The Great & Underestimated Power Of Single Leg Exercises

Jessica Bento, Physical Therapist (Don’t Miss Her Upcoming 2-week Knee Pain Coach’s Corner HERE)

It’s not hard to convince people that single-leg training has value, especially when it comes to keeping knees healthy and pain-free. The real challenge is helping them succeed at it. Most people avoid single-leg work not because they doubt its importance, but because they lack the right cues, progressions, and confidence to do it well. And let’s face it, single-leg movements are among the most challenging in the gym, so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

So, how do we get people not only doing single-leg training, but doing it in a way that helps protect and strengthen their knees?

Healthy knees rely on more than just strong quads, they need balanced strength, stability, and control from the entire lower body. Single-leg movements like lunges, step-ups, and single-leg squats train the larger muscles (glute max, glute med, quads, hamstrings) as well as the smaller stabilizers in the hips, knees, and ankles. These stabilizers are critical for keeping the knee joint aligned and preventing it from collapsing inward which is a common cause of pain and injury.

Step-ups and step-downs are an underrated part of this equation. While many people chase the ever-popular hip thrust for glute activation, research shows that well-executed step-ups and step-downs can actually produce comparable—or even greater—activation of the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, while also engaging the stabilizers that the hip thrust tends to miss. The difference? Step-ups require the hip, knee, and ankle to work together in a coordinated way that’s far more functional for real-life movement. This means they not only build strength, but also reinforce the movement mechanics that protect your knees.

 

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Renowned strength coach Mike Boyle notes that almost every athletic movement—and much of daily life—happens in a split stance or off one leg. Training this way teaches the body to handle real-world forces, improving balance and control so the knee doesn’t take unnecessary strain.

Single-leg training also challenges balance and coordination, building reflexive stability. This allows the muscles around the knee to react quickly to shifts in position, reducing the risk of awkward twists or strains. For those with knee discomfort, better stability often means less irritation and more confidence in daily movement.

One study found that bodyweight lunges can provide the same strength benefits as squats to 90°, but with the added bonus of training the body in a more functional position. Another 2012 study showed that intentionally activating the core during a single-leg squat improved hip and knee mechanics, giving the knees more freedom to move without stress.

This supports the joint-by-joint approach we use in DVRT: better core stability often means better mobility and control at the joints below, in this case, the hip, knee and ankle.

Because single-leg work feels challenging, many people stick with bodyweight only and avoid loading the movement. But smart loading can actually make it easier to control and more knee-friendly. External resistance creates better core tension, which stabilizes the pelvis and keeps the knee tracking properly over the foot.

If we can get the core more engaged and use smart progressions, whether that’s loaded step-ups, controlled step-downs, or single-leg squats, we can improve knee alignment, reduce strain, and make movement feel stronger and more natural. That’s the sweet spot, training in a way that not only makes the knees feel better now, but keeps them healthy for the long term.

Don’t miss the last few days to save 20% on physical therapist, Jessica Bento’s 2-week online Coach’s Course Knee Pain Course (recordings will be available) with code “coach20” HERE

 

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