Imbalances destroyed my progress

[Lionheart]

I posted this here because strength is my sole purpose for training and though maybe some of you could help


I believe I have developed some muscle imbalances overtime due to flexibility differences between my right and left sides. My lower back and glute on the right side are noticeably larger than that on the left. Obviously with these being on the back side of my body I couldn't see this myself. My massage therapist told me when I went to see because I could no longer get to the bottom of my squat without feeling like my hip was going to slide out. Needless to say my strength has dropped because I was unable to train as heavy. I will be skipping the next Strongman comp I wanted to enter

Have any of you had to deal with an issue like this? How does one correct a muscle imbalance in the lower back?

 

[jimmyjones]

I posted this here because strength is my sole purpose for training and though maybe some of you could help


I believe I have developed some muscle imbalances overtime due to flexibility differences between my right and left sides. My lower back and glute on the right side are noticeably larger than that on the left. Obviously with these being on the back side of my body I couldn't see this myself. My massage therapist told me when I went to see because I could no longer get to the bottom of my squat without feeling like my hip was going to slide out. Needless to say my strength has dropped because I was unable to train as heavy. I will be skipping the next Strongman comp I wanted to enter

Have any of you had to deal with an issue like this? How does one correct a muscle imbalance in the lower back?

Which quad is bigger?
Which ham is bigger?

That will tell you where the root of the issue is...

Sometimes, when a quad is bigger and stronger, you will tend to exert more force with that quad, compared to the other one, and essentially, its always gonna be an imbalance.

In order to fix the imbalance, you need to strengthen the opposite side and stop training the other side for a little bit of time in order for them both to match.

 

[Lionheart]

My right ham and quad are larger. My focus has been on unilateral training for the past two months. I can lunge and split squat till the cows come home, but that doesn't solve the lower back imbalance issue. When I squat or pull the right side of my lower back gets pumped up like it's the only side engaging while my legs tend to feel equal.

 

[jimmyjones]

My right ham and quad are larger. My focus has been on unilateral training for the past two months. I can lunge and split squat till the cows come home, but that doesn't solve the lower back imbalance issue. When I squat or pull the right side of my lower back gets pumped up like it's the only side engaging while my legs tend to feel equal.

You need to stop training your right side altogether, and only train your left...

I know it sounds silly, but in real life, its the only way to fix an imbalance, quickly..

You must atrophy the bigger side, and you must cause hypertrophy in the smaller side.

Since your right entire leg is larger than your left....your right leg will ALWAYS exert more force during a compound lift, and your right side will ALWAYS receive the most work.

 

[Lionheart]

Well I have still been squatting and pulling but just at about 50% of my maximum so I can focus on "feeling the muscle" My left leg has been catching up.

I got that idea from this article

How to Fix Glute Imbalances | Bret Contreras

I'm afraid my strength will fall even further if I stop training my right leg all together. I did my first Strongman comp last year and fell in love.

Not trying to go backwards if it can be avoided.

 

[jimmyjones]

Well I have still been squatting and pulling but just at about 50% of my maximum so I can focus on "feeling the muscle" My left leg has been catching up.

I got that idea from this article

How to Fix Glute Imbalances | Bret Contreras

I'm afraid my strength will fall even further if I stop training my right leg all together. I did my first Strongman comp last year and fell in love.

Not trying to go backwards if it can be avoided.

It cant be avoided. But that doesnt mean it can't be repaired.

Muscle memory is very real.

If ONE DAY you got upto 500lb bench press, and then suddenly you stopped training....then a few months later u got under that bar, and you could only push 250lbs....

Do you know how FAST you will get to 500?

Whatever it is that you did to get to 500, you do the same exact thing, except this time, the results will come 50% faster.

I dont mean to shit on your parade brother, but you will NEVER re-balance your body unless you stop training the dominant side.

The dominant side is DOMINANT for a reason, because it grows at a faster rate than the other side!

So what does that mean? If you shrink it...while you grow the other one...then once u start training it again, it will blow right back up!

 

[Lionheart]

It cant be avoided. But that doesnt mean it can't be repaired.

Muscle memory is very real.

If ONE DAY you got upto 500lb bench press, and then suddenly you stopped training....then a few months later u got under that bar, and you could only push 250lbs....

Do you know how FAST you will get to 500?

Whatever it is that you did to get to 500, you do the same exact thing, except this time, the results will come 50% faster.

I dont mean to shit on your parade brother, but you will NEVER re-balance your body unless you stop training the dominant side.

The dominant side is DOMINANT for a reason, because it grows at a faster rate than the other side!

So what does that mean? If you shrink it...while you grow the other one...then once u start training it again, it will blow right back up!

So essentially you're telling me there would be no point in even doing what your saying?

 

[jimmyjones]

So essentially you're telling me there would be no point in even doing what your saying?

LOL you are not understanding.

