Why We Love Single-Leg Training for Our Cedar Park Athletes
- Ben Lustig
- May 26
- 2 min read
When it comes to developing strong, powerful, and resilient athletes, single-leg training is one of the most underrated but impactful tools in our programming toolbox.
At Barbell Coalition here in Cedar Park, we train athletes across a range of sports, and single-leg movements play a major role in helping them perform better, move safer, and develop balanced strength.
Here’s why we love incorporating single-leg training into our athletes’ routines—and why you should too.
It Reflects How Athletes Actually Move
Most sport-specific movements—cutting, sprinting, jumping, throwing—are done on one leg at a time.
Think about a soccer player sprinting down the field, a basketball player exploding off one foot for a layup, or a swimmer pushing off the block.
Training on one leg helps athletes build the strength and coordination they need to perform these movements efficiently and powerfully.
It Exposes and Fixes Strength Imbalances
Even the best athletes have dominant and non-dominant sides. Bilateral exercises like squats or leg presses can sometimes mask those asymmetries.
Single-leg training—like Bulgarian split squats, single-leg RDLs, or step-ups—brings those imbalances to the surface.
When we find them, we can correct them. And when we correct them, we help reduce injury risk and improve total-body efficiency.
It Builds Dynamic Core Strength
One hidden benefit of single-leg work is the massive demand it places on the core. Balancing on one leg while moving weight requires serious trunk control and stability.
Athletes who struggle with posture, bracing, or body awareness often find these weaknesses exposed during single-leg exercises—and that gives us a golden opportunity to help them build true core strength that translates directly to sport.
It’s Easier on the Spine
Barbell back squats and deadlifts have their place in a well-rounded strength program, but for younger athletes or those managing joint stress or previous injuries, single-leg variations offer a way to train heavy and get strong without loading the spine excessively.
Rear-foot-elevated split squats, for example, allow us to load the legs with high intensity while minimizing compression on the back.
It Demands Focus and Intent
Single-leg training is mentally engaging. It demands focus, coordination, and intent from the athlete. You can’t just “go through the motions” on a heavy single-leg movement—you have to own it.
That kind of attention to detail carries over to every other part of an athlete’s training and competition mindset.