Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone here has also experienced this. I went on a vacation/hiatus from the gym for a week and when I got back to lifting, my left arm became weak. My right arm, the dominant one, is perfectly normal and could lift what I had been lifting in that same rep range with no issues. But my left arm has gotten me worried for days now! I have no problems with biceps exercises (all kinds of curls) and forearms, but I can no longer do triceps and chest exercises well. I’ve yet to do back & legs since getting back. As for my shoulders, I could not do shoulder press but I could do pretty much everything else. I know this may give a hint as to which part of arm is messed up. That’s also the most frustrating part: I HAVE NO IDEA WHICH EXACT PART IS INJURED (if it’s an injury indeed). Is it my whole arm?
My guess is that I have a minor injury in my elbows or my shoulders? I can’t really tell. But there are positions during sleep that I haven’t been able to do anymore since something in my arm would kinda hurt. I’m also paranoid, what if I had a mild stroke and half of my body is messed up (I’ve yet to find out how my left is doing in terms of workouts)?
As for the cause, I’m not sure. I do lift heavy, but I do those shoulder diagnostic exercises to keep my shoulders healthy. Interestingly last week I also took an trt shot on my left delt so dunno if this got something to do with that lol. Ugh!
I’ve definitely felt strength imbalances after a break. Since curls feel fine, it might be a triceps issue. Maybe try some isolation exercises for your left tricep with lighter weights and see if you can pinpoint anything.
Also, listen to your body! If certain positions hurt during sleep, avoid them.
IFF it’s a pinched nerve. But this would absolutely aggravate a potential rotator cuff strain or tendinopathy, which it could be given the limited info.
I think this is definite grounds for an actual physiotherapy/physical therapy assessment.
It is "normal’ for pinched nerves (cervical radiculopathy) to cause a drop in motor strength. However, a loss of strength related to a nerve issue is considered criteria for medium-to-high priority medical assessment.
Moreover, the issue may not necessarily be nerve-related. High-grade tears to the rotator cuff may be pain-free, but present as an acute loss of arm strength.
Ruling between the two is important, as management of cervical radiculopathy and rotator cuff tears are not the same thing
This sounds identical to my rotator cuff injury. Rotator cuff issues are typically not actually felt in the shoulder cap itself, but will refer into the scap, neck, down the side of the arm, and even cause your grip to feel off with weird referrals into the top of various fingers depending on which of the four muscles is injured. You should see a qualified pro for assessment.
