Ideas to increase single leg strength?

ltworide · February 2016

I've noticed differences in the strength between my right and left legs lately when completing heavy barbell front squats, trap bar deadlifts & when performing certain ladder and cone drills (pushing off & rotating on my left leg) . I'm finding that my left hip abductors (possibly Glute medius &/or minimus & tensor fascia lata?) are feeling sore after my workout. Note there's no sharp pain just feeling more general soreness (DOMS) in the left hip compared to the right & I don't feel like I'm powering up as much on my left side.

Note that I don't feel any more soreness on my left side compared to the right when doing heavy barbell hip thrusts/Glute bridges or when I do single leg Glute bridges/hip thrusts.

I've started incorporating pistol squats & barbell reverse lunges to step up with hip flexion in my workouts to try balancing out the strength in my left side.

If anyone has any other exercise ideas that I could use to incorporate into my workouts specifically to strengthen up the left leg/hip abductors I'd really appreciate it. Thanks in advance for your help.

wykkedtruth · February 2016

I was told to do a couple more reps on my week leg by my doctor to try and build it up to the same as my right. I had an ACL repair

sunnybeaches105 · February 2016

There are a few ideas and articles from T-Nation below. If you can do a pistol squat then you got me. I hate single leg training, but make sure I use reverse lunges regularly (and occasionally Bulgarian split squats) to keep me balanced. Hate them!

https://www.t-nation.com/searchResults.jsp?cx=016420786931182441572:kswwmllusns&cof=FORID:10&ie=UTF-8&q=single+leg+training&siteurl=www.t-nation.com/&ref=&ss=2552j441516j19&siteurl=www.t-nation.com/&ref=&ss=2552j441432j19

CarlydogsMom · February 2016

Yeah, no kidding sunnybeach on the pistol squat.

OP, I have the same thing, weakness on my right side. I am now doing mostly single-leg exercises to build that side back up. My trainer has me using the TRX contraption, the straps with handles that you hang on a chin-up bar. You can do all sorts of single-leg exercises with that thing, including backward lunges and one-legged pistol squats (there is no way I could do them without some support!).

I also do Bulgarian split squats, box steps (both with or without weight), and single-legged Romanian barbell lifts (where one leg goes straight out behind you while you lower your upper body in front, I don't really know what they're called).

I have also found that active stretching of calves, hip flexors, and glutes/quads really help before I get into the full exercises.

Ideas to increase single leg strength?

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