Why you need to know about bilateral exercises

Today we are going to discuss the term bilateral by discuss I mean I am going to tell you. The average gym goer has probably heard this phrase being thrown around in the gym but from my experience with beginners, most have never been told what it actually means. So let’s dive into the definition of how they can be added to your training let’s go.

Bilateral exercises:

A lot of terms to do with exercise can be understood once we break down the words themselves so bilateral, bi meaning two, and lateral meaning side or away from mid-centre. Putting them together means both sides so a bilateral movement works both sides at the same time simultaneously. Simultaneously is an important term to keep in mind here as a barbell bench press would be a bilateral movement and a dumbbell bench press would not. Both sides need to work together against the same weight.

Bilateral exercises include:

⁃ lat pulldown

⁃ Deadlift

⁃ Back squat

⁃ Bench press

⁃ Military press

⁃ Pretty much every barbell movement

Benefits:

We always have to look at the good side first and when it comes to bilateral movements they are the best way to grow strength as the exercise has more stability as both limbs are working together to both stabilize and move the weight. They are great exercises to see progress quickly for two reasons the first being two sides together progress quicker than one and as the exercise is a skill in itself you will get better at the pattern of moving it.

Cons:

Bilateral movements due to their very nature are not ideal for beginners who have a lot of left-to-right imbalances as the predominant side will always outperform the weaker making the strong side stronger furthering the imbalance. If you don’t struggle from left to right imbalances by all means start learning how to use barbell movements but ensure you do your homework on form tips as they are large movements to learn.

Injury risk:

Because your body has less movement in a bilateral exercise compared to a unilateral exercise certain pre-existing injuries may not be a good idea to with a bilateral movement. An example of this is the bench press and a shoulder injury because of the fixed state of the bar you can’t allow your shoulders to get in the position which cannot aggravate the injury.

Storytime:

When I first started lifting coming from a sporting background my imbalances were large to the point that my left side was roundabout an inch bigger on my arms and my legs compared to my right. I didn’t get the best insight into how to correct it ( training with gym bros ). So the first year of training I did primarily bilateral movements making the imbalances so much more I only began to balance out my physique when I slowed down and started focusing on both sides. If want to learn more about correcting imbalances check out this post here.

Things to keep in mind:

⁃ Great for building strength

⁃ Great for building overall size

⁃ If it aggravates an existing injury don’t do it

⁃ If you have left-to-right imbalances stick to unilateral

Thanks for giving this a read and I hope it helped you understand the gym a little bit better if you know someone who can benefit from this send it their way

Have a lovely day and see you next time!