dominant side bigger

**ballplayer** · 07-28-2002, 09:51 PM

My right arm always dominates the weight no matter what exercise I'm doing so that later on when I do concentration movements, it gets tired before the left. My problem is that I feel like I lose intensity when it goes dead bc my mind tells my body that the left arm should be tired too and then I can't get the extra reps I need with the left to make it equal to the right. Everything on my right side is bigger than the left, (tris, bis, calf, and pec) Does anyone else have this problem? How do I go about fixing it?

**chamkila** · 07-29-2002, 11:44 AM

hey bro, im like you, my whole left side is totally stronger, bigger, and more developed than my right, the only thing you can do is use dumbells, try to even up the two sides, but generally we notice it more than other ppl do anyways... hope that helps!

**Little Jonah** · 07-29-2002, 12:52 PM

yea man I've got the same prob and it sucks ass.. Someone post and help us!!! ahah

**Warthog** · 08-20-2002, 01:01 PM

Hot Damn, i got the same pro. I swear i hate it more then anythign in this world. Right after my workout both sides look the same, but after a few hours its real apparent that my right side is bigger. Like Chamkila said i think we notice more then other people do. But what im scared about is that when i start to get some real good gains i dont want it to be obvious. I always try doing a few more reps with my left side when doing biceps and triceps. Chest, i try to use the pec dec, but since i workout at home and mine just broke, im screwed. Just thinking about doing some flys just with the left arm. But we definately need some help on this. Anybody out there with some info....help us out

**HalOd03** · 08-20-2002, 01:25 PM

well most people have this problem, whether its very noticable or just mental...

Theres a few things you can do...when doin movements that incorporate one side...start with the laging side, Ex: Dumbell curls, start with the laging side, and end with the laging side..thats works for me. Do that with all one side movements..try that for a few weeks, then go back to the norm and see how much it changed...it might not add that extra muscle to even up with the other side, but it can give u the extra strength and agility for it to keep up with the stronger side...

And when doing 2 arm movements, try to consintrate more...most people just push the weight up and down....consintrate and get the full extention, squeeze every rep out evenly, slow and easy gets the job done.

For alot of people it seems like its mostly mental..that it only happens sometimes....you just have to consintrate on that laging bodypart, get its strength pumping, and your going to see those results you've been waiting for...

oh yea, psssss.
(spot injections)

**thejoe_l** · 08-20-2002, 06:54 PM

IM THE SAME WAY....I LOOK AT PEOPLE ALL THE TIME AND DONT NOTICE A WHOLE HELL OF ALOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM. AS HAL0DO3 STATED START AND END WITH THE EXERCISE ON THE SMALLER SIDE . I HAVE DONE THIS AND FOUND IT TO HELP!

***Sicilian30*** · 08-20-2002, 09:03 PM

Believe it or not, I read in a fitness mag, about this problem, and you know the advice one professional trainer suggested? Get ready, it is simple, but low and behold I tried it and it worked. Here goes:
This guy suggested to focus and look at your weakest arm while you are doing your sets. I thought this was the dumbest thing in the world, and I am like yeah right pal. But out of desperation I tried it. My problem was my left bicep was smaller and was not as strong as my right. Therefore, I started focusing on my left, simply by looking at it when I would exercise it. In other words, when I was doing curls with the curl bar, I would only look at my weakest side, and ignore my right arm even while I was working my right.
After a few weeks, my left had caught up with my right and I didn't even have to add more weight for my left side or ignore or lessen my intensity for my right and strong side. Call it "suggestion" or call it scientific, it worked and I was a believer after I had done it after a few weeks.

**thejoe_l** · 08-20-2002, 10:32 PM

MIND OVER MATTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I BELIEVE IT.

**Warthog** · 08-21-2002, 09:30 AM

Thanx Sicilian....im gonna try it today on my curls and see how it goes.....

**Warthog** · 08-21-2002, 11:28 AM

Tried the looking at your weaker side today for curls.....and i dont know what to think. I use a barbell for curls and i seemed to be a little weaker then normal. Dont know if it was bc my left arm (weak side) was contributing more then my right or just bc im cycling off creatine right now and just dont have the edge. Im gonna keep trying it for awhile and post my results...... D.P.

**illuzions** · 08-23-2002, 11:57 AM

wats up guys...i also have this lagging and sometimes mental problem...my left is a lil bigger than my right in all areas...pec, bi, tri, u get the picture...well ive done some reps alone with my right arm...ex: i would do pec dec or chest press and basically just use my right arm...with only very lil help from my right...and it is definitly gettin better...with time it should be at its best...but it is a downer... none of my friends can see a diff, but i can, and thats the biggest prob...its funny because i actually stopped the extra reps and then it seemed as if it went back to shit again(my weak side),,,so now more than ever i am going to isolate the smaller side to make good improvements...i also will try the trick mentioned above...it does suck..but in time it can be fixed...i hope..at least for our sake...were all in the same boat here...patience and time is the key...good luck ....

**Warthog** · 08-24-2002, 04:55 PM

Good post Illuzions..... this is what im thinking. Right now i do Monday: Shoulders and legs Wednesday: Back and Biceps Friday: Chest and triceps Im thinking about sundays do just my left bicep, this gives me 2 full days to recooperate for wednesday workout. Do pec dec on tuesday and some tricep workouts, again this give me 2 full days to recooperate for my friday workout. I think this may help. What do u guys think. This will still give me 2 full day so rest withouth any lifting. Thanx bros

***Sicilian30*** · 08-24-2002, 06:40 PM

Give it some time, focus on your weaker side mentally, and it will come around. I remember Arnold once saying, something to the effect, of focusing on the muscle at hand you are working. Dont' be distracted and thinking about your next set, focus on the "here and now", really think about the muscle you are working, imagine it working, really concentrate on it, while you are working it.
My point being, weight training is 20% physical, and 80% mental.

**The French Curler** · 08-24-2002, 11:35 PM

I agree with Sicilian.

**Warthog** · 08-27-2002, 07:47 AM

bump

**Warthog** · 09-09-2002, 09:38 AM

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

**D3m3nt3d** · 09-09-2002, 04:54 PM

rather it is noticable to the eye or not...one side is gonna always be bigger, everything can not be perfectly symetrical, in my case..my arms appear the same size, but my right bicep is bigger and my left tricep is bigger..so i guess it kinda evens out

**projectsherv** · 09-11-2002, 12:29 AM

i have the same problem bro, chest, and biceps on left are smaller, left bicep can even get extra reps than the right sometimes but the right is still bigger, what can you do.. oh well.

**defdaz** · 09-11-2002, 01:37 AM

Sicilian30's the man. It is all about focus. Because we can send better signals to our dominant side we can easily slip into letting that side do a more than equal share of the work.

It takes a lot of concentration and effort to not let this happen - in fact most of the time it can feel like both sides are working equally yet they aren't.

If even with stacks on concentration you can't notice the difference in effort each side is making use of dumbells will help ensure that the load is more balanced.... ever noticed in db curls that your one arm fails on a certain rep whilst the other arm doesn't, yet in barbell curls they both seem to fail at the same time? Your dominant bicep just did more work than your weaker one during that set of barbell curls...

Great advice from HalOd03 and chamkila too - unilateral movements like one leg leg curls etc. are great to help with the focusing on the weaker muscles and allow more sets to be dished out to the non-dominate side too.

As an extra - get an experienced and knowledgeable trainer to watch your form if you can, they may be able to spot some problems with you form that could be a partial reason for these problems.

Daz