Unilateral Training for Martial Arts

What exactly is unilateral training and how can it benefit fighters and martial artists?

In this post we give you the best unilateral movements to improve balance, increase core strength and stability and prevent injury.

We also look at why unilateral training is beneficial for fighters and martial artists and how to integrate unilateral movements into your current training, efficiently and with the least disruption to your current training.

But the gains will be noticeable in just a few short weeks.

So let’s begin.

What are unilateral movements?

Unilateral movements work one side of your body at a time. 

Unilateral movements differ from bilateral movements which spread the load across both sides of the body to perform.

A specific example of a fairly difficult unilateral movement to perform is the pistol squat as seen in the image below.

The pistol squat requires a good deal of strength, balance and mobility in the side of the body that is balancing especially in the ankle.

But also a good amount of core strength and the strength to work with unbalanced load is required.

But more common unilateral movements in application include:

  • Exploding out of the block into a sprint – most of the strength and power is generated from your dominant side to blast out quickly and with power.
  • Pushing off and balancing on one leg while throwing the other leg in a baseball bat motion to strike a target – the muay thai roundhouse kick

Unilateral Training Benefits

It is very possible that by not incorporating unilateral movements into your training there are gains that you could be missing out on.

By integrating unilateral training movements into your current training (we show you how to do this with least hassle and most impact later on) You stand to benefit in the following way:

Strengthen Your Weak Side

Almost every athlete, fighter or person in general has a more dominant side.

And having one stronger side than the other when it comes to kicking, grappling, exploding off of one foot etc, can lead to:

  • decreased muscle strength and endurance on your weaker side
  • higher potential for injury
  • continuous discomfort and even pain

More Core Strength

By engaging your core muscles in an unfamiliar way they are challenged to strengthen.

Unilateral exercises are an excellent way to challenge and train your core by working with an unbalanced load.

Unilateral Training Benefits for Martial Artists

Why is unilateral training especially beneficial for martial artists?

Martial artists and fighters use a lot of unilateral movements in their practice and competition.

A muay thai roundhouse kick is largely a unilateral movement and requires striking with the shin of one leg with power while balancing and pushing off your standing leg.

Grappling and fighting with an under hook or another solid grip on your opponent and trying to take them down or not get taken down is highly unilateral by nature.

Unilateral movements are used frequently in fighting

But how often do martial artists and fighters perform unilateral movements in their training to strengthen the very areas they train every day.

Whether throwing a roundhouse kick, grappling, takedowns or scrambles on the ground, unilateral movements are used and so training should reflect this also.

While you can get a lot of the required benefit of unilateral training in specific movements through drilling and sparring/rolling, it cannot hurt your game and can definitely improve it if you integrate specific unilateral movements in to your training.

Below are some of the best unilateral training exercises a fighter, athlete or anyone really can incorporate into their current training to reap excellent strength and conditioning benefits.

Unilateral Training Exercises

If you could only include one of these unilateral training exercises below than I would have to suggest the Bird Dog.

This can be done without a warmup pretty much anytime and you will still get a lot of benefits from this one exercise.

unilateral training
The Bird Dog is a great unilateral training exercise

There are a huge number of suitable training exercises you could start putting into your training program.

So we will divide them by those done with weights or resistance and those done with bodyweight only.

And below are my recommended 4 bodyweight and 4 weight based exercises.

The body weight exercises can be done pretty much anytime and without the need for a long warmup.

The weight based exercises will require a good warmup. And you can use the bodyweight movements as part of your warmup too!

Bodyweight Unilateral Training Exercises

Before choosing from the unilateral exercises using weights below it would pay to start off with the bodyweight only exercises discussed in this section.

They can even be used as a warmup before your regular hard training sessions or even lighter cardio sessions too.

#1 Bird Dog

Pictured above, this is the one exercise I would recommend any one integrate into their regular training.

It can be performed as a warmup and mobility exe3rise before your do your hard training also.

#2 Bodyweight Bulgarian Split Squat

#3 Side Plank

This is a challenging exercise to do.

It could be done as part of a dedicated core training session 2-3 days per week.

Start with a short time duration and build up to a minute plus.

you could start with 2 sets of 15 secs each side for one week.

Then build to 3 sets of 20 secs and keep building up form there.

unilateral training

#4 Cossack Squats

Unilateral Movements with Weights

Unilateral movements done with weights should be tested with bodyweight where possible the first time.

Then begin with very light weights to build the necessary balance and coordination a well as core stability.

Overtime you can increase the weight but start slow especially if you have not done much unilateral training in the past. ITs not as simple as diving your bilateral exercise load in half and getting to it.

It will take time to test the best weight for you to use.

#1 Single Leg Stiff Legged Deadlift

#2 Turkish Get Up

unilateral training exercises

#3 Dumbell Bulgarian Split Squat

unilateral training movements

#4 Standing Single Arm Dumbbell Row

Perform as in the video below.

Not on a bench, and don’t use your free hand to hold or touch anything else for support or balance.

Unilateral Training for Fighters – Wrap Up

There are a host of benefits to integrating unilateral training, especially if you are a fighter or martial artist.

This is because fighting, sparring and martial arts all include a lot of unilateral movements into their practice.

And while drilling and sparring build up required strength and coordination/balance to carry out these unilateral movements.

But by adding in the unilateral training exercises presented above you will improve all aspects of your athletic, martial arts or fight camp training.

Specific unilateral training will only improve your overall fighting and martial arts.