One arm bigger (stronger) than the other...

DavidJamesFit
DavidJamesFit Posts: 14 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
so my right bicep feels bigger and stronger than my left. I do the same sets and reps for each arm with the same weight... What gives? Any thoughts? I had surgery on my left wrist a few years ago... That's all I can think of...

Replies

  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    You must be single...
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    Are you right handed? If so you'll use your right arm more in general day to day stuff. My right arm is stronger, especially as I generally hold my baby with it.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Welcome to everyone, ever.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Yeah, it's common for one arm to be a bit stronger. And surgeries can knock back strength too. Do some strength comparisons on bicep / tricep exercises. If the difference in reps is great, like over 20%, then you might work the weaker arm more.
  • DavidJamesFit
    DavidJamesFit Posts: 14 Member
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Yeah, it's common for one arm to be a bit stronger. And surgeries can knock back strength too. Do some strength comparisons on bicep / tricep exercises. If the difference in reps is great, like over 20%, then you might work the weaker arm more.

    Thanks - oh and I'm married haha just so we're all clear.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Just had to chime in....

    I had a shoulder injury last year or so which required my right arm (dominant) to be in a immobilizing sling.

    Just recently started lifting again, and my left arm is WAY stronger than my right. I was doing dumbbell curls and i never really noticed.

    Today i did preacher curls with a bar-
    EZ-barbell-curls.png

    Literally, it was lop sided for the first few reps when i came to this conclusion.

    My advice would be to do the same and work on balancing them out to some extent. I wouldn't have known unless i had done this today!
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    Welcome to everyone, ever.

    Lol.. all joking aside, this...
  • ricardo510diaz
    ricardo510diaz Posts: 64 Member
    edited May 2015
    Maybe this is a dumb question but do you ever train arms with dumbbells? Training unilaterally is known to help imbalances as they both have to work independently with the same weight.
  • morowinder
    morowinder Posts: 35 Member
    ricardo510diaz wrote: »
    Maybe this is a dumb question but do you ever train arms with dumbbells? Training unilaterally is known to help imbalances as they both have to work independently with the same weight.

    Totally agree with this guy, I really prefer the bar for most exercise but I do dumbbell alernatives ocasionaly to make sure I don't have imbalances. Recently I had shoulder pains when doing shoulder press, turned out my rear delts were out of balance, after week of dumbbel rows they went away.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    glevinso wrote: »
    You must be single...

    *shakes head* Well, or married. :p

    Anyway, I play competitive tennis so unbalance is a way of life. I train to try to equalize, but I can never compensate. In general though, your dominant side will always be bigger.

  • DavidJamesFit
    DavidJamesFit Posts: 14 Member
    I do a mix of bars and Dumbbells. I'm left handed but tend to hold all the groceries in, use scissors with and open doors with, etc... my right hand... I broke my wrist in 3rd grade and had to relearn some skills with my right hand for two months. So I guess general "life use" probably doesn't help. So balance. Got it.
  • DavidJamesFit
    DavidJamesFit Posts: 14 Member
    Broke my left wrist to be clear.
  • joepratt503
    joepratt503 Posts: 191 Member
    If one side is stronger than the other...you need to try and do single arm movements more and ALWAYS start with your weaker arm. It feels strange because you will only get a good pump on one side (depending on how lopsided it is) but that's the way.

    The problem with one arm being stronger is that it will affect your chest, shoulders, back too so you really need to get that right.
  • DavidJamesFit
    DavidJamesFit Posts: 14 Member
    joepratt503 wrote: »
    If one side is stronger than the other...you need to try and do single arm movements more and ALWAYS start with your weaker arm. It feels strange because you will only get a good pump on one side (depending on how lopsided it is) but that's the way.

    The problem with one arm being stronger is that it will affect your chest, shoulders, back too so you really need to get that right.

    Good point. Thanks.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    Welcome to everyone, ever.
    good to know, I've begun noticing it in myself and was a little worried. Weird thing is, my left arm is bigger but my right arm (dominant) is stronger.

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