{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T08:01:35Z","timestamp":1781164895792,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780876800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JFMK"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Both unilateral and asymmetric loading have been used to increase training specificity and create over-load in a target limb to reduce inter-limb asymmetries. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of conducting either unilateral- or asymmetric-loaded resistance training with traditional bilateral resistance training on maximal dynamic and isometric strength in untrained women. Methods: Thirty-four women not conducting regular resistance training were randomized into unilateral (UNI), bilateral (BIL) or asymmetric (ASY) upper-body resistance training (2\u20133\u00b7wk\u22121, 10 wk, 24 sessions in total). UNI conducted all exercises unilaterally (one arm at a time), BIL conducted all exercises bilaterally (both arms), and ASY added 10% of the total load to the non-dominant side. Maximal strength was tested in chest press, seated row (1-RM and MVC in both), and pallof press (only MVC). Results: At post-test, BIL demonstrated greater bilateral 1 RM strength than ASY (p = 0.017, d = 1.25) in chest press, while UNI demonstrated greater 1 RM strength in the dominant side than ASY (p = 0.006, d = 1.45). For the other strength tests, no differences were found between groups in chest press (p = 0.068\u20130.481), seated row (p = 0.091\u20130.591) or MVC peak force for both chest press and seated row (p &gt; 0.05). All groups demonstrated pre\u2013post improvements for all measurements in chest press (p &lt; 0.05) and seated row (p &lt; 0.05), but only ASY demonstrated improvements in pallof press on the non-dominant side. Conclusions: Compared to traditional bilateral training, unilateral resistance training did not result in similar effects on dynamic or isometric strength. Asymmetric resistance training demonstrated a lower change in chest press strength on the bilateral and dominant sides compared to the other groups.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jfmk11020232","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T16:25:16Z","timestamp":1780935916000},"page":"232","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comparison of Unilateral, Asymmetric and Traditional Bilateral Resistance Training in Untrained Women: A Pilot and Proof-of-Concept Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5592-6551","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Atle Hole","family":"Saeterbakken","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 6856 Sogndal, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Terese Berger","family":"Henriksen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 6856 Sogndal, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Benedikte Soeviknes","family":"Gideonsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 6856 Sogndal, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3496-8517","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vidar","family":"Andersen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 6856 Sogndal, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicolay","family":"Stien","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 6856 Sogndal, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Goran","family":"Paulsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Performance, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, 0863 Oslo, Norway"},{"name":"Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, 0863 Oslo, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tom Erik Jorung","family":"Solstad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 6856 Sogndal, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1123\/jsr.19.3.315","article-title":"Paraspinal muscle activity during symmetrical and asymmetrical weight training in idiopathic scoliosis","volume":"19","author":"Schmid","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. 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