First, some background on these terms. Bilateral exercises use both limbs in unison to move a load, such as barbell squats, barbell bench press, and chinups. If one limb pushes or pulls harder than the other, the load will not move evenly.
Unilateral exercises focus on each limb working independently of each other. This can be accomplished by either isolating one limb at a time or by using dumbbells or independent stack cables to push or pull with both limbs at the same time. Examples of these movements include exercises such as dumbbell shoulder presses, dumbbell bent-over rows, and lunges. In addition, when unilateral exercises are performed one limb at a time, they can often elicit more core function due to the unbalanced state of the load. Examples of these types of unilateral exercises would be a one-arm dumbbell shoulder press or a one-arm dumbbell bent-over row.
Unilateral work enables trainees to discover and address weaknesses and imbalances. This type of single-limb focusing can also greatly improve bilateral movement strength. This can prove to be very effective if you are seeking improvement in exercises such as barbell squats, bench presses, and even pullups.
Courtesy of Men's Health
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