{"id":34070,"date":"2025-11-14T21:53:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T21:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/a-7-move-unilateral-workout-for-full-body-and-core-strength\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T21:53:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T21:53:12","slug":"a-7-move-unilateral-workout-for-full-body-and-core-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpnewswire.com\/news\/a-7-move-unilateral-workout-for-full-body-and-core-strength\/","title":{"rendered":"A 7-Move Unilateral Workout for Full-Body and Core Strength"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019re looking for an efficient full-body workout, unilateral exercises may not be what first comes to mind. After all, if you\u2019re performing movements that predominately focus on one side of the body at a time, how can that be productive? What experts emphasize, however, is that one-sided exercises serve dual purposes.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnlike traditional bilateral movements, unilateral exercises work one side of the body at a time, which forces your stabilizer muscles to engage, your core to fire up, and your body to move with greater control and awareness,\u201d explains Kelly Hegarty, CPT, Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time in St. Paul, Minn. \u201cSo even if the primary focus of a movement is around a single arm or a single leg, for example, the benefits are not isolated to that limb.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unilateral exercises can even build core strength. \u201cMany people think of \u2018core training\u2019 as simply crunches and planks, but true core stability goes far beyond that,\u201d says Hegarty. \u201cThe muscles that stabilize your spine and pelvis work constantly during just about any movement \u2014 especially when your body is challenged by an uneven or single-sided load. That\u2019s where unilateral training comes in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Unilateral Training?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re trying to build real-world strength and core stability, training one side of the body at a time is a game-changer.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnilateral training improves functional strength, reduces injury risk, and enhances performance by mimicking everyday and athletic movements \u2014 where one side of the body often leads,\u201d explains Hegarty. \u201cBy working each side of the body separately, these types of exercises can build balance, coordination, and muscular symmetry as they help prevent the stronger side from compensating for the weaker side and allow for more targeted strengthening.\u201d<\/p>\n

These one-sided moves make similar demands on your core. \u201cUnilateral loading also creates an asymmetrical force that your core must counteract,\u201d she continues. \u201cThis forces the obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, and deep stabilizers to work harder than they would in bilateral lifts. Over time, this strengthens not only the working muscles but also the spine-supporting system that keeps you steady and powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n

A 7-Move Unilateral Workout<\/h2>\n

We asked Hegarty to create a full-body workout using these \u201cdual purpose\u201d exercises. \u201cEach of these exercises build strength in the primary movers (like the shoulders, chest, or back),\u201d she says. \u201cAnd they also engage the core deeply to stabilize the torso and improve posture, balance, and movement efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n

1. One-Arm Cable Fly<\/h3>\n

\u201cHere, we\u2019re strengthening the chest while also working on anti-rotation core strength,\u201d says Hegarty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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