Unanswered Crossover effects of unilateral training?

[Cheeky Monkey]

Hello,

Are there any cross over effects from unilateral training? For example, if I do 1 arm dumbell press (right pec), will there will any kind of training benefit to my left pec? I'm asking specifically in reference to training while injured (ex. one arm is injured or one leg is injured).

Thanks!

 

[ChocolateClen]

Not as much as one would think, it’ll be good for your core having to stabilize your body but no, there isn’t much and you’d end up creating a pretty nasty imbalance in the process

 

[Resolve10]

Hello,

Are there any cross over effects from unilateral training? For example, if I do 1 arm dumbell press (right pec), will there will any kind of training benefit to my left pec? I'm asking specifically in reference to training while injured (ex. one arm is injured or one leg is injured).

Thanks!

Yes for further research look into contralateral training (but it does also go by a few other names) or the phenomenon of receiving/maintaining muscular benefits (hypertrophy and/or strength) when only training the opposite side.

Meta-Analysis for in depth of all the research if you care about the how and why:

Contralateral Effects After Unilateral Strength Training: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Training Loads

There is solid evidence on the cross-training phenomenon, but the training load required to achieve it has yet to be established. The aim of this meta-analysis was to deduce which unilateral strength training load (duration, frequency, intensity, rest ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Conclusion:

This meta-analysis suggests that unilateral strength training produces adaptations in the opposite limb, depending on the characteristics of the intervention performed. The training parameters that might determine a greater effect after a CE program are the execution of 3-5 sets of 8-15 repetitions of eccentric contractions with rest times of 1-2 minutes between sets. In addition, there seems to be a direct relationship between the training load applied and the effect achieved, albeit statistical not significant.

Some research on possibly why that also highlights benefits to “visualizing” doing the movement as well:

Role of the mirror-neuron system in cross-education - PubMed

The present review proposes the untested hypothesis that cross-education performed with a mirror increases the transfer of motor function to the resting limb compared with standard cross-education interventions without a mirror. The hypothesis is based on neuroanatomical evidence suggesting an...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

One study showing benefits in muscle size (not just strength):

Effects of cross-education on the muscle after a period of unilateral limb immobilization using a shoulder sling and swathe - PubMed

The purpose of this study was to apply cross-education during 4 wk of unilateral limb immobilization using a shoulder sling and swathe to investigate the effects on muscle strength, muscle size, and muscle activation. Twenty-five right-handed participants were assigned to one of three groups as...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I’d keep in mind:
-You will probably lose size regardless (and strength).
-Your training will be limited.
-It is possible to keep some of the performance/gains with this methodology, but some of the biggest benefits here is it will help lessen the detraining to potentially allow return to baseline faster.
-Don’t stress about it though, even if you don’t do anything gains come back quick and it would be worse to over do things both mentally and physically, a break may be good.

 

[ChocolateClen]

Yes for further research look into contralateral training (but it does also go by a few other names) or the phenomenon of receiving/maintaining muscular benefits (hypertrophy and/or strength) when only training the opposite side.

Meta-Analysis for in depth of all the research if you care about the how and why:

Contralateral Effects After Unilateral Strength Training: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Training Loads

There is solid evidence on the cross-training phenomenon, but the training load required to achieve it has yet to be established. The aim of this meta-analysis was to deduce which unilateral strength training load (duration, frequency, intensity, rest ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Conclusion:


Some research on possibly why that also highlights benefits to “visualizing” doing the movement as well:

Role of the mirror-neuron system in cross-education - PubMed

The present review proposes the untested hypothesis that cross-education performed with a mirror increases the transfer of motor function to the resting limb compared with standard cross-education interventions without a mirror. The hypothesis is based on neuroanatomical evidence suggesting an...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

One study showing benefits in muscle size (not just strength):

Effects of cross-education on the muscle after a period of unilateral limb immobilization using a shoulder sling and swathe - PubMed

The purpose of this study was to apply cross-education during 4 wk of unilateral limb immobilization using a shoulder sling and swathe to investigate the effects on muscle strength, muscle size, and muscle activation. Twenty-five right-handed participants were assigned to one of three groups as...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I’d keep in mind:
-You will probably lose size regardless (and strength).
-Your training will be limited.
-It is possible to keep some of the performance/gains with this methodology, but some of the biggest benefits here is it will help lessen the detraining to potentially allow return to baseline faster.
-Don’t stress about it though, even if you don’t do anything gains come back quick and it would be worse to over do things both mentally and physically, a break may be good.

Those are all good but they don’t follow up on after the fact to show how big of an imbalance there is. I wish there was a study out there where athletes didn’t train at all and then some did unilateral work and then they examined the overall imbalance from left to right sides.

Imbalances are not good, any time there’s an imbalance there’s a risk for injury, like for example quads to hamstrings. Too much quad dominance can cause a torn ACL as the hamstring can’t act as enough of an antagonist to the quad.

So while it does work slightly, you have to weigh the risks with the benefits. I’ll do unilateral load training with my athletes such as loading a bench Press with differing weights on each side but I’d never have my athletes train only one side when injured. Instead I’d have them focus on healing the affected areas and focus on what they can do, like benching for athletes with knee injuries and more upper body work.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Those are all good but they don’t follow up on after the fact to show how big of an imbalance there is. I wish there was a study out there where athletes didn’t train at all and then some did unilateral work and then they examined the overall imbalance from left to right sides.

Imbalances are not good, any time there’s an imbalance there’s a risk for injury, like for example quads to hamstrings. Too much quad dominance can cause a torn ACL as the hamstring can’t act as enough of an antagonist to the quad.

So while it does work slightly, you have to weigh the risks with the benefits. I’ll do unilateral load training with my athletes such as loading a bench Press with differing weights on each side but I’d never have my athletes train only one side when injured. Instead I’d have them focus on healing the affected areas and focus on what they can do, like benching for athletes with knee injuries and more upper body work.

Thanks for the replies. Oh I see now, if I injure my arm, then I should do more leg based workouts till I heal and if I injure my leg, then arm based. I guess that makes sense. What if my right arm and left leg are injured?

 

[ChocolateClen]

If both are injured then you need to be in a damn bubble wrap suit till you heal up

 

[booneman77]

What if my right arm and left leg are injured?

you need to address the problem of why you hurt everything first haha

 

[EMPIREMIND]

Hello,

Are there any cross over effects from unilateral training? For example, if I do 1 arm dumbell press (right pec), will there will any kind of training benefit to my left pec? I'm asking specifically in reference to training while injured (ex. one arm is injured or one leg is injured).

Thanks!

I have been told from numerous doctors and pts that especially during injury if you train one side the other will be stimulated to some degree, and more than what most would expect. The body does amazing things

 

[booneman77]

I have been told from numerous doctors and pts that especially during injury if you train one side the other will be stimulated to some degree, and more than what most would expect. The body does amazing things

I don't have the links, but have read studies on the same thing... a broken arm (in a cast) on one side saw significantly less atrophy when the person continued to train the other arm (and other body parts IIRC)... wasn't like they kept 100% but it was significant enough that you would def want to do it vs lose everything.