One arm bigger than the other W T F

[Jessep76]

Anyone ever notice a little difference in the definition of the right or the left shoulder or maybe a little more pump or bulk in one tricep and not the other?
Well up until early last month I've been doing a lot of heavy weight with the barbell on Military and Flat and Incline bench. I also usually don't wear a tank top to the gym but a couple weeks ago I said what the hell and did. Well over by the dumbells I sat down for some incline curls and happened to notice one shoulder looked really good .....and the other looked ...not as good. For about 3 weeks I did extra Lateral Raises for my right arm and things are looking a little more normal. But now it looks as though the bicep and tricep are smaller as well. I'm right handed by the way..
Any tips or stories or similar happenings?:scared:

 

[wbted23]

I rowed crew for 4 years, always as a port, which created some pretty bad imbalances for me. Even my abs/lower back were bigger on one side than the other (wierd, right?)

My best reccomendation is to use more DB excersises, and start with your weak arm/side. Do the excersises 1 side at a time, and just do as many as your weak side can. After this, do the stronger side, and just stop when you reach the number you maxed out on with your weaker side. You may be able to do more, but dont.

It will take a while to notice any difference, but it should come eventually.

 

[Jessep76]

Good advice with the dumbells. I'm tempted to revamp my entire routine to cut out barbell as much as possible but its hard because of the extra weight you can cake on.

Your story's pretty crazy though, I'd imagine that took a while to correct.

 

[crazyfool405]

my left arm is bigger then my right, my right forarm is bigger then left, left teardrop is thickjer then right, and left lat is rounder then my right, righ calf bigger then left and right pec more squared then left

and im a righty, we all got problems lol

 

[Jessep76]

CRAP!
Well ok there has to be something with being right handed then. You'd think it would be the larger arm though. Maybe these things aren't so uncommon.

 

[crazyfool405]

i forgot to add left tricep looks nicer too, and my left shoulder is capped more, right trap is bigger too . i dont get it either, i learn to live with it,

 

[Jessep76]

LOL!!


Yeah so i did 5 30lb dumbell curls this morning only on my right arm. I don't wanna look like that guy from Lady in the water.

 

[wbted23]

yea im still workin on balancing out...for some of the muscle groups more compound movements actually worked better. For example, with my abs and lower back, the best way to even them out is to do regular excersises, and focus on a steady movement that does not emphasize either side. This will still tire out the weaker side more, and help balance you out.

Barbell work could still be useful. A good test might be doing high weight cable curls, near your limit. Since the weight source is connected to the center of the bar, and not the ends, any imbalances in your movement will be amplified. This will allow you to see if you are curling one arm faster than the other, and help you adjust to it.

after that you can figure out how to adjust your curling motion to remove that imbalance. You can use similar tests for different muscle groups, although it may be more difficult to notice the problems.

BTW, my chest is still waay to small compared to my back thanks to rowing...def the biggest problem! workin on it tho...

hope this helps man!

 

[FlawedGrunt]

ive lost some weight in the last 6 weeks and im starting to feel like one pec is bigger than the other when i look in the mirror... wtf? lol

 

[Jessep76]

yea im still workin on balancing out...for some of the muscle groups more compound movements actually worked better. For example, with my abs and lower back, the best way to even them out is to do regular excersises, and focus on a steady movement that does not emphasize either side. This will still tire out the weaker side more, and help balance you out.

Barbell work could still be useful. A good test might be doing high weight cable curls, near your limit. Since the weight source is connected to the center of the bar, and not the ends, any imbalances in your movement will be amplified. This will allow you to see if you are curling one arm faster than the other, and help you adjust to it.

after that you can figure out how to adjust your curling motion to remove that imbalance. You can use similar tests for different muscle groups, although it may be more difficult to notice the problems.

BTW, my chest is still waay to small compared to my back thanks to rowing...def the biggest problem! workin on it tho...

hope this helps man!

