A Comparison of Muscular Strength and Power Development In Unilateral and Bilateral Lower Body Exercises

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare neural development in the form of strength and absolute power following training programs that involve unilateral and bilateral lower body exercises. A randomized between-groups research design was used in which results from a pretest and posttest were compared across the unilateral and bilateral groups. Sled machine 1-RM testing was used as a measure of strength and CMVJ testing was used as a measure of absolute power. The exercise intervention period required participants to complete a variation of squats, sled machine pushes, deadlift, and box step-ups utilizing one or both legs. The specific variation of exercises for each participant was determined by randomized placement into one of the two groups. The training period was split into thirteen total sessions involving 1 preliminary testing session and 12 exercise sessions. The sessions were held three times per week for a total of four weeks. As the data collection process is still underway, definitive results are not yet available. Findings from this research are applicable to resistance training exercise prescription as they may suggest that the use of one kind of exercise is more effective in enhancing muscular strength and power than the other