It’s no secret that Arnold Schwarzenegger loved a superset; the Austrian Oak regularly used them throughout his training, and they helped him go on to win seven Mr Olympia trophies. In his most recent Pump Club Newsletter, Arnold shared a single-leg and arm superset workout to build balanced muscle and strength. “You’ll feel stronger, steadier, and more in tune with how your body moves,” he says.
Single limb (or ‘unilateral’) exercises are also key for preventing injuries. Many of us have a more dominant or ‘stronger’ side that we’re not aware of, particularly if we do a lot of bilateral exercises, where we train two limbs at a time (like during a squat, deadlift or bench press). If one side of our body is significantly stronger than the other, it can end up overcompensating for the weaker side (often leading to pain) and create poor form. Unilateral exercises, however, ensure both sides are trained equally.