Good tip on the cable curl. I hadn't thought about the resistance factor.
Thanks bro!

 

[wbted23]

no problem man, happy to help!

 

[majinbijiita]

Yea, my right bicep is much bigger than my left...or it was until I started doing a lot of barbell curls. I've noticed my left has been BURNING during sets while my right is like...come on -add some weight. I guess it's evening them out.

Although it may also have to do with form...and my right shoulder for some reason is a lot lower than my left...dunno why.

I would suggest just having a day for the weaker side, and going extra hard.

 

[Jessep76]

I stick to barbell all the time which makes me think thats the problem. I dunno maybe my left has more fat on it. I do alot of close grip chin ups and I never thought that would work one side more. Could be the pocket pool too.

 

[majinbijiita]

Haha, pocket pool...I never believe what they say about that.

I'd say maybe it's just the fact you are favoring one arm, without being conscience of it. Or your center of gravity is off. I'm thinking that is possibly my problem, because I do have a tendency to favor one side and my spine is slighty curved.

I would just try to be more aware. Get that mind-muscle connection going, and do really slow reps. Concentrate on being even.

Other than that, just do what everyone is suggesting, and have some more workout time set aside for the lagging arm.

 

[wbted23]

i disagree. Do not do workouts on just 1 arm like that. Its better to keep everything even, and just have a more difficult time with one arm then the other. This is because of the effect on support muscles. For instance, if you are doing db curls on only 1 side, then all the stabalizing muscles, which are already balanced (hopefully) will be worked on that side without reciprocity, leading to new imbalances.

So yea, the results might be slower, but avoid one sided workouts like that.

 

[MrBigPR]

LOL!!


Yeah so i did 5 30lb dumbell curls this morning only on my right arm. I don't wanna look like that guy from Lady in the water.

Lady in the water, that guy was badass though

 

[Jessep76]

i disagree. Do not do workouts on just 1 arm like that. Its better to keep everything even, and just have a more difficult time with one arm then the other. This is because of the effect on support muscles. For instance, if you are doing db curls on only 1 side, then all the stabalizing muscles, which are already balanced (hopefully) will be worked on that side without reciprocity, leading to new imbalances.

So yea, the results might be slower, but avoid one sided workouts like that.

True because when I first started noticing one shoulder bigger I would do 2 extra side raises and jump on barbell military press. They seem even but now I notice the arm thing. Could have spawned from one sided working.

Lady in the water, that guy was badass though

That was badass

 

[jumpshot903]

i believe this is your lady in the water guy how about this for one arm bigger then other

 

[jp17815]

Haha, pocket pool...I never believe what they say about that.

I'd say maybe it's just the fact you are favoring one arm, without being conscience of it. Or your center of gravity is off. I'm thinking that is possibly my problem, because I do have a tendency to favor one side and my spine is slighty curved.

I would just try to be more aware. Get that mind-muscle connection going, and do really slow reps. Concentrate on being even.

Other than that, just do what everyone is suggesting, and have some more workout time set aside for the lagging arm.

Hmm. Pocket pool...

Well, would explain alot. At least in my case..
LOL.

 

[MrBigPR]

LOL, i was looking for this.

 

[powerstroker]

Just curious if anyone has mentioned you looking un-proportional, or if this is just you over-critiqueing yourself?

 

[WilteredFire]

I got real paranoid the other week at the gym, I realised the bench press machine was slightly bent, and it always felt a little odd when working out, as if one side of my chest and triceps were taking slightly more load than the other side lol, i know its kinda sad but straightened it out...

I want to try and make sure I keep a habit to use as best Form as I can while i workout, one of my triceps is just slightly bigger than my other one, bugs me often. But hey, its better that im 160lb's+ now than the 105lb's skinny loser i used to be. So thank God for that i guess, haha!

 

[Zero V]

I am a righty. I have found more of balance by using my left hand for as much as possible(i brush my teef with it n such). The right will probably always be a lil bigger. Though much more balanced now, you cant notice.

