Every few months a new ingredient finds its way into the market, makes a bit of a splash, and then quickly disappears into the sunset, never to be seen again.

Which is why we take notice when a slightly newer supplement not only sticks around for a good chunk of time, but also gets some quality evidence to support its use.

Supplements like Huperzine-A, for example.

Step 1: What is it?

Huperzine-A is a naturally forming compound that is found in two types of moss, being:

1. Chinese club moss (latin name Huperzia serrata) and;
2. Fir club moss (latin name Huperzia selago).

The reason I have indicated that Huperzine-A is relatively new to the supplement game is because it was first identified for medical use by scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the early nineteen-eighties.

With this in mind, it is much younger than many of the other Chinese herbs commonly used in supplements today. 

Step 2: What does it do?

Huperzine-A is classified as an “acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.” 

Acetylcholinesterase is an enzyme found in the body that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine into smaller components (that are then used in the production of other compounds). 

As such, the consumption of Huperzine-A can stop the breakdown of acetylcholine, leading to higher concentrations of acetylcholine in the body. This is important, because acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that delivers messages throughout the brain, while also impacting your neuromuscular system.

In the brain it plays a key role in the maintenance of motivation, increasing arousal and attention, enhancing learning and memory retention, and is even involved in facilitating deep sleep states.

Conversely, within the neuromuscular system, acetylcholine plays an important role in facilitating the contraction of muscles, as well as the dilation of blood vessels, by acting on neurons throughout the body.

With this in mind, the supplementation of Huperzine-A appears to have some unique benefits.

Firstly, there is evidence to suggest that its regular supplementation can reduce some of the more severe symptoms associated with Alzhimers and dementia, including memory loss and cognitive function [1].

Secondly, research has shown that supplementing with Huperzine-A for as little as 4 weeks can improve learning outcomes, as well as improve measures of memory and general mental function [2], suggesting it may have benefits for skill learning.

Lastly, Huperzine-A has also been shown to increase the power of muscular contractions [3]. This may have the potential to improve training performance in the gym, increasing long-term training outcomes.

Collectively, these results suggest that this unique supplement may have merit when taken before your workout. 

Improvements in cognition may improve workout quality, increases in learning capabilities may improve technique efficiency (via enhanced skill development), and boosts in muscular contraction may improve gym performance -- all of which could mean more gains.

Step 3: How do I take it?

In the research, Huperzine-A supplementation can range from 50 to 500 micrograms per day. As such, if you are interested in trying it out for yourself, we would suggest starting with a conservative dose of 100-200 micrograms per day and adjusting as needed.

Research thus far indicates that Huperzine-A does not require food to be taken with food, and can be taken in a fasted state without any issues.

Lastly, anecdotal reports suggest that there may be merit in cycling Huperzine-A, where it is taken for 4-5 weeks at time, and then broken up with 1-2 week periods where it is not taken at all. This is suggested to maintain tolerance to the compound, ensuring it does not become less effective over time. 

Step 4: What are the top products?

If you are keen on purchasing Huperzine-A, there are a couple of things you should look out for. 

Firstly, check the dosage. Although Huperzine-A is commonly found in pre-workout supplements, it is typically underdosed. As such, you should make sure that your pre-workout contains 100-200 micrograms of Huperzine-A per serve.

Secondly, stick with reputable brands. Although you might find an amazing deal on Huperzine-A on ebay, there is a genuine risk that it is heavily underdosed, or even contains a completely different (and undisclosed) compound. Stick with brands that provide regular lab tests on their website so you can be sure you are purchasing exactly what you should be.

Lastly, have a look at online reviews. Make sure that other people have had a good experience with the supplement -- because that means you probably will too.

And that is how you find the best Huperzine-A containing supplement on the market.

References:

1. Li, Jun, et al. "Huperzine A for Alzheimer's disease." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2 (2008).
2. Sun, Qing-Qi, et al. "Huperzine-A capsules enhance memory and learning performance in 34 pairs of matched adolescent students." Zhongguo yao li xue bao= Acta pharmacologica Sinica 20.7 (1999): 601-603.
3. Tang, Xi Can, and Yi Fan Han. "Pharmacological profile of huperzine A, a novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitor from Chinese herb." CNS Drug Reviews 5.3 (1999): 281-300.

Bulking and Cutting or Recomping: What's More Effective?

