You’re setting up for split squats. You load the bar, get into position on your strong leg, knock out your reps, and it feels solid. Then you switch sides and suddenly it’s a completely different story. Your weaker leg is shaking, you’re struggling through reps you just crushed on the other side, and now you’re not sure what to do. Do you drop the weight? Do you just push through? Do you do extra reps on one side?
This is one of the most common questions I get, and it has a real answer. Let’s break it down.
“Most people think the fix for muscle imbalances is to pick the weight their weaker side can handle and do it on both sides. That’s actually holding your stronger side back without fixing the weaker one.”
🚫 MYTH BUSTED: You Don’t Have to Match Your Weaker Side
Underloading your strong side to “even things out” isn’t the answer. There’s a smarter way to close the gap.
Before we get into the how, let’s just say this clearly: having one arm or one leg that’s stronger than the other is completely normal. You are not broken. You are not training wrong. Most people have some degree of asymmetry between limbs, and it’s not something that needs to be “fixed” in a dramatic way unless there’s a meaningful gap from an injury or a long period of neglecting one side.
I have personal experience with this. I fell during a race a few years ago and had a pretty significant injury on my left glute and knee. After that, my left leg strength dropped noticeably, and I had to put real intentional work into bringing it back up relative to my right side. Split squats and single leg hip thrusts were where the imbalance showed up the most for me. So I get it, and I’ve worked through exactly what I’m about to share with you.
A cool science fact worth knowing:
Training one side of your body actually cross-trains the other side. This is called the cross-education effect. So even as you’re working to bring up your weaker limb, you’re not starting from zero on the stronger side when you come back to it. Both sides are benefiting more than you think.
Here’s the approach I actually use and coach now, and it’s different from what most people default to.
Instead of picking the weight your weaker side can handle and doing it on both sides, start with your STRONGER side and use the weight that challenges it appropriately. Do your full set at your target reps and RPE. Then, with that same weight, go into your weaker side and take it as close to the same effort and rep count as you can manage.
🔑 Example: 3×8-10 Split Squats
This approach keeps your stronger side getting the stimulus it needs to keep progressing, while actively pushing your weaker side to catch up rather than just coasting at a weight that’s too easy.
If you’re coming back from an injury or the difference between sides is significant, you have a couple of additional options.
Option 1: Meet in the Middle
Find a weight where both sides can hit somewhere close to the same rep range, even if it’s not max effort for the stronger side. If your strong leg can do 10 reps and your weak leg can do 5, finding a weight where you’re both landing around 7 might be a reasonable place to start, especially in early injury recovery.
Option 2: Add an Extra Set on the Weaker Side
Once you’ve completed your full sets on both sides, go back and do an additional set on the weaker limb only. If your workout calls for 3 sets, the weaker side does 4. That extra volume drives more adaptation and helps close the gap faster over time without changing the loading for your strong side at all.
Using RPE (rating of perceived exertion) or reps in reserve is a great tool here. Instead of obsessing over matching exact rep counts, check in on how each side actually FEELS. Does this side feel like a 7 out of 10? An 8? That gives you real information about whether you need to adjust load, add reps, or do extra volume on the lagging side.
The old approach, pick the weight your weaker side can handle and do it equally on both sides, isn’t wrong. It’s just not the most efficient way to close the gap. I used to coach this way and train this way myself. What I found over time, both in my own recovery and in coaching athletes, is that this approach underloads your stronger side AND doesn’t push the weaker side hard enough to actually create meaningful adaptation.
The goal isn’t to baby the weaker leg at a comfortable weight until it magically catches up. The goal is to actively CHALLENGE the weaker leg while simultaneously continuing to train your strong leg hard. Both limbs making progress. The gap closes because the weaker side is being pushed, not because the strong side is being held back.
The Key Takeaway
Load for your stronger side. Push your weaker side to match. Don’t underload both to accommodate one. The gap closes when you challenge the lag, not when you protect it.
⬇ The Bottom Line
Muscle imbalances between limbs are normal and not a crisis. If you have a meaningful gap, the most effective approach is to load for your strong side, push your weak side to match at the same weight, rest briefly and grind out extra reps if needed, or add an extra set on the weaker side. What you don’t want to do is underload your strong side and call it balanced training. Keep both sides challenged. The gap closes from progress, not from holding back.
If you’re navigating strength imbalances as part of a bigger training program and want a structured plan that actually accounts for where you’re at, that’s exactly what we build at The Lyss Method. Whether you’re strength training, running, or doing both, we have programs designed to help you make smart, consistent progress without winging it.
And if you’re newer to lifting or want to get a better handle on how to structure your training from the ground up, grab the free Hybrid Blueprint. It’s a free resource to help you understand how to balance lifting and cardio without sacrificing either.
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I’m Exercise Physiologist, sports nutritionist, weight lifter, and ultra runner. I am here to bring science to your training in a no-nonsense way. I have helped thousands of women crush big lifting goals, cross race finish lines, and even do both. I’m here to help you do the same!
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