I did some special things at the gym for my left arm, I remember once month I would cut a few reps off my right arm excersize and add 1 or 2 to my left....took a lil while but now you cant tell the difference and I push both equally.

Its just life.

 

[Jessep76]

Just curious if anyone has mentioned you looking un-proportional, or if this is just you over-critiqueing yourself?

Nobody has said anything. I just started using a tank top at the gym which began the shoulder difference which then led to extra lateral raises which then led me to noticing larger tri and bi on left side. So really from a far nobody would notice... matter of fact my girl didn't either and I haven't mentioned it to her...

 

[Jessep76]

I got real paranoid the other week at the gym, I realised the bench press machine was slightly bent, and it always felt a little odd when working out, as if one side of my chest and triceps were taking slightly more load than the other side lol, i know its kinda sad but straightened it out...

I want to try and make sure I keep a habit to use as best Form as I can while i workout, one of my triceps is just slightly bigger than my other one, bugs me often. But hey, its better that im 160lb's+ now than the 105lb's skinny loser i used to be. So thank God for that i guess, haha!

Oh thats fcking scary. I wonder how many others are off. How did you figure that out?

 

[leftside]

Hey, I just joined to give my two cents.
I noticed that my entire left side (arm, shoulder, pec) was larger than my right a while ago. It was weird because I usually use dbs.
I noticed one day when doing chin-ups in front of a mirror that my left arm was longer than my right. Then when i did skullcrushers I realized that my left arm was doing all the work and my right was just along for the ride.
In my case, I can't even out by working out both sides the same because no matter what I do my left side will be pushing more because it is longer (db's make my left work harder because there is a longer range of movement).

Bottom line: look at not only your thickness but your skeletal build, it could be the root of the problem.

Hope that helps

 

[Jessep76]

Good point. My workout buddy has one longer arm too. I'll have to look. Funny this was brought back from the dead because today I was working my tri's with the cable and the left side had some sweet tri pumps and the right looked wimpy wimpy. I'm trying to be mindful of pushed both arms at the same resistance but I don't see it helping. Things could always be worse i suppose.
By the way leftside.... i got a nice chuckle when I realized the significance of your name from your story. That rules.

 

[GymRat7197]

Anyone ever notice a little difference in the definition of the right or the left shoulder or maybe a little more pump or bulk in one tricep and not the other?
Well up until early last month I've been doing a lot of heavy weight with the barbell on Military and Flat and Incline bench. I also usually don't wear a tank top to the gym but a couple weeks ago I said what the hell and did. Well over by the dumbells I sat down for some incline curls and happened to notice one shoulder looked really good .....and the other looked ...not as good. For about 3 weeks I did extra Lateral Raises for my right arm and things are looking a little more normal. But now it looks as though the bicep and tricep are smaller as well. I'm right handed by the way..
Any tips or stories or similar happenings?:scared:

Yeah, my right arm is 16" and my left arm is only about 15" or maybe even a little under that.

The best way to prevent it, to cause them to even themselves out is dumbell work. During a barbell exercise, the more dominant arm will always take more of the external load over and therefore will gain more stimulus and therefore become more overloaded. So the approach necessary to distinguish even arms is using dumbells, just remember- When you do three sets of ten with a 40 lb dumbell, if your left arm gives out at the eighth rep, don't keep going until failure with your right, your goal is to EVEN them out. So when one fails, quit using the other one too.

 

[Jessep76]

I'm doing a lot more of that[dumbells] actually. Thing is there's no 'this is my max' with dumbells haha. 280's a lot easier with the bar. I'd be pimp if I could put up a 140lb dumbell on each hand.

 

[darkshadow]

Im right handed and my right forearm is a little bigger than my left, my right peck is just slightly larger than my left, but my left tri is a little more defined than my right..everything else is about the same though...I think everyone has little kinks but we are the only ones to notice it cause its our bodies