Most people who train in the gym (myself included) do so because they want to look jacked, plain and simple.

The goal is to grow muscle, lose fat, and build a lean muscular physique.

But what is the best way to approach this?

Bulking and Cutting, or Recomping

If you want to change the way you look, you can take one of three approaches:

1. You can commence a bulking phase, in an attempt to build some muscle. 
2. You can commence a cutting phase, in an attempt to lose some fat.
3. You can try and recomp, which describes the process of losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time.

 

Keep in mind that, realistically, if you are going to choose a bulking phase, it will need to be followed by a cutting phase (or vice versa), as that will only get you halfway to building a solid physique.

With this in mind, we normally consider bulking and cutting a single approach, where you can change the order of them as needed.

Body Recomposition?

The first approach I want to discuss is body recomping, because this is the one that seems to garner the most attention -- probably because it is the one that sounds the best.

I mean gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time… What more could you want?

Before anything else, I do want to highlight that for a long time people thought that recomposition was impossible. Because these two processes were “physiological” opposites, they simply could not be accomplished.

But that is not the case at all.

Over the last few years we have seen an abundance of research clearly demonstrating that individuals can gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously [1]. In this manner, you do have the capacity to make large changes in your physique in a short amount of time.

However, because building muscle is easier when you are in a calorie surplus, and losing fat requires a calorie deficit, body recomping does become more challenging as your training age increases.

Which means that body recomposition appears to be most effective under a couple of different conditions:

1. You are relatively new to training (and are yet to experience your “newbie gains”)
2. You are regaining muscle after a period of not training
3. You have a lot of body fat to lose

 

If this sounds like you, and you are keen to try a recomp, you want to make sure that you are eating around maintenance calories, consuming 1.4 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, and training hard 3-5 times per week.

This is going to provide enough protein to facilitate muscle growth, while making sure you are not eating enough to gain fat.

With all this in mind, recomping may not be the best option for people who are quite advanced (and close to their genetic limit in terms of muscle mass), already quite lean, and have been consistently training for years without a break. 

Which is where bulking and cutting enter the discussion…

Bulking and Cutting

Broadly speaking, if you are already somewhat lean and have been training pretty consistently for more than two years, then bulking and cutting cycles are probably your best bet.

• Bulking

As I have already alluded to, bulking refers to a phase dedicated to building muscle. 

Within this, a bulking approach involves eating in a calorie surplus, which will also result in the accumulation of some fat mass -- however, because being in a calorie surplus facilitates muscle growth [2], this is a cost that most are happy to pay (especially if they want to make some progress).

If you are unsure when to bulk, I recommend pursuing a dedicated bulking phase if you are keen to get bigger and currently have visible abs when tensing.

One thing to note is that most people ruin a bulk by eating too many calories and gaining too much fat. The goal should be to maximize muscle gain while minimizing the amount of fat you gain.

If you are starting to bulk, aim to eat ~300 calories more than maintenance each day here, while also aiming for 1.4 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.

• Cutting

Cutting phases are periods where we spend time in a calorie deficit to lose fat. 

However, it is important to note that during periods of energy restriction (i.e., a diet) that muscle loss can also occur, the goal of a cutting phase should really be to lose as much fat as possible while minimizing muscle loss [3].

I would suggest pursuing a cutting phase if you would consider yourself a relatively advanced trainee who is overweight (i.e., has poor muscle definition, despite holding a relatively high amount of muscle mass).

Much like our bulking phases, we want to make sure that we don't cut too aggressively, as this is what can lead to higher degrees of muscle loss. As a result, when cutting, aim to eat ~300 calories less than maintenance each day, while also aiming for 1.8 to 2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight [4].

When to stop a cut and start a bulk, or vice versa?

Based upon this information, under most circumstances rotating through bulking and cutting cycles will be your best option for long term progress. But how do you know when it is time to change from one to the other?

Well, for this I like to refer to the 10-20 rule.

As a rule of thumb, you want to keep your body fat somewhere between 10 and 20 percent. If you are bulking, and you get up to around 20% body fat, it is time to start a cut. Conversely, if you are cutting and you get below 10% body fat, it is time to start a bulk.

This is a simple way to ensure you keep making progress long term, without ever being too far away from leaning out if needed.

Closing Remarks

Recomping certainly is possible, although it does get harder the more advanced you become. 

