Physically Imbalanced? Start with Your Core.
Who isn’t physically imbalanced? Such as the left arm, or leg, is weaker than the right; or one side is stronger than the other. Such imbalances can get worse with age. No better time to get balanced than now. Buddha would approve.
Get Physically Balanced; Start with your Core
I JUST answered a question posed by someone using Quora, a site that links answers to questions. I get emailed health oriented questions from Quora, and if I have the time and can add some value, I do.
I answered one today that I’d like to share here because I think it’s a commonly experienced situation. The questioned was:
"What is the best way to fix muscular imbalances/disproportionate muscles?"
My answer
This would be my approach to fix muscular imbalances.
Say I could press more weight overhead (military press) with my left arm than my right. I would do four things to balance things out:
1. I’d do various deltoid exercises with dumbbells so the stronger side didn’t contribute a disproportionate amount of work, as it might when lifting a barbell. You could try using less weight on the weaker side but doing more reps, and then more weight, fewer reps. Mix it up. You want to shock the weaker side to grow.
2. I would check opposing muscle groups and test their balance. Since, deltoids push, I’d look at pulling muscles, such as the lats and biceps. Make sure they’re even, left vs right, and not weak relative to pushing muscles. If they are weak, do #1.
3. I’d completely stretch the muscles after workouts. A master of this is the physical therapist/weightlifter at the mobilitywod.com site. Search for the stretch you wish to learn and learn from a master.
4. Finally, I’d work the core. Could be uneven on the left vs right sides, and therefore doesn’t give balanced support to each side when lifting. Strength emanates out from the core to the arms and legs. Core exercises abound all over the Internet, so look around, or read my article, The Functionally Fit Fast Workout — Warm Up and Mobility, and view the “how to” videos.
Last Updated on October 20, 2016 by Joe Garma
