Why Unilateral Strength Matters as We Age
As active women in our 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond, our training goals often evolve. We still want to feel strong and athletic—but we also care deeply about joint health, balance, bone density, and confidence in daily movement.
That’s where unilateral exercises—movements that load one side of the body at a time—become incredibly powerful.
Two of my favorite examples are:
Box step-ups with alternating load
Farmer carries with a single dumbbell, switching sides
These exercises may look simple, but they train exactly what helps us move well and stay independent for decades to come.
Box Step-Ups: More Than a “Leg Exercise”
Box step-ups closely mimic everyday life—climbing stairs, stepping onto a curb, hiking uphill, or getting in and out of a car. But when done intentionally, they become a full-body strength and stability exercise.
Why They’re So Valuable During Mid-Life
Build single-leg strength → crucial for balance and fall prevention
Strengthen hips and glutes → key for knee and back health
Improve coordination and control → not just power, but precision
Adding an Offset Load Changes Everything
Holding a dumbbell on one side of the body (and switching sides during your set) challenges your core and hips in a way bilateral movements can’t.
Your body must:
Resist side-bending
Stabilize the pelvis
Coordinate foot placement and posture
This trains anti-rotation strength—the ability to stay strong and upright even when life pulls you slightly off balance.
Real-life payoff: carrying groceries up stairs, stepping onto uneven ground, or recovering quickly if you misstep.
The Farmer’s Carry
We recently reviewed the benefits of weighted carries in the Athletic Aging archives: “A Simple and Effective Longevity Hack”. When performed with a single dumbbell, they become a masterclass in total-body stability.
What Single-Side Carries Train
Grip strength (strongly linked to longevity)
Core and spinal stability
Hip alignment and gait quality
Postural endurance
Carrying weight on one side forces your body to stay tall and controlled while resisting the urge to lean. Switching sides mid-walk or between rounds ensures both sides of the body get equal work.
Why Switching Sides Matters
Alternating sides during step-ups or carries isn’t just about balance—it’s about symmetry and resilience.
Most of us have:
A stronger side
A side we trust more
A side that compensates
Switching sides:
Reduces overuse patterns
Highlights hidden imbalances
Builds confidence in your “less dominant” side
Over time, this creates smoother movement and less wear and tear on joints.
Today’s workout is a modification of a workout I did at CrossFit Pompano Beach last week. This is a full-body strength workout that will raise your heart rate and highlight the unilateral movements, the single dumbbell box step-up, and the single dumbbell farmer carry. Enjoy! -Dr. Carla
Warm-Up
AMRAP 7 (As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes). Performe each movement in sequence and perform as many rounds of the three movements as you can in 7 minutes.
10 Air Squats
10 Jumping Jacks
30-second high plank hold (on knees or toes)
Movement Practice
Review the video and select your weight for the Dumbbell Thruster. This is a moderate to heavy weight where you can complete all 5 repetitions unbroken and feels challenging. If overhead mobility is not accessible, perform a dumbbell front squat.
Review the video for the V-Ups and modifications and select an option where you can complete the 8 repetitions unbroken.
For the dumbbell box step-ups, select a STABLE box, step, or stack of large plates that is 12-20 inches in height and practice 5-10 repetitions, testing how you plan to hold the dumbbell. Use one of the dumbbells that you used for the thruster. You can hold the dumbbell by your side, on one shoulder, or with two hands holding the dumbbell on the top of your upper back. Be sure to even out the side you hold the dumbbell and the right and left foot that steps up and down on the box.
Review and practice the goblet lunge. Use the same dumbbell that you used for the box step-up, hold it at chest level with both hands, and step forward into a lunge, touching the back knee to the floor, ensuring that your torso is upright and the front knee does not extend beyond the front toe.
The Farmer Carry - Map out a 50-meter stretch of area and walk up and back carrying a single dumbbell. Suggest switching arms at the halfway mark. Use a single dumbbell or kettlebell. You may use the one that you have been using for the other movements, or you can challenge yourself and go a little heavier.
Workout
AMRAP 20 (As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes). Perform each movement in sequence for as many rounds of the 5 movements as you can in 20 minutes.
5 Dumbbell Thrusters
8 V-Ups
12 single dumbbell step-ups
16 goblet lunges
100m single dumbbell farmer carry
SCORE: Number of completed rounds and additional repetitions
Cool Down
Jump-start your recovery with this 20-minute recovery yoga class from Five Parks. Workouts like today tax not only your musculoskeletal system but also your nervous system, with the unilateral nature of the step-ups and the farmer’s carry. #dontskiptheyoga.
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Hello!! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and for subscribing! I have to say, I have learned a lot from dealing with my own asymmetries, which was a motivation for this post. I'm glad it makes sense and I love your approach! Thanks again! -Dr. Carla
Hello! Thanks so much for your comment and for subscribing. It's almost too obvious... life is asymmetric, so shouldn't our "training for life" be also? The fitness space - for better or for worse - is flooded with so many exercises and so many different ways to train. But when we are training for longevity, it helps to step out of the "forest" and look at the simplest, most basic things that are accessible for everyone. :)