Muscular imbalance

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jessef593
jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey so I've been lifting for about 1-1.5 years. Started at 151lbs 10% bf, now up to 173lbs 11-13% bf. I've come across the issue of a muscular imbalance in my left arm. Since the beginning I've always started my sets using my left, making sure to never do more reps with my right than left. Also unilateral exercises fairly often in order to develope the muscles without my right arm over powering my left. Ive has measurements done and my left arm is almost an inch smaller. With my shoulder being alittle smaller as well. Just wondering if anyone has had the issue and found ways to overcome it.

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  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    I've had a similar issue ever since bicep repair surgery on my left side. I've been doing single arm work at the end of every workout and it has helped a bit. I need to do more but I'm not sure it will ever be the same.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    Yeah I try to follow up with something that works my left arm by its self I just feel like my right is progressing faster no matter what I do. Oddly enough my left quad/thigh is larger than my right. But no complaints there.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    I have a lot of body parts that are slight bigger on my right side(dominant) than my left. I think its normal for you to have those imbalances.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    It is. Im just looking for ways to help minimize it. Especially since an inch is quite a difference. It shows my right has had almost 50% more growth.
  • ironhajee
    ironhajee Posts: 384 Member
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    Not sure this qualifies as muscle imbalance.

    That term is used to refer to the relationship of muscles and it's effects on body position and posture from a biomechanics perspective.

    Example : the relationship between bicep and tricep there may be a muscle imbalance present if you only work on bicep muscles and never do tricep workouts .... that sort of thing.

    Example 2: shin splints are often the cause of muscle imbalances in the calves in relation to the anterior tibialis muscles where one is more developed than the other.

    Example 3 : pelvic tilt can be a result of muscle imbalances observing the relationship between back muscles and abdominal muscles.

    It could be a host of different reasons why your one arm is measuring less than the right arm (genetics) however I think the muscles in your left arm would be "balanced" within that arm.

    I think that makes sense, so when you look at JUST the left arm, you must ask yourself do I work equally on biceps, shoulders, triceps, forearms if the answer is yes then you don't have any muscular imbalance.

    Some of the greatest tennis players have much bigger of the dominant arm than the other (Roger Federer)
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    What I was referring to was inequalities in my muscular development between my left and right arm. I just realized that is the wrong term. Thank you for correcting me without any actual input on how to solve the inequality other than starting sets with the weaker less dominant arm and giving it more attention.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    edited February 2016
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    jessef593 wrote: »
    It is. Im just looking for ways to help minimize it. Especially since an inch is quite a difference. It shows my right has had almost 50% more growth.

    you may not be able to minimize it much, if you do more reps on one side than the other I would think you would start having a muscle imbalance, because you would be stronger on one side. I dont know if starting on your least dominant side first has any effect or not. Its hard to get both sides of your body equal,especially if you were like that before you started building muscle,also you stated your body fat went up.

    its possible that for some reason you gained more fat in that one side than the other. I say this because when I gained fat in my stomach at one point one side was bigger than the other by a bit. you could tell because that side would stick out more than the other. same with my hips. I had more fat on one side that the other. so since you fat % went up its possible that is what it is.just keep training both sides equally and dont worry about the difference in size. its hard to tell what caused it to be like that, or if its a normal part of your body.some things you cannot change,well except for with surgery, and I dont think that fits in this situation
  • ironhajee
    ironhajee Posts: 384 Member
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    jessef593 wrote: »
    What I was referring to was inequalities in my muscular development between my left and right arm. I just realized that is the wrong term. Thank you for correcting me without any actual input on how to solve the inequality other than starting sets with the weaker less dominant arm and giving it more attention.

    It is my pleasure to educate you.

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