USA_JulyAugust_2017_2

What we are going
to recommend next
may sound just as
ridiculous, however it
may be time to divide
all your favorite
bilateral movements
in two and do each
side of your body
unilaterally.
Sure, we love the
squat, bench, and
row as much as the
next gym rat. But
too much of a good
thing may leave
some gains on the
table. And that’s just
damn wrong, by half.
ISOLATING
THE BENEFITS
Training one arm, leg, or side of
the body at a time is nothing new
for bodybuilders. We’ve been
isolating muscle groups to
achieve maximum size and
definition ever since the early
days of the iron game.
Reasons abound. For one, a
stronger limb can compensate
for a weaker when using a
barbell or bilateral-style
machine—your dominant arm or
leg will naturally take on a little
more than its fair share of a load
when you’re pressing, pulling,
curling, or extending. That means
the weaker muscle can never
quite catch up, unless you hit it
alone with a unilateral exercise.
Second, isolation exercises
are paramount when the goal is
maximizing muscle development.
It allows unparalleled focus on
each body part, driving it to
complete momentary failure,
helping exhaust every fiber.
Think dumbbell concentration
curls, one-arm rows, or a
single-leg extension as three
good examples.
Beyond aesthetics, unilateral
training serves a very functional
purpose as well. “It’s a great way
to challenge the musculature of
the core and improve the
stability of your spine and
pelvis,” says Angelo J. Grinceri,
health coach, movement
practitioner, New York Citybased
trainer, and author of
Intrinsic Strength Training
(intrinsicstrengthtraining.com).
In his book, Grinceri cites
unilateral movement as a critical
component of any training
program, no matter your main
goal. “Unilateral training requires
more activity within the primary
muscle group for a given
exercise,” he writes. “For
example, an EMG machine test
shows that while performing an
upright unilateral dumbbell
shoulder press, the anterior,
lateral, and posterior deltoid
all require more muscular
activation while standing, as
opposed to performing a seated
shoulder press with a barbell
using both arms.”
156 FLEX | JULY/AUG ’17