Adding a particular strength training method to my weekly regimen significantly boosted my muscle strength development, surpassing any previous growth rates.

Melissa Kendter, an ACE-certified personal trainer and UESCA running coach, has taken a unique approach to her strength training. She prefers to focus on unilateral exercises to balance out her muscles for running and strengthen her hips, knees, ankles, and surrounding tendons.

Unilateral exercises, which involve working one side of the body at a time, can help correct muscle imbalances that may emerge due to uneven use. These exercises can be as simple as a single-leg Romanian deadlift, where one leg supports all the available load, allowing the exerciser to challenge their muscles with less weight compared to bilateral exercises.

A good strength training plan balances consistency and variety to build strength, measure progress, break through plateaus, and keep workouts enjoyable. Unilateral exercises during core workouts often result in a bonus core workout due to holding weights away from the center of gravity. Using dumbbells and kettlebells for unilateral exercises provides a core workout in addition to targeting specific muscles.

The progressive overload principle is essential for any successful strength training program, requiring workouts to gradually become more difficult as fitness improves. This can be achieved by lifting more weight, increasing the number of reps, or changing exercise selection to challenge the muscles in different ways.

Melissa Kendter has incorporated a variety of unilateral exercises into her training, such as the Bulgarian split squat, Dumbbell step-up, Single-leg Romanian deadlift, Single-leg dumbbell hip thrust, Seesaw dumbbell bench press, Single-arm dumbbell overhead press, and Single-arm bent-over row. She has noticed week-on-week increases in the weights she is able to lift.

Her training schedule includes both unilateral and bilateral moves. For instance, her leg sessions start with barbell back squats followed by unilateral moves like lateral lunge and curtsy squat. Safety during unilateral exercises is improved as there is no risk of a weight coming down on the user if they fail to complete a rep.

The author's barbell back squat numbers have been increasing, suggesting that the unilateral exercises are helping to build functional strength, as we rarely move bilaterally in everyday life. Mid-body muscles work hard during unilateral exercises to maintain posture and resist weight that pulls the body off balance.

For those interested in starting a strength training program with unilateral exercises, our guide to the best adjustable dumbbells can help in selecting weights for home workouts. The seesaw dumbbell bench press and Bulgarian split squat can be used as safer alternatives to barbell exercises like the bench press and back squat.

In conclusion, Melissa Kendter's approach to strength training, focusing on unilateral exercises, offers a balanced and effective way to build strength, correct muscle imbalances, and improve functional fitness.

Adding a particular strength training method to my weekly regimen significantly boosted my muscle strength development, surpassing any previous growth rates.