As a result, it should be reserved for people who are new to training, coming back from an extended period away from the gym, or for people who are quite overweight and have a large amount of fat mass to lose.

For anyone else, bulking and cutting cycles is the best approach moving forward.

References:

1. Barakat, Christopher, et al. "Body recomposition: can trained individuals build muscle and lose fat at the same time?." Strength & Conditioning Journal 42.5 (2020): 7-21.
2. Slater, Gary John, et al. "Is an energy surplus required to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy associated with resistance training." Frontiers in nutrition (2019): 131.
3. Cava, Edda, Nai Chien Yeat, and Bettina Mittendorfer. "Preserving healthy muscle during weight loss." Advances in nutrition 8.3 (2017): 511-519.
4. Helms, Eric R., Alan A. Aragon, and Peter J. Fitschen. "Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 11.1 (2014): 20.

Ingredient Explained: Horny Goat Weed

Horny goat weed is one of the few supplements that has stood the test of time. It has been used for thousands of years across a number of continents, before finally becoming a popular option for bodybuilders across the globe.

But what is it, and what does it do?

Step 1: What is it?

Horny Goat Weed (also known as “Epimedium” in a more technical sense) is a flowering plant native to China that was traditionally used to increase libido.  

Legend has it that, thousands of years ago, Chinese herders would notice their goats becoming more sexually active after eating the epimedium growing in the field. As you can imagine, it didn't take long to be a product of human consumption, and the name “horny goat weed” was born.

Step 2: What does it do?

The most discussed bioactive compound in Horny Goat Weed is called “icariin” which acts to increase blood flow throughout the body (as well as various other functions).

Consequently, horny goat weed can accelerate blood flow to the penis, increasing erectile strength. It has even been shown to offer significant benefits to males suffering erectile dysfunction [1].

On top of its ability to improve erectile function, horny goat weed can also impact upon libido There is a large body of evidence demonstrating that taking horny goat weed regularlycan increase libido and sex drive [2]. While most of the research exploring this topic has been conducted in males, there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that it can do the same for females.

Moving away from the “sexual health” side of things, icariin has also been shown to increase the layering of new bony tissue, while also preventing the breakdown of old bony tissue. As a result, it can contribute to increases in bone density, and may even prevent the onset of osteoporosis in older individuals [3]

Furthermore, there is some evidence indicating that the icariin in horny goat weed can mimic testosterone once it enters the body. As such, there is reason to believe it can help facilitate the  development of new muscle tissue and metabolism of fat [4] -- particularly in individuals with low testosterone.

While this effect has not been explored over any long term training studies, there is an abundance of anecdotal evidence supporting its use in this manner.

Lastly, horny goat weed has also been shown to interact with the cells of the brain in a way that can improve mood and emotional wellbeing, while also reducing the signs and symptoms of anxiety [5]. This improvement and emotional wellbeing may help improve training session-quality in the gym, and life-quality out of the gym.

Step 3: How do I take it?

To date there are no clear dosage guidelines for horny goat weed. However, based upon previous research, we can identify some recommendations.

Some research has indicated that a higher dosage of ~13 milligrams of icariin per kilogram of body weight per day will promote the testosterone-like effects of horny goat weed. As most supplements contain about 20% icariin, this means a horny goat weed dosage of:

• 4500mg per day for a 70kg human
• 6000mg per day for a 90kg human
• 7500mg per day for 110kg human

Conversely, some research [3] has shown a positive effect using doses as low as 300mg per day (60mg of icariin) -- suggesting that a lower dose might be a suitable starting point for most individuals.

With that in mind, we would suggest starting around 300-500mg per day, and increasing gradually over time.

Step 4: What are the top products?

As with any supplement, there are a few things you want to look out for when it comes to buying horny goat weed.

Before anything else, you want it to be affordable. This means looking for the best value for money horny goat weed on the market (we suggest looking for those that have minimal branding, as this is normally a great way to save money).

Secondly, you want to be sure it provides a clear overview of its active ingredients. The product should contain a significant amount of horny goat weed per capsule. Additionally, it should not contain any proprietary blends (this is a huge red flag).

Lastly, check the reviews. If other people have had a good experience, then you are more likely to as well.

