So…basically, when I flex or work out, I’ve noticed that my left bicep has a slightly sharper peak than my right bicep. Interestingly enough, I’m right handed. I know I’m just splitting hairs here and it’s not really a concern as it is a curious inquiry lol. Is this normal? And is there anything I can do to correct it? Should I work my right hand more (Yeah yeah laugh it up)?
[quote]Velz wrote:
So…basically, when I flex or work out, I’ve noticed that my left bicep has a slightly sharper peak than my right bicep. Interestingly enough, I’m right handed. I know I’m just splitting hairs here and it’s not really a concern as it is a curious inquiry lol. Is this normal? And is there anything I can do to correct it? Should I work my right hand more (Yeah yeah laugh it up)?[/quote]
What you are describing is a result of genetics. For most people, one arm is usually bigger than the other, but not enough to be noticible.
With training, focus on movements-not musculature. Don’t fall into the trap of designing your program based on bodypart splits-its a recipe for failure. And don’t let some meathead tell you any different!
Even Arnold has slightly different biceps. Don’t worry about it – just add size and forget about trying to bring up supposed lagging body parts, especially if you’re a beginner.
Oh don’t get me wrong. It’s not noticable and one arm isn’t lagging behind the other. It’s just noticable to me cuz of course I’m the only person on earth who is going to look at my body close enough. It was just a curious inquiry.
I have the same problem: right is smaller than left and I am right handed. Genetics may make sense; however, for the longest time I’ve attributed it to hurting my right arm playing sports, because when I do lifts like lateral raises, my right fatigues faster than my left - wierd! It should be light years ahead of my left.
I started using the barbell more now, hoping things will even out.
[quote]Contach wrote:
I started using the barbell more now, hoping things will even out.
[/quote]
The barbell will aggravate imbalances, because if both sides are used to lift one load, it is possible for the body to shift a larger part of the load to one side. So, you could do 8reps with 250 on the bench, and your right side (if it’s stronger) will lift 130x8 and your left 120x8, which adds up over time.
However, doing a dumbbell benchpress with two 100 pound dumbbells, both sides will move the same load, but the weaker side will be fatigued more, resulting in greater supercompensation and therefore more gains, which will fix the imbalance with time.
[quote]Velz wrote:
So…basically, when I flex or work out, I’ve noticed that my left bicep has a slightly sharper peak than my right bicep. Interestingly enough, I’m right handed. I know I’m just splitting hairs here and it’s not really a concern as it is a curious inquiry lol. Is this normal? And is there anything I can do to correct it? Should I work my right hand more (Yeah yeah laugh it up)?[/quote]
I read this to see if it was a pulling muscle or pushing muscle… and it’s a pulling muscle that you are having trouble with…
I had/have the same problem. I noticed both my bicep and my lats on the left side of my body are smaller.
it hit me: my left hand has a weaker grip
so i’ve been training my grip in my left hand more.
if you don’t have as much strength in your left hand, your pulling strength can’t be transferred to the bar… so you will have assymetry on the weaker side.
[quote]wires wrote:
Velz wrote:
So…basically, when I flex or work out, I’ve noticed that my left bicep has a slightly sharper peak than my right bicep. Interestingly enough, I’m right handed. I know I’m just splitting hairs here and it’s not really a concern as it is a curious inquiry lol. Is this normal? And is there anything I can do to correct it? Should I work my right hand more (Yeah yeah laugh it up)?
I read this to see if it was a pulling muscle or pushing muscle… and it’s a pulling muscle that you are having trouble with…
I had/have the same problem. I noticed both my bicep and my lats on the left side of my body are smaller.
it hit me: my left hand has a weaker grip
so i’ve been training my grip in my left hand more.
if you don’t have as much strength in your left hand, your pulling strength can’t be transferred to the bar… so you will have assymetry on the weaker side.
[/quote]
That’s a very interesting take on it. Can anyone confirm? And what do you do to work on your grip?
