Anything to be done for a weak left leg?

[MattTuck]

Noticing lately that my left leg is feeling weaker than my right. I'm right side dominant, so this isn't at all surprising.

I could have sworn we had a thread on this topic already, but my searching didn't turn anything up.

Is there anything to be done to develop my weak side? When I consciously focus on my left side, trying to reinforce that neural pathway, the leg seems to fatigue even faster. I feel like it is in a vicious cycle where the left leg fatigues, the right leg picks up the slack and right leg gets stronger, leaving the left leg behind.

The list of exercises I've come up with thus far that would emphasize one leg:
Step ups
Split squats
One-legged pedaling drills


I'm sure there are others, but I'm not really sure which ones I should focus on first? Any help is appreciated.

[Ken Robb]

I would get a medical analysis to see if this is a symptom of something more than just a weak non-dominant leg.

[MattTuck]

Ken, I hear you. Last year I did a course of PT related to a weak left glute that presented as a tight painful hammy (also known as hamstring dominance). So I'm pretty sure this current issue is in a similar vein, though I've been much more aware of doing glute exercises, and the current weakness seems further down my left leg, especially in the calf/foot.

I can definitely go back to my PT to go through a course of treatment, but I won't get in to see him for at least a couple weeks so I'm happy to take any advice here in the mean-time.

[1centaur]

May amount to nothing, but when my friend was rehabbing from knee surgery after a ski accident his PT had him doing one-legged squats, slowly, on a mini-trampoline, and he said his leg had never been so strong. Could probably use a pillow in a pinch, to give a little instability.

[john903]

This is what worked for me. I had knee surgery on my right knee back in '98 after a running injury. My right leg was always weaker and my left lower back would always hurt if I did a hard effort climb. So I just dealt with it until two years ago I started using Ti designs videos and His wonderful pedal technique advice, and pedal stroke method. Well now two years later my right leg feels almost as strong as my right and my left lower back does not tire out as quickly.
So I guess I would suggest Ti designs pedal stroke videos and lots of one leg drills. Even during the season when I am climbing I try to concentrate on pedal stroke and really felling each muscle fire and do what it is suppose to do.
I hope this helps I know it can be frustrating.

[Jaq]

As others have said, definitely get checked out if that's warranted.

In Friel's Training Bible, there's a section on weight training. Among the exercises, there are leg curls and extensions (laying on your stomach on a bench and hooking your legs under a bar, then raising it; sitting upright and lifting a weight up in an arc, respectively). I do these as one-legged exercises, low-weight/high-rep. That helped with some left-leg weakness that I was having a year or so ago.

But again, talk to experts (doctors, physical trainers, etc) before you jump into any regimen.

[hockeybike]

Lunges are good for isolating a leg, to some degree. Single-leg leg presses are good, too, especially if you don't yet have the strength for a full single leg squat (few do, at first).

Best thing to do is figure out the weight the weaker leg can do while still in control. Work work work until the weak leg is as strong as the strong leg, then move up in weight.

If the issue is calf/foot related, you can strengthen your calf by doing calf raises on a step. Might be helpful to focus on just one side of the motion at first. Use both feet to push up, and gradually come down using only one foot. Helps to hold onto something with the hand opposite the foot that's doing the work on the 'down' part of the exercise.

Another thing to try is balancing on a bosu ball turned upside down. Try that for a while.

[giverdada]

one thing other than one-legged squats (of any kind you can do - with one leg propped on the coffee table behind you, or one leg out in front of you and arms out for balance, never dipping to more than a 90˚ bend) that was cool for me was the hip bridge. it called out imbalance in a very visible and tangible way and then i could do it to focus on getting back to balance.

lie on your back with your knees at about 90˚ and your heels on the floor. squeeze your glutes to raise your butt off the floor and push your hips toward the ceiling. hold this. now, without moving your heels left or right, lift one heel off of the floor. your body should start to torque. try to keep your hips totally level/straight/parallel across the top to the floor. it's hard. gently switch to the other heel. one heel down, one heel up, hips raised but NOT MOVING out of level. i get my track kids to do this to strengthen their overall systems so that they're not running twisted. it's a subtle exercise but a great one to call on the glutes specifically, and to address imbalance in your side to side degrees of strength.

[soulspinner]

Very timely as I struggle with an injury to my hip. Great ideas here.

[Bob Ross]

lie on your back with your knees at about 90˚ and your heels on the floor. squeeze your glutes to raise your butt off the floor and push your hips toward the ceiling. hold this. now, without moving your heels left or right, lift one heel off of the floor. your body should start to torque. try to keep your hips totally level/straight/parallel across the top to the floor. it's hard. gently switch to the other heel. one heel down, one heel up, hips raised but NOT MOVING out of level. i get my track kids to do this to strengthen their overall systems so that they're not running twisted. it's a subtle exercise but a great one to call on the glutes specifically, and to address imbalance in your side to side degrees of strength.

Where are your arms/hands supposed to be while doing this exercise?

[giverdada]

i usually just leave them at the side of the body, next to the torso, palms down.

[MattTuck]

These are all good advice, thanks.

I do the hip bridge from time to time, great for the glutes.


On the general topic of working a deficient side,is there an accepted approach for working a single leg? Do you just do reps with the weak leg? Do you do reps with each leg at some ratio? 2:1? Do you do an extra set with the weak leg?

[ultraman6970]

Use the left leg as starting leg to sprint. It is not easy train the body to use the other, will feel super weird till everything feels normal.

When I was racing my right leg was 1.5 cm wider than the left one.

[54ny77]

100% agreed on that one. Especially if leg gets numb or tingly.

Friend had that issue, almost lost the leg (as in, it was probably a week or so from happening at most, it was very serious). Turned out it was huge artery blockage, fixed by surgery.

Pay attention to the skin color on your leg.

I would get a medical analysis to see if this is a symptom of something more than just a weak non-dominant leg.

[cnighbor1]

sure just take good leg out of pedal and pedal with weak leg only
ride a fixed bicycle clipped in with only weak leg

[Climb01742]

now, without moving your heels left or right, lift one heel off of the floor.

do you lift only your heel off the floor (leaving your toes on the floor) or do you lift your whole foot off the ground? i've done these by lifting a leg up in the air and i becoming very wobbly. thanks very much.

[weiwentg]

This may not help you at all, but for rehabbing from a car v bike injury, I used PowerCranks. It was really tough at first. Ended up selling them, but they worked for the rehab bit. I didn't feel they improved my cycling beyond that, and anyway I stopped racing.