References

1. Punyawudhoa, B., et al. "A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of Cappra® for the treatment of mild or mild to moderate erectile dysfunction in Thai male." African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines 10.2 (2013): 310-315.
2. Liao, H. J., X. M. Chen, and W. G. Li. "Effect of Epimedium sagittatum on quality of life and cellular immunity in patients of hemodialysis maintenance." Zhongguo Zhong xi yi jie he za zhi Zhongguo Zhongxiyi jiehe zazhi= Chinese journal of integrated traditional and Western medicine 15.4 (1995): 202-204.
3. Zhang, Ge, Ling Qin, and Yinyu Shi. "Epimedium‐derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24‐month randomized, double‐blind and placebo‐controlled trial." Journal of bone and mineral research 22.7 (2007): 1072-1079.
4. Shindel, Alan W., et al. "Erectogenic and neurotrophic effects of icariin, a purified extract of horny goat weed (Epimedium spp.) in vitro and in vivo." The journal of sexual medicine 7.4pt1 (2010): 1518-1528.
5. Xiao, Heather, Nicholas Wignall, and E. Sherwood Brown. "An open-label pilot study of icariin for co-morbid bipolar and alcohol use disorder." The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse 42.2 (2016): 162-167.

Is Metabolic Adaptation Real?

Metabolic adaptation is a hot topic in the fitness industry right now, largely driven by fitness influencers suggesting it's the primary reason people struggle to lose weight and keep it off.

But what is it, and is it something you really need to worry about?

What is Metabolic Adaptation?

To understand metabolic adaptation, you first need to know how you burn energy on a daily basis.

Your "Total Daily Energy Expenditure" (or TDEE for short) is the term used to describe the total amount of energy you burn each day. This is broken down further into four categories, being:

• Exercise activity thermogenesis (EAT), which is the energy you burn through formal exercise (i.e., weight training and cardio)
• Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which is the energy you burn moving about throughout the day.
• Thermic effect of food (TEF), which is the energy you burn breaking down and digesting the food you eat, and:
• Resting metabolic rate (RMR), which describes the energy you burn performing the cellular functions your body needs to stay alive.

Now of these factors, the largest determinant of your TDEE is your RMR, which accounts for around 70% of your total energy expenditure.

With this in mind, metabolic adaptation describes a process whereby your energy expenditure decreases, meaning the amount of energy you need to consume to stay the same weight (or lose weight) decreases [1].

Why Does Metabolic Adaptation Occur?

Metabolic adaptation is thought to occur when you are exposed to a prolonged period of low energy availability (i.e., during a diet).

Historically speaking, this process makes sense. 

Back when humans were hunter-gatherers, food was scarce. And during times when food was hard to come by, metabolic adaptation would be desirable because it would help you sustain essential body fat levels and survive without food.

However, in modern day, we don't have a food scarcity problem. Instead, the most likely instance of metabolic adaptation is when someone tries to lose weight. 

The Drivers of Metabolic Adaptation

When it comes to metabolic adatpation, there are two main drivers: a physical loss of weight and a change in hormone secretion.

The first one is simple to understand.

The heavier you are, the more energy you burn moving around on a daily basis. You also spend more energy on the physiological processes that keep your body running because there is simply more of you to run.

But, when you lose weight and get lighter, the amount of energy you burn in this manner decreases.

This is one of the key factors that contribute to lasting (but expected) changes in energy expenditure (and, by extension, metabolism) after you finish dieting and lose weight.

The second is a little more complex and related to the hormone leptin [2].

Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells, but its production is only high when those fat cells are full. When you lose weight, your fat cells store less energy and literally shrink in size. This causes a reduction in leptin production and secretion.

Now, leptin plays a number of key roles in the human body, some of which include the regulation of hunger and energy levels.

With this in mind, when you enter an energy deficit and start losing weight, your low leptin levels are likely to cause an increase in hunger, a reduction in energy levels, and, therefore a reduction in NEAT -- all of which further reduces your daily energy expenditure.

So, considering this, it should be apparent that metabolic adaptation is a very real phenomenon -- but is it something that has a large impact?

The Impact of Metabolic Adaptation

Given the level of interest in metabolic adaptation, it should come as no surprise that it has been researched quite extensively -- and the results have indicated that it can indeed have a measurable impact on energy expenditure.

A well-regarded review by Rosenbaum and Leibel explored the topic in detail and found that if someone loses ~10% or more of their body weight, their TDEE will drop by somewhere between 20 and 25% [3].

But where exactly does this come from?

