My Back
- Thread starter Brolic
- Start date
ReaperX
Well-known member
Do you do pull-ups ?
I'm not sure your left lat is smaller. Your left arm seems positioned slightly lower than the right. (in the photo above). This is the same issue I ran into with my back pic as well which gives an illusion that your lat is smaller.
Even up your arms, take a pic, then check again.
I'm not sure your left lat is smaller. Your left arm seems positioned slightly lower than the right. (in the photo above). This is the same issue I ran into with my back pic as well which gives an illusion that your lat is smaller.
Even up your arms, take a pic, then check again.
MuscleBound1337
Active member
Them are some fancy lockers.
B5150
Legend
There are many factors that contribute to this and or compound it.
There are a multiple of possibilities as in depth as genetics, spinal disks and or nerve