September 24, 2010

When it comes to side-to-side, or lateral motion, most training and exercise programs are notoriously weak. Front and back motions like lunges, squats, push-ups and pull-ups are all-too-common, lateral movements are all-too-rare, and this deficit results in a body that is skewed and imbalanced in the ability to move in all directions.

This ultimately results in injuries, poor performance, weak external rotation muscles, and a less aesthetically pleasing body appearance. Of the thousands of folks that I've worked with, from athletes to recreational exercisers, almost everyone moves poorly in the side-to-side direction. They're lateral movement weaklings (and I've personally been guilty at one time of being included among that population).

So what's the solution? Try these 5 exercises to begin implementing side-to-side motion in your program. You can simply choose some of these exercises to put at the end of your current workout, or use the exercises below as a weekly “lateral movement training” circuit.

Leave comments below this post if you have questions.

Lateral Step With Reverse Fly:
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Skates:
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Side To Side Hops:
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Cable Torso Twists:
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Lateral Lunges:
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