DOMS in one leg

ClairePear14
ClairePear14 Posts: 47
in Fitness and Exercise
So I do a lot of leg exercises and I squat a lot too. But I also have a left leg knee injury.
But I only get doms in my right leg.
Is this a sign that I am doing unbalanced squats and deadlifts and other leg exercises?
Because I actually do think I focus my weight directly to both legs and feet. Not just one.
How can I keep it equal? I know my left leg is weaker because of the knee, but surly if that one is weaker, my left leg should have the doms? Not the right, right? I don't know.

How can I actually equally train or can someone give me some logic as to why this happens.

Replies

  • habit365
    habit365 Posts: 174
    Can you do any one legged exercises like pistol squats? Harder to unconsciously favor the injured leg when it's a single leg exercise. How about lunges?
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    bulgarian split squats. You could test your theory pretty easily on machines. Do a warm up then do one legged work and see if your maxes are different in each leg.
  • supnicole
    supnicole Posts: 23 Member
    I like to do some unilateral exercises for legs once a week or so. Try using leg machines like the leg press, leg extension and leg curl to see if one of your legs is actually weaker than the other. If you do have some muscle imbalance, incorporate unilateral training into your routine.

    I'm sure it happens for different reasons for different people. I have a slight problem with this with my upper body. I'm right handed, so I subconsciously focus better with my left side since it's "natural" for my right if that makes any sense. Now I notice that my right side is lagging with shoulder and chest exercises specifically. I would guess your problem may be similar. You may subconsciously be trying to lessen the load on your left knee, so your right leg is doing more.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    One leg is going to be more dominant even in healthy individuals with no pre-existing injuries. It is very possible that you have a meaningful strength imbalance between the two, but it could also be something more basic in just how you're moving. Depending on what the injury was there could be some basic dysfunction in your movement that needs to be corrected. It's hard to say without seeing a video, but you may consider finding a PT or trainer that is able to conduct a Kinetic Chain Assessment for you. When in doubt, consult a medical professional.

Categories