As I have already outlined, some of this reduction is explained by simply being lighter, but this cannot explain all of it. 

In fact, the change in TDEE tends to be slightly larger than what you would expect based on changes in body weight alone -- which means there must be an additional adaptive component.

And this can almost entirely be explained by reductions in NEAT.

Research has shown that if someone loses ~25% of their body weight, they will see a reduction in TDEE that is ~25% greater than what could be caused by just a loss of physical mass [4]. 

However, their resting metabolic rate changes will only account for about ~2% of this. This means that reductions in NEAT explain the other ~23% of metabolic adaptation.

NEAT is Important

Most people balk when they hear this because they perceive NEAT to be somewhat unimportant -- but I want to reiterate that reductions in NEAT go beyond just doing less incidental activity.

It implies that you are subconsciously becoming more efficient.

This might mean making more efficient movement strategies to get around the house. It might mean unknowingly fidgeting less to preserve energy. It might even mean taking the elevator instead of the stairs because you feel too fatigued to take another step.

Changes in NEAT are very real, and they are often outside our control.

How Long Does Metabolic Adaptation Last?

So we know that Metabolic Adaptation does happen, but the good news is that it doesn't always happen and doesn't last forever.

Firstly, metabolic adaptation is not going to happen to a notable degree unless someone is spending a very long time in an energy deficit and looking to lose a large amount of weight, or if someone is looking to get down to extremely low levels of body fat (i.e., less than 8-10%).

In both of these instances, we would expect to see a larger degree of metabolic adaptation due to the more extreme nature of the energy deficit. But if you are looking to lose a little bit of weight, it will not be a huge concern.

As you move through a weight loss phase, you will be forced to reduce calories to continue losing weight. Although you will not be able to reverse the adaptation coming from being a lighter body weight (unless you regain that weight, which probably ruins the point), the reduction in NEAT tends to return to baseline soon after returning to maintenance calories.

The reason is that losing weight is not the primary cause of metabolic adaptation, whereas being in a constant state of energy restriction is.

To minimize the already small amount of metabolic adaptation, the goal should be to increase back to maintenance calories relatively quickly after reaching your goal body weight [5]

Final Thoughts

Metabolic adaptation is indeed a very real phenomenon.

But it is unlikely that you need to worry about it unless you are looking to lose a considerable amount of weight or get as lean as a bodybuilder on stage.

If you are someone who is simply looking to lose a bit of weight so you can feel more comfortable at the beach, it is good to know that it exists, but know that it is not going to impact you in a particularly negative manner.

References:

1. Trexler, Eric T., Abbie E. Smith-Ryan, and Layne E. Norton. "Metabolic adaptation to weight loss: implications for the athlete." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 11.1 (2014): 7.
2. Kelesidis, Theodore, et al. "Narrative review: the role of leptin in human physiology: emerging clinical applications." Annals of internal medicine 152.2 (2010): 93-100.
3. Rosenbaum, Michael, and Rudolph L. Leibel. "Adaptive thermogenesis in humans." International journal of obesity 34.1 (2010): S47-S55.
4. Weigle, David S., et al. "Weight loss leads to a marked decrease in nonresting energy expenditure in ambulatory human subjects." Metabolism 37.10 (1988): 930-936.
5. Hall, Kevin D. "Metabolic adaptations to weight loss." Obesity 26.5 (2018): 790-791.

The Benefits of Unilateral Training (Single Leg Exercises)

Single leg exercises are often some of the least liked in the gym -- but they should be a part of your routine. 

Here's why.

Symmetrical Aesthetics

If you are training to build muscle and improve the way you look, symmetry is something you should care about. I mean looking big is great, but looking big and symmetrical? 

That's what sets you apart from the crowd.

With that in mind, unilateral exercises are some of the most effective ways to eliminate asymmetries in the muscle size of the lower body. 

See, your body is smart, and although big compound exercises like squats and deadlifts technically train both sides of your body, they don't do so equally. If one side of your body is stronger than the other (which is the case for most people), then you will naturally compensate to make the movement easier.

And this often means subconsciously placing more load on your stronger side.  

As a result, asymmetrical muscle development is pretty common. But single leg exercises are your solution.

Because exercises like split squats and lunges predominantly load one leg at a time, they eliminate the potential for compensation. This has obvious implications for building a symmetrical physique.

