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Getbig Bodybuilding Boards => Training Q&A => Topic started by: heavyNbasic on April 26, 2008, 08:09:52 PM
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I started them about a month ago while rehabing an injured knee. Awesome movement. Previous to injury, I would do barbell squats regularly with respectable weight. Doing single legs squats certainly humbled me. I could barely get 8-10 first time. They require the use of a lot of stabalizers, and are great for lower body mobility. I think they're a fantastic exercise to add to any lower body workout. I've decided to drop barbell squats for a bit, as they were causing some knee pain. Hip mobility problems are a bitch. Dropping barbell squats was tough to swallow, but I've not noticed any atrophy, and I'm sore in places I was never with barbell squats.
Long story short: Give single leg squats a try; good stuff.
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Sure, just about any exercise can be done one side at a time for muscle/strength improvement (even a DB bench press). Gives more focus to any targeted muscle group. That video showed the floor version of the one legged squat, which a lot of gymnast do in training. This version also gives more flex/stretch to the ankle & hip area, which an athlete needs. Though some people have a hard time with it no matter how long & hard they try. Could put the heels on a 2X4, BB plate, etc for better balance, as some do. If doing that, you will not get that extra stretch to the ankles/hips as doing it flat footed.
Another version is doing the one legged squat off a bench, the higher the better. May find it easier to balance yourself. More so when you begin to add weight (BB or DB) to the exercise.
Though not a one legged squat (in the true sense of the word), there is the Step-up. Which can offer more involvement from the hams/glutes because you are stepping forward and up rather than pushing straight up as with the squat. Might be a much better choice, for a lot of folks, over lunges if more work for the hams/glutes and hips is required. Many athletes are including Step-ups into their training. And using quite a large amount of weight (either BB or DB) in their workouts.
The regular squat is a wonderful exercise but a one legged version or Step-Ups should also be included in any workout plan. Can give a better muscle balance to leg development plus an equal amount of strength to both legs. Good Luck.
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JPM hit the nail on the head. Here the trainers have us on a 2 ft high box and do them. They are hard but they work well. Step ups with a leg thrust at the top makes you work even harder. You have to balance that much more with this variation.