Lets put some number perspective into my theory.

Lets say your left side is a "7" ....and your right side is a "10"...

You stop training your right side....and only train your left side...

Over time...your right side will fall ....9....8....7....

But your left side will gain.... 7....8....9....10....

When you feel your right side has atrophied enough...you start training BOTH the sides together...

Since you ALREADY KNOW your right side is the better responder...when you begin training the right side again, it will blow right back up...

And now you will have (2) "10's"

 

[Lionheart]

Obviously there will be an small imbalance in every person on the planet. If your right handed more than likely you body will follow suit. It shouldn't be visible though. If that were the case everyone right handed person would be walking around with larger right arms and legs.

My right leg is not made up of super fibers. I've been training the better part of 17 years and have only run into this problem within the last several months. If it hasn't always been that way then something caused it and it can be corrected. There are strength coaches and PT's that specialize in this area. I can not afford one so I chose to come here to get experiences from those who have dealt with it before.

 

[Lionheart]

LOL you are not understanding.

Lets put some number perspective into my theory.

Lets say your left side is a "7" ....and your right side is a "10"...

You stop training your right side....and only train your left side...

Over time...your right side will fall ....9....8....7....

But your left side will gain.... 7....8....9....10....

When you feel your right side has atrophied enough...you start training BOTH the sides together...

Since you ALREADY KNOW your right side is the better responder...when you begin training the right side again, it will blow right back up...

And now you will have (2) "10's"

Yeah you defiantly worded it better this time

 

[Lionheart]

I still would like to hear from someone with experience in this area and not broscience

 

[Simpllyhuge]

You sound like you are gonna make it worse.

 

[FastTrack]

This was an Interesting read

 

[Lionheart]

You sound like you are gonna make it worse.

How's that?

 

[Simpllyhuge]

Well first I don't know how big a deal this is because your massage therapist has to make money and might be exaggerating. I would still go heavy and then do some lighter Band reads or band straight leg deads and try to feel the muscles activating. Banded deads worked awesome at stretching me out.

 

[Lionheart]

You sound like you are gonna make it worse.

You say I'm going to make it worse, but then you tell me to go heavy which is exactly what is causing me pain in my hip joint in the first place. Then you tell me to do light band stiff leg deads and try to feel the muscles activating which is what I'm doing by working at 50% anyway. I don't understand

 

[Simpllyhuge]

I dunno I guess I'm talking out if my ass. My original point should have been just don't over think it. I think bands should help thou.

 

[trenlover]

damn bro that sux, i feel ur pain because im going thru somthing similar. i was in icu for 2 mos in a coma and developed nerve damage and the right side of my body is smaller than the left side of my body. before this happend i had damn near perfect symmetry, it really gets me down.
'
sometimes when im watching tv or somthing i look down at my legs and they are all out of whack and it really messes with my head.

i have been focusing on really feeling my contractions on the right side of my body. i have a pretty good mind to muscle connection because of 20 + years of bodybuilding so its easy for me to isolate a muscle contraction.

the other thing i do is whenver i pin, (juice or peptides) i always hit muscles on my weak side and i can honestly say it is helping. try the peg mgf and igf-des in lagging muscles, do not pin bi lateral; pin only lagging muscle groups.

if there is a better idea than this guys please let me know....

 

[Lionheart]

damn bro that sux, i feel ur pain because im going thru somthing similar. i was in icu for 2 mos in a coma and developed nerve damage and the right side of my body is smaller than the left side of my body. before this happend i had damn near perfect symmetry, it really gets me down.
'
sometimes when im watching tv or somthing i look down at my legs and they are all out of whack and it really messes with my head.

i have been focusing on really feeling my contractions on the right side of my body. i have a pretty good mind to muscle connection because of 20 + years of bodybuilding so its easy for me to isolate a muscle contraction.

the other thing i do is whenver i pin, (juice or peptides) i always hit muscles on my weak side and i can honestly say it is helping. try the peg mgf and igf-des in lagging muscles, do not pin bi lateral; pin only lagging muscle groups.

if there is a better idea than this guys please let me know....

Ahhh someone who can feel my pain. I will definitely start pinning only the left quad. Good idea. Never messed with the peptides though. Very interested, but there is so much info on here I really don't know where to start.

 

[Bad Fox]

I still would like to hear from someone with experience in this area and not broscience

I have several different muscles that are larger and stronger on one side. I would never stop training one side. I do concentrate on the weaker side though when lifting. I have fought that for years. You can make some progress through additional isolation excersises on the weaker one. But it often leads to over training.

Ultimately... especially for a strength athlete....... those are your genetics and you will never substantialy change that. You must learn to be confident with what you are pre disposed to and make sure that you train according to any limitations you may have.

Generally its not a problem. Usually just one is a little larger than the other. If you were a body builder it would be a bigger deal.