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View Full Version : i need help evening out left and right side muscles


jbakerutexas
01-12-2001, 08:23 AM
Ive been working out a good amount recently and supplementing and I'm finally noticing some results...
Problem is...my right side is a good bit stronger than my left side and when I work out I feel like I'm only making my right side stronger and my left side isnt getting a good work out!!! I can see my right side (chest, arms, back) getting bigger than my left.
What should I do to even out? More free weights? More machines? Work only my left side for a while???

Any help appreciated.

gainfreak
01-12-2001, 11:11 AM
Hey J whatsup??

I have the same problem but only its my left side!! What I did to try and correct this is instead of using the barbell for exercises, I switched to using dumbells because they make each side work independantly. For chest I do dumbell bench presses/dumbell incline bench presses and seated incline cable flyes. For back I do single dumbell bent over rows/single cable machine rows(on the high/low cable machine or on a cybex machine) and I do lat pulldowns(this is the only exercise that uses both sides together) And for shoulders/arms I use all dumbell exercises. Such as dumbell press/side laterals for shoulders INcline dumbell curls for biceps and single cable pushdowns for triceps. You dint have to worry about legs unless you have the same problem with one side dominating. I will warn you though -in some rare cases, you can be neurologicaly defficiant on one side of the body causing you to be uncemetrical. This is very rare but you might want to ask your Doctor(if you think that this is the case-- I doubt it though!) I hope this helps

jbakerutexas
01-12-2001, 12:39 PM
Great. Thanks for all the advice/excercises to try.

I think the problem was just that my right side was naturally a little stronger to start out with (baseball throwing arm, football passing arm, etc) and Ive been using almost exlusively barbells instead of dumbells. Maybe the sides working independantly will even it out a bit.

Thanks again

John Nixon
01-12-2001, 03:32 PM
I must respectfully disagree with earlier advice to use dumbbells - that could make your problem worse by encouraging the muscle groups to work independently. I suspect that will make the stronger side stronger and keep the weaker side, weaker. Everyone when they first start out are stronger on one side than another. I do not know how long you've been working out but be patient; use the barbells (stay away from machines as much as possible. Free weights require coordination in itself a muscle builder) which will force your weaker side to grow stronger. Good luck...
JOHN

gainfreak
01-12-2001, 05:09 PM
I must respectfully disagree with John because I am talking from experiance not a textbook example. My left side was noticably bigger than my right side where as you physically could see it. Prior to working out, Both sides were the same. I used all barbell exercises at that time. After doing some searching about this problem, it was recommended to me by another bodybuilder to switch over to the dumbells. Let me ask you a question, How can a your weaker side get stronger if your stonger side is assisting it in an exercise? also I do agree with John about staying away from the machines(other than the lat exercises) I feel that it is best to use free weights as much as possible.

jbakerutexas
01-12-2001, 08:18 PM
Okay, thanks for the suggestions...

In response to gainfreak... yes, I've always heard free weights are superior for building size due to the fact that when using them you also work many auxilliary muscles to keep your balance whereas machines do that for you...

I'll definately be trying a lot more dumbells excercises and I'll try and let you know how they go. Thanks again for the tips.

KevinFLA
01-31-2001, 10:45 AM
I also agree that dumbells are the way to go. I also speaking from experiance was must strong with my right side of the body than the leftside when I first started lifting. I also did a lot of bar exercises for chest and arms. I started to work out with my friend who only used dumbells and I found that I evened out after that. The only way you will get stronger on one side this way is if you are lifting with different weights for each side. Of course you will stay stong on one side if you knock out 12 reps with your stonger arm and only 8-1o with the weaker arm. What i did was just do the same amount of reps for both arms and when my left gave out I stopped and I did this for about a month and now I'm pretty much even

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