As a note, when you first start performing single leg exercises, you will notice that one side is stronger than the other (this is entirely normal). Make sure to start all your single leg exercises on the weaker side, then match the number of reps on your stronger side.

This is a great way to even up asymmetries while ensuring an even amount of muscle growth between legs.

Greater Muscle Growth

While you should never change exercises every week, there is some evidence to suggest that implementing different variations that target the same muscle group will lead to better muscle growth than using just one or two variations [1].

If all your quad work comes from squats, leg presses, and knee extensions, you are loading the muscles in a somewhat similar manner between exercises (especially between the squat and the leg press).

But if you throw just one single leg exercise into the mix, you add another degree of variability into the program, which can increase muscle growth.

As a bonus, you don't even have to add in more training volume for this to yield a positive effect. Instead, all you need to do is reallocate some of the volume you are already performing to single-leg exercises:

For example, if your quad work looks like this:

• Squat 3 x 8
• Leg Press 3 x 10
• Leg Extension 3 x 12

You could replace two of the sets with split squats like this:

• Squat 3 x 8
• Leg Press 2 x 10
• Split Squat 2 x 10
• Leg Extension 2 x 12

If your leg routine is void of single leg exercises, give this a go to kickstart some extra muscle growth (just be ready for some serious DOMS that first session…).

Improved Athleticism

Most of us don't only train to look good but feel good too.

Considering this, single-leg exercises are a must. Split squats, lunges, and their many variations replicate athletic movements like jumping, sprinting, and bounding. As a result, they have a direct carryover to those activities, making you more athletic [2].

If you intend to become big, jacked, and athletic, single-leg exercises are an absolute must.

Less Systemic Stress

You can think of systemic stress as the total stress placed on your body during a gym session. This encompasses the stress placed on your joints and connective tissues, as well as the stress placed on your muscles.

In short, the greater your level of systemic stress, the harder it is to recover.

Taking this into account, those exercises that create the most systemic stress allow you to use the most absolute load, and therefore place the most load on your connective tissues.

Think squats, deadlifts, and their many variations.

While there is little to no scientific research on this topic, most people are aware of it. Think about the fatigue you accrue after a heavy set of squats. It is much more than a set of leg presses, even if the muscular fatigue is similar between the two.

As such, if you replace some of these exercises (or at least reallocate some of their volume) with their single leg variations, you can get the same muscular stimulus with significantly less systemic stress. 

This means faster recovery between sessions, which could increase long-term gains by the quality of your training sessions over the long term.

Plus, not feeling like you got hit by a truck after every leg session is nice too.

Enhanced Functional Capacity

While this is not something that all of you care about right now, it will be in the future.

Single-leg exercises improve balance and your capacity to perform activities of daily living, such as standing up from a chair, walking up stairs, and moving about the house.

As a result, they can also help reduce your risk of falls as you get older, while ensuring you maintain your independence wll into your golden years -- which, if you intend to be a lifelong lifter, is a pretty big bonus [3].

Best Single-Leg Exercises

Like most things, the "best" single-leg exercise will be dictated by your goals.

If you want to maximize muscle growth and eliminate asymmetries, exercises that take your joints through a larger range of motion are your best bet. This means Bulgarian split squats, front-foot elevated split squats, and front-foot elevated reverse lunges should be your first point of call.

Exercises replicating real-world movements are key if you want to improve your athleticism and functional capacity. This means reverse lunges, lateral lunges, walking lunges, and step-ups should be a part of your program.

Suppose you are simply looking to try something different and reduce systemic stress. In that case, any single-leg exercise is a good choice. I like barbell split squats, walking lunges, and Bulgarians, but it is really up to you.

Single Leg Training: Final Thoughts

Whether your goal is to build muscle, become more aesthetic, increase athleticism, or improve your day-to-day life, single-leg exercises must be part of your routine.

Next program you write, we want to see a heap of single-leg exercises thrown in the mix.

References:

1. Kassiano, Witalo, et al. "Does Varying Resistance Exercises Promote Superior Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gains? A Systematic Review." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 36.6 (2022): 1753-1762.
2. Fisher, J., and M. Wallin. "Unilateral versus bilateral lower-body resistance and plyometric training for change of direction speed." J Athl Enhanc 6 (2014): 2.
3. Josephson, Micah D., and John G. Williams. "Functional-strengthening: A pilot study on balance control improvement in community-dwelling older adults." Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine 6.2 (2017): 75.