[quote]Velz wrote:
wires wrote:
Velz wrote:
So…basically, when I flex or work out, I’ve noticed that my left bicep has a slightly sharper peak than my right bicep. Interestingly enough, I’m right handed. I know I’m just splitting hairs here and it’s not really a concern as it is a curious inquiry lol. Is this normal? And is there anything I can do to correct it? Should I work my right hand more (Yeah yeah laugh it up)?
I read this to see if it was a pulling muscle or pushing muscle… and it’s a pulling muscle that you are having trouble with…
I had/have the same problem. I noticed both my bicep and my lats on the left side of my body are smaller.
it hit me: my left hand has a weaker grip
so i’ve been training my grip in my left hand more.
if you don’t have as much strength in your left hand, your pulling strength can’t be transferred to the bar… so you will have assymetry on the weaker side.
That’s a very interesting take on it. Can anyone confirm? And what do you do to work on your grip?[/quote]
Confirmed.
I am the 3rd or 4th person on this thread that is right handed with a stronger left side. The reason for this is simple. When you use your coordinated right hand to perform a function, you use the left hand usually as ballance or a brace. Meaning that the left alot of time is used as a stabelizer. And you probably have a better grip in your left hand. I’m sure everyone is different. some people may be ballanced, some maybe are both coordinated and stronger on one side. For me my whole left side of my body is stronger, every muscle. And I am right handed and that is my coordinated side.
I was sawing tree branches the other day right handed(my normal hand) and left handed. I noticed not only am I not as coordianted using my left to saw, but also my right grip was horrible compared to my left.
About the bench press problem and the pulling problem, absolutly. They will keep getting worse unintentionaly. At one time, my right side would quit several reps ahead of the left when benching. Not 1 or 2 either. Maybe 4 or 5 reps with my 12 rep max. I did a number of isolation exercises to correct this. I took the compound exercises guy’s advice and only made the problem worse.
You can listen to whomever you want. But I wouldn’t listen to someone that read this out of a book, better off getting advice from someone with tangible experience. I would suggest some extra reps on the weak side every time. Maybe even an extra exercise. Try to use your weaker side when pulling or pushing. Definitly work on static holds and heavy gripping exercises to even that out. Grip is so much more important than people think. Eeven in extremely heavy benching it comes into play.
Your grip is probably the first thing you should build up and ballance out as a begineer.
I don’t think I have a “weak” side lol. One bicep just has a slightly sharper peak when I flex than the other is all and I was curious. I’m glad it’s not abnormal lol.
[quote]Velz wrote:
I don’t think I have a “weak” side lol. One bicep just has a slightly sharper peak when I flex than the other is all and I was curious. I’m glad it’s not abnormal lol.[/quote]
mine does too.
my left has a sharper peak.
peak the right one, and don’t peak the left one
see if you ballance them out
Exactly. Thats what I’ve always believed. In this case assuming that the biceps with the bigger peak is also stronger than its going to lift more than the other biceps and thus aggravating the size/strength difference. For now, unilateral training should be a high priority at least while training the bis and back.
Surprisingly this is the 1st time I’ve really heard anyone else say this though-except apart from some of the Tmag writers. All the other guys in the gym, ‘certified’ personal trainers, even some physiotherapists say if you have a relatively weaker part then use bilateral exercises.
Dumb!
[quote]Robert P. wrote:
Contach wrote:
I started using the barbell more now, hoping things will even out.
The barbell will aggravate imbalances, because if both sides are used to lift one load, it is possible for the body to shift a larger part of the load to one side. So, you could do 8reps with 250 on the bench, and your right side (if it’s stronger) will lift 130x8 and your left 120x8, which adds up over time.
However, doing a dumbbell benchpress with two 100 pound dumbbells, both sides will move the same load, but the weaker side will be fatigued more, resulting in greater supercompensation and therefore more gains, which will fix the imbalance with time.
[/quote]
Just to confirm, again, I am left handed with larger pulling muscles on the right side.
I always suspected that it had something to do with masturbation, honestly.