Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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14.11.2015 |
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Unilateral or bilateral resistance training? Effect on muscle mass and strength
Strength athletes can perform many exercises in two different ways: left and right separately [unilateral] or left and right simultaneously [bilateral]. It doesn't matter which version you choose when it comes to the amount of muscle mass you build up from the exercise, write Brazilian sports scientists in an article that will soon be published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. But when it comes to strength it's a different matter.
Study
One of the training groups trained in the traditional way – with both legs together, or as sports scientists like to call it, bilaterally. The second group trained the legs separately or, to use the jargon, unilaterally.
Results
The women who had trained their legs bilaterally built up slightly more strength in each leg than the women who had done their leg extensions unilaterally.
On the other hand, the women who had trained their legs unilaterally ended up with slightly more maximal strength in each leg than the women who had done bilateral leg extensions.
Conclusion
"Although unilateral training enabled the use of heavier training loads, there were no greater superior gains in muscle mass compared to bilateral training for 12 weeks."
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