I have noticed in the past 3 months of training that at the end of an upperbody workout my right arm gets such a killer pump it’s painful. Measurements between flexed biceps is a full inch. However, my left dominant arm has almost no pump at all. At the end of a workout it’s quite noticeable and I have had many people comment on my “monster arm”. Lately I’ve noticed that the pump is starting in my lat and pec too, while the other side is nothing.
I have already searched the forums for answers and here is what I have tried:
unilateral strength measurement: at the same weight my smaller dominant arm is stronger for approximately two reps.
after compound lifts ( I am currently doing 531) I do almost all unilateral exercises.
_ I have warmed up with compound/isolation exercises on the small arm to bring it up.
I have used finishers on the small arm only to induce a pump with little success.
My massage therapist has noticed more scar tissue build up on the bigger side which may be leading to increased occulsion.
Has anyone had this happen and if so, how did you fix it?
My next plan of action is to see a chiro for some active release to get rid of some scar tissue.
Maybe you should look into some posture things… I complained about this type of situation a lot when i first started, then i started retracting my scapula on every exercise, stopped the whining, and noticed that it was slowly getting better.
A muscle-imbalance that you are describing is not going to get fixed over night, the best thing you can do, is be extremely patient, pick a ‘solution’ and try it out for 4-5 months. Only then can you accurately asses if it helped you or not. Either way, you’re gaining muscle and it’s not like it’s an impossible thing to solve, it’s just a matter of what it is that YOU SPECIFICALLY need to do to get this fixed. For me, it was posture and a little bit of mind-muscle connection.
I tried adding a useful link to the post but it doesn’t seem like I’m allowed to. Try doing this, go to google search and type in the following ‘Common Postural Deficiencies’
The very first link is the one I was referencing. It helped me a lot.
Sounds like an issue based at the hip. Do you find yourself weaker on the left side as well? If so than it’s probably left IT Band and Rectus Femoris carrying so much tension it is throwing everything off, thoracic extension etc… Your body will have a very difficult time putting load on the proper muscles until the issue is fixed. Get on a foam roller and see how tight your right it band and rectus is compared to your left. I’m betting the left is on fire in comparison.
You are right, mostly my entire left side. My left leg is not nearly as strong or as stable as my Right. Hip has less range of motion too. I do lots of unilateral warm ups and finish with a unilateral movment as well but not much has improved. Anything you could recommend?
[quote]evank wrote:
I do foam roll all the time and the left leg isn’t any more tender. I see a chiro who does fuck all for my hip. [/quote]
With these issues, usually people are resisting the roller and not letting it get in there. I’m telling you the left is worse than the right, significantly worse. Get on it again and look around some more. Make sure you relax.