If you’re like most high-performing men over 40, you’ve probably been taught that getting stronger always means adding more weight to the bar. However, what if I told you that sometimes the fastest way to improve your strength, balance, and joint health is to remove a leg instead?
This is one of the most underrated lower-body training strategies I use with clients in Broadview Heights. Although it looks simple, it consistently produces impressive results while reducing unnecessary stress on the body.
Train Smarter, Not Just Heavier
Strength training is essential as we get older. However, simply piling more weight onto every exercise isn’t always the smartest solution. Instead, your body benefits when it’s challenged in different ways.
That’s why I ask my clients one simple question before almost every lower-body workout:
“Could I do this on one leg instead?”
If the answer is yes, I encourage them to give it a try.
While bilateral exercises like squats and deadlifts absolutely deserve a place in your program, unilateral exercises create challenges that two-legged movements simply can’t replicate. As a result, your body is forced to stabilize, coordinate, and produce force more efficiently.
My Favorite Exercise: The Abducted Single-Leg Dumbbell RDL
One of my favorite exercises is the abducted single-leg dumbbell Romanian deadlift (RDL).
Unlike a traditional RDL, this variation forces one leg to handle nearly all of the work. Meanwhile, your hips, glutes, core, foot, and ankle all have to work together to keep you balanced.
Consequently, this movement exposes weaknesses that often stay hidden during heavy bilateral lifts. Furthermore, it teaches your body how to move more efficiently while improving stability from the ground up.
Although the weight is usually lighter, the training effect is often much greater.
Why It Works So Well After 40
As we age, maintaining balance, coordination, and joint health becomes just as important as building muscle.
Therefore, single-leg exercises provide benefits that extend far beyond the gym.
They can help:
- Improve balance and coordination
- Build stronger glutes and hips
- Reduce side-to-side strength imbalances
- Increase knee and ankle stability
- Improve athletic movement and everyday function
- Lower the risk of many common lower-body injuries
Additionally, these exercises make everyday activities—whether climbing stairs, hiking, golfing, or playing with your kids or grandkids—feel easier and more confident.
A Client Success Story
Just last month, one of my clients came into the gym convinced he needed heavier weights to keep progressing.
Instead, we made one simple adjustment.
Rather than increasing the load, we incorporated more single-leg training into his workouts.
Within a few weeks, he wasn’t just stronger. More importantly, he reported feeling steadier, moving more confidently, and experiencing happier knees than he had in years.
Sometimes progress isn’t about doing more.
Instead, it’s about doing something better.
The Takeaway
I still love heavy squats and deadlifts, and they remain a cornerstone of my programming. However, I also make it a point to include at least one unilateral lower-body exercise every week.
If you want stronger legs, healthier joints, better balance, and movement that actually carries over into real life, stop asking how much weight you can add.
Instead, ask yourself one question:
“Could I do this on one leg instead?”
You might be surprised by how much stronger you become when you challenge your body differently.
If you’d like more practical strength training strategies, visit my Strength & Performance Blog at ScardinoFitness.com/blog. Additionally, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) offers excellent evidence-based resources on strength training and exercise technique.