TRANSFORM YOUR TRAINING WITH BILATERAL DEFICITS
Have you ever felt stronger during single-leg exercises than in bilateral movements? This could be due to the bilateral deficit (BLD), a natural phenomenon where bilateral force production is less than the sum of unilateral efforts. Understanding and addressing BLD can elevate your training, enhance symmetry, and boost overall athletic performance.
Why Should You Care About the Bilateral Deficit?
BLD affects athletes across sports, from sprinters to weightlifters. It influences force output, injury risk, and recovery. Research suggests combining unilateral and bilateral exercises to improve balance and maximize strength adaptations (Costa et al., 2015; Skarabot et al., 2016).
Measuring Bilateral Deficits with SmartCoach Technology
SmartCoach systems, such as the Bolt, Bolt Lite or PAD, are designed to:
- Identify Asymmetries: Monitor force and velocity differences between limbs.
Figure 1. The picture shows how the SmartCoach software can provide the bilateral deficit along time, using different types or formulas and training variables. In the example, the calculations are done using the mean concentric power.
- Provide Real-Time Feedback: Optimize technique and ensure balanced effort during workouts.
- Track Long-Term Progress: Measure improvements in strength symmetry over time (Hernández Davó et al., 2018; Gonzalo-Skok et al., 2017).
Figure 2. The picture shows how the SmartCoach software tracks the bilateral deficit over time (upper graph), together with the leg dominance (lower graph). In the example, a leg dominance change was found from 24th December.
For instance, when performing Bulgarian split squats, SmartCoach encoders can measure limb-specific power, ensuring balanced training.
Training Tips to Optimize Performance
- Unilateral Exercises for Symmetry
- Focus on exercises like step-ups and single-leg deadlifts to reduce strength imbalances.
- Use SmartCoach data to set specific targets for each limb (Costa et al., 2015; Gonzalo-Skok et al., 2017).
- Enhance Bilateral Strength
- Incorporate traditional lifts like bench presses and squats.
- Monitor bilateral and unilateral outputs to track improvements (Skarabot et al., 2016).
- Utilize Flywheel Training
- Flywheel devices provide eccentric overload, which is critical for addressing BLD.
- Measure and adjust your performance with SmartCoach-integrated systems (Hernández Davó et al., 2018; Sarabon et al., 2020).
Example of exercises setup ready to train for a bilateral deficit using SmartCoach
Figure 3. The picture shows the flywheel training for Saturday, using the YoYo leg press. The exercise has been setup to work unilaterally on each set. The side field shows that the exercise is first executed with the right leg, then with the left. In addition, Feedback type has been marked as Eccentric Overload, so you will be able to control a desired level of eccentric overload in real time.
Conclusion
Addressing the bilateral deficit is key to achieving balanced and optimal performance. By integrating SmartCoach into your routine, you’ll gain precise insights and actionable data to refine your training. Take control of your progress and start optimizing your workouts today.
References
- Costa, E. C., Moreira, A., Cavalcanti, B., Krinski, K., & Aoki, M. S. (2015). Effect of unilateral and bilateral resistance exercise on maximal voluntary strength, total volume of load lifted, and perceptual and metabolic responses. Biology of Sport, 32(1), 35-40.
- Gonzalo-Skok, O., Tous-Fajardo, J., Suarez-Arrones, L., Arjol-Serrano, J. L., Casajús, J. A., & Mendez-Villanueva, A. (2017). Single-leg power output and between-limbs imbalances in team-sport players: Unilateral versus bilateral combined resistance training. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 12(1), 106-114.
- Hernández Davó, J. L., Monteagudo, P., & Sabido, R. (2018). Comparison of six weeks eccentric overload training between bilateral and unilateral squat in basketball players. European Journal of Human Movement, 40, 111-121.
- Sarabon, N., Kozinc, Z., Bishop, C., & Maffiuletti, N. A. (2020). Factors influencing bilateral deficit and inter-limb asymmetry of maximal and explosive strength: Motor task, outcome measure and muscle group. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 120(8), 1681-1688.
- Skarabot, J., Cronin, N., Strojnik, V., & Avela, J. (2016). Bilateral deficit in maximal force production. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 116(11-12), 2127-2147.
