How do I correct an imbalance?

1Highlander

I'm having a problem with my right arm/chest being weaker than my left (which seems odd since I'm right handed). The disparity is most noticeable with bench press and the OHP. I was wondering what exercises would be best to use to even it out.

Ashes_To_Beast

I'm having a problem with my right arm/chest being weaker than my left (which seems odd since I'm right handed). The disparity is most noticeable with bench press and the OHP. I was wondering what exercises would be best to use to even it out.

Work with Dumbbells. Find a weight that works for your right arm and use the same weight for your left, try to add more weight progressively until you struggle with both. If you use Barbells your left side will always try to compensate for the weakness in your right side and it will never even out.

PtheronJr

I'm having a problem with my right arm/chest being weaker than my left (which seems odd since I'm right handed). The disparity is most noticeable with bench press and the OHP. I was wondering what exercises would be best to use to even it out.

Work with Dumbbells. Find a weight that works for your right arm and use the same weight for your left, try to add more weight progressively until you struggle with both. If you use Barbells your left side will always try to compensate for the weakness in your right side and it will never even out.

This isn't true. I initially tried to do this (because like everyone else's body, mine isn't perfectly symmetrical), but luckily for me this was only a problem when I was 14, and I quickly learned from coaches and personal experience that it's more a form and posture issue.
OP, generally there can be small differences in strength and size on different sides of your body, and it doesn't necessarily have to be your dominant side, everything from where your muscle insertions lie, to how you sleep, and etc. can affect that, it's nothing to really worry about, almost everyone is like that (for example, my left pec insertions are a little more to the right than my right).

That being said the way to even it out and make sure your body isn't doing anything silly, is to just make sure your form is right. That's the long and short of it, do your barbell bench pressing, and just stop the set when it feels like your "weaker" side is approaching failure.
Oftentimes, the way we situate our bodies isn't perfectly symmetrical. We can do things like have one shoulder lean a little more forward than the other. It isn't something we always notice, it's also something that might come into play when we lift. You should make certain when you do lifts like the overhead press and the bench press, that your shoulders are aligned at the same angle and at the same height. This is especially a problem I've seen people have on the bench press. Ever notice when someone is bench pressing and the bar always seems a little lower on one end than the other? Or coming up slower? This is typically because their shoulders are misaligned during the lift.
Put extra focus on bringing up the weight at the same speed at both ends, spend more time focusing on stabilizing the weight and creating a clean, efficient movement while keeping your shoulders aligned and forming a perfectly straight line across your chest.
Here's a good article on doing the bench press properly -
http://www.schwarzenegger.com/fitness/post/bench-press-101

The overhead press is a little less of a popular lift, and as such, the best advice I can offer is to simply make sure you aren't arching your back, as that can completely throw off the dynamic of the lift (besides completely placing the load where you don't want it on your body), tighten your glutes and keep everything straight and engage your lats to keep your upper body poised. Make sure your grip is around shoulder width and focus everything on keeping the bar as close to your body as possible so your shoulders don't drift forward or back.
A lot of people tend to have problems when they let the bar drift away from them and then they end up having one arm drift further out than the other.

The thing is, as long as you do everything properly, your body will eventually balance itself out. It's not a stupid machine, it's knows full well that both sides need to be strong in order to do what you're asking of it to its utmost efficiency. Stop your set when your weaker side is about to fail and you can't maintain proper form.
Don't do anything drastic like doing dumbbells and doing more reps on your weaker side than on the stronger, as that can only make you even more lopsided and just reverse the problem.
I promise you that after awhile of lifting and building muscle it'll work itself out.

Walter__

If you're doing compound lifts with a barbell, bring it down to a weight that you feel you can handle equally with both sides. I had the same issue with barbell bench press and OHP, and that is exactly what I did. My strength eventually evened out. Just make sure you have a good mind-muscle connection so that you can focus on pushing the weight evenly with both sides.

If you are doing isolation lifts or compounds with dumbbells, then let your weaker side dictate the weight and reps to be used. My right arm used to dominate my left when it came to curls. I found a weight that I could handle with my weaker arm, and that is what I would do with both arms. Now I've evened out on both.

One last thing - don't get frustrated. Depending on how bad the imbalance is it could take weeks to even out.

Ashes_To_Beast

I'm having a problem with my right arm/chest being weaker than my left (which seems odd since I'm right handed). The disparity is most noticeable with bench press and the OHP. I was wondering what exercises would be best to use to even it out.

Work with Dumbbells. Find a weight that works for your right arm and use the same weight for your left, try to add more weight progressively until you struggle with both. If you use Barbells your left side will always try to compensate for the weakness in your right side and it will never even out.

This isn't true. I initially tried to do this (because like everyone else's body, mine isn't perfectly symmetrical), but luckily for me this was only a problem when I was 14, and I quickly learned from coaches and personal experience that it's more a form and posture issue.
OP, generally there can be small differences in strength and size on different sides of your body, and it doesn't necessarily have to be your dominant side, everything from where your muscle insertions lie, to how you sleep, and etc. can affect that, it's nothing to really worry about, almost everyone is like that (for example, my left pec insertions are a little more to the right than my right).

That being said the way to even it out and make sure your body isn't doing anything silly, is to just make sure your form is right. That's the long and short of it, do your barbell bench pressing, and just stop the set when it feels like your "weaker" side is approaching failure.
Oftentimes, the way we situate our bodies isn't perfectly symmetrical. We can do things like have one shoulder lean a little more forward than the other. It isn't something we always notice, it's also something that might come into play when we lift. You should make certain when you do lifts like the overhead press and the bench press, that your shoulders are aligned at the same angle and at the same height. This is especially a problem I've seen people have on the bench press. Ever notice when someone is bench pressing and the bar always seems a little lower on one end than the other? Or coming up slower? This is typically because their shoulders are misaligned during the lift.
Put extra focus on bringing up the weight at the same speed at both ends, spend more time focusing on stabilizing the weight and creating a clean, efficient movement while keeping your shoulders aligned and forming a perfectly straight line across your chest.
Here's a good article on doing the bench press properly -
http://www.schwarzenegger.com/fitness/post/bench-press-101

The overhead press is a little less of a popular lift, and as such, the best advice I can offer is to simply make sure you aren't arching your back, as that can completely throw off the dynamic of the lift (besides completely placing the load where you don't want it on your body), tighten your glutes and keep everything straight and engage your lats to keep your upper body poised. Make sure your grip is around shoulder width and focus everything on keeping the bar as close to your body as possible so your shoulders don't drift forward or back.
A lot of people tend to have problems when they let the bar drift away from them and then they end up having one arm drift further out than the other.

The thing is, as long as you do everything properly, your body will eventually balance itself out. It's not a stupid machine, it's knows full well that both sides need to be strong in order to do what you're asking of it to its utmost efficiency. Stop your set when your weaker side is about to fail and you can't maintain proper form.
Don't do anything drastic like doing dumbbells and doing more reps on your weaker side than on the stronger, as that can only make you even more lopsided and just reverse the problem.
I promise you that after awhile of lifting and building muscle it'll work itself out.

How dare you imply that my suggestion is not true!!!! :grumble: :laugh:
No but seriously he does have a point about proper form, but if it is just a strength issue what I suggested will help, I had the same issue with Bench Press and after a month or two everything evened out. By using dumbbells your body can't compensate with your stronger side.

1Highlander

Thanks for the advice guys. I don't mind if it takes a while, I'm in this for the long haul. I just wanted to know the best route to take.