Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Health & Body › Symmetry question
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Symmetry question

post #1 of 4
5/23/07 at 10:02pm
Thread Starter 
I am an experienced lifter, but the last two-three months or so I have really been pushing myself/eating right and have made some solid gains. The issue I have is my left side is out-growing the right. As I am right handed, my left side is weaker and having to work harder thus growing faster. I have found my left delt and trap, well basically my entire left shoulder, is making larger gains. This is the area most noticeable.

Is there a way to even out? I have thought of maybe not using as much dumbells and instead using a barbell, thinking my right side can carry more load and even the size gains out.

Any experienced suggestions would help. I tried searching some lifting forums, but nothing I want to be involved with so I am asking here.
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 4
5/23/07 at 11:49pm
I am right-handed, but my left side has always been stronger, made easier gains, and had better form. That makes me a bit of a freak, but oh well.

My advice is that if you are making decent gains, you should just keep on moving forward. I feel that you can make the most significant progress by moving big weights with your whole body. If it makes you feel better to do more isolation work at the end of your workout, go for it. I add some exercises for my right side when I am finishing up.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 4
5/24/07 at 1:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LSeca View Post
I am an experienced lifter, but the last two-three months or so I have really been pushing myself/eating right and have made some solid gains. The issue I have is my left side is out-growing the right. As I am right handed, my left side is weaker and having to work harder thus growing faster. I have found my left delt and trap, well basically my entire left shoulder, is making larger gains. This is the area most noticeable.

Is there a way to even out? I have thought of maybe not using as much dumbells and instead using a barbell, thinking my right side can carry more load and even the size gains out.

Any experienced suggestions would help. I tried searching some lifting forums, but nothing I want to be involved with so I am asking here.

Personally I'm a fan of using both dumbbells and barbells, as I think you get the best overall gains by combining the two, and that may solve some of your problems.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 4
5/24/07 at 9:59pm
I've thought about your question for a while, and there are so many things that could be responsible, and so many possibilities for what could be going on, that there isn't any good answer.

Define experienced. Are/were you a competitive athlete at the college, semi-pro, or pro level ever?

What does your physician, chiropractor, trainer, coach, physical therapist, athletic trainer, etc have to say about your problem?

Is there any pain in the left side at all?

Are you experiencing similar issues with the lower body, or is it only the shoulder?

You say you are right handed, do you also favor the right foot?

Since you say you are using dumbbells, my initial feeling is that this isn't a case of overdeveloping one side compared to the other. Do you carry one shoulder higher than the other?

It may not be that the muscle(s) on the left are bigger, rather, they could be swollen from overuse type injury. You say you have been pushing hard, so this seems in my mind, to be a possibility.

But, as I said, there are a lot of possibilities.

So, the short answer is to see what your physician, trainers, other professionals, have to say. This stuff is hard to get right, and easy to get wrong, especially as you push closer and closer to the edge.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Health & Body
Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Health & Body › Symmetry question