hey I apologize if this has been covered but maybe someone can point me toward some good info. Due to working out primarily with barbells in the past couple months, I’ve developed a significant muscle imbalance in my biceps-something I noticed when I started using dumbbells.
today, for example, I tried to do incline curls and could easily do 15 reps with a 15 lb weight I usually aim for 8-12 reps max so I could have moved up to 20 lbs if it weren’t for the right arm) on my LEFT side, but maxed out at 5 reps on my RIGHT side. this kept happening too, for like three more sets. wtf? how do I correct this imbalance? do more reps on my right side til it catches up? and btw, I am right handed, not left handed.
yeah, but would you stay at the same weight until you could do all your reps just as easily on both sides?
[quote]usctrojansfan wrote:
SenoritaGatita wrote:
hey I apologize if this has been covered but maybe someone can point me toward some good info. Due to working out primarily with barbells in the past couple months, I’ve developed a significant muscle imbalance in my biceps-something I noticed when I started using dumbbells.
today, for example, I tried to do incline curls and could easily do 15 reps with a 15 lb weight I usually aim for 8-12 reps max so I could have moved up to 20 lbs if it weren’t for the right arm) on my LEFT side, but maxed out at 5 reps on my RIGHT side. this kept happening too, for like three more sets. wtf? how do I correct this imbalance? do more reps on my right side til it catches up? and btw, I am right handed, not left handed.
I’m left handed and my right arm is stronger!!! I find, watch the tempo of your reps. Make sure the rep is as close as possible to both arms. I found that the eccentric phase of my left warm was much faster than my right arm so I started to control it better. Keep doing more DB work as well. Hope this helps. [/quote]
[quote]SenoritaGatita wrote:
yeah, but would you stay at the same weight until you could do all your reps just as easily on both sides?
[/quote]
Yes. What you should do is start with your weaker arm, do as many reps as you think you can complete for all sets with that arm (but only just for the last set), do (say) 3 sets with each arm, then do an extra set with the weaker arm. Do NOT do more reps/set with the stronger arm.
If the imbalance is really severe, you could even consider just working the weaker arm until it catches up.