Isolation Exercise Imbalance

daymonh74

I'm at a point where when doing bent over dumbbell rows my right side is stronger than my left. I could probably add more weight to the right side, but the left is near failure on the last one or two reps.

I am not sure how to continue. Should I keep the weight the same until my left side catches up, or just keep adding weight and let the left side fail?

tomcustombuilder

Add reps. Also make sure you’re using the same form on both sides.

It can sometimes be an assistant muscle that is weaker and actually causing the perception of the lat being weaker.

Retroguy2000

Do your left side first. If you are launching quickly into the other side, this will mean the left will be fresher and more likely to do an additional rep. Whether you are doing that or not, this leads into...

Add another set for the left at the end, i.e. additional volume.

Is this your only back exercise? I assume not based on your profile pic, but if so then also add in compounds to help target whatever muscles may be lagging. If you lack equipment and don't have a barbell or a place for pullups, you can do inverted rows somewhere I expect.

EDIT: If it's just one rep difference, personally I wouldn't worry about it.

jseams1234

For me, when I first started, I had huge imbalances - I was very right side dominant from years of sports like baseball and tennis. These imbalances are actually very common. It just takes time and now, years later there is no visible difference and any strength differences are very minor. What I like to do and did, was let the weaker side dictate progression for unilateral movements - be it added reps, more weight, or more sets. It might take a few months, but unless the imbalance is very extreme, it will work itself out rather quickly.

daymonh74

Retroguy2000 wrote: »

Do your left side first

That's a good idea. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me. It is only a couple reps, but I could do heavier reps with my right side.

daymonh74

jseams1234 wrote: »

For me, when I first started, I had huge imbalances - I was very right side dominant from years of sports like baseball and tennis. These imbalances are actually very common. It just takes time and now, years later there is no visible difference and any strength differences are very minor. What I like to do and did, was let the weaker side dictate progression for unilateral movements - be it added reps, more weight, or more sets. It might take a few months, but unless the imbalance is very extreme, it will work itself out rather quickly.

So adding more weight based on what the weaker side could handle sort of evened things out for you over time?

daymonh74

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

Add reps. Also make sure you’re using the same form on both sides.

It can sometimes be an assistant muscle that is weaker and actually causing the perception of the lat being weaker.

Add more reps overall or just to the weaker side?

tomcustombuilder

daymonh74 wrote: »

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

Add reps. Also make sure you’re using the same form on both sides.

It can sometimes be an assistant muscle that is weaker and actually causing the perception of the lat being weaker.

Add more reps overall or just to the weaker side?

Weaker side. More volume which would be an extra set

jseams1234

daymonh74 wrote: »

jseams1234 wrote: »

For me, when I first started, I had huge imbalances - I was very right side dominant from years of sports like baseball and tennis. These imbalances are actually very common. It just takes time and now, years later there is no visible difference and any strength differences are very minor. What I like to do and did, was let the weaker side dictate progression for unilateral movements - be it added reps, more weight, or more sets. It might take a few months, but unless the imbalance is very extreme, it will work itself out rather quickly.

So adding more weight based on what the weaker side could handle sort of evened things out for you over time?

Yes - that's what did it for me. I didn't do anything like add more reps for that side or play around with loading. I just didn't progress the intensity (weight) or reps on the stronger side on unilateral movements like single arm rows until my weaker side could keep up. Please keep in mind, that aside from rows and some DB pressing I've mostly stuck to barbell work and bilateral pulls and pushes.

daymonh74

jseams1234 wrote: »

daymonh74 wrote: »

jseams1234 wrote: »

For me, when I first started, I had huge imbalances - I was very right side dominant from years of sports like baseball and tennis. These imbalances are actually very common. It just takes time and now, years later there is no visible difference and any strength differences are very minor. What I like to do and did, was let the weaker side dictate progression for unilateral movements - be it added reps, more weight, or more sets. It might take a few months, but unless the imbalance is very extreme, it will work itself out rather quickly.

So adding more weight based on what the weaker side could handle sort of evened things out for you over time?

Yes - that's what did it for me. I didn't do anything like add more reps for that side or play around with loading. I just didn't progress the intensity (weight) or reps on the stronger side on unilateral movements like single arm rows until my weaker side could keep up. Please keep in mind, that aside from rows and some DB pressing I've mostly stuck to barbell work and bilateral pulls and pushes.

It makes sense. I use the barbell a lot too. I try to use dumbbells in place of machines that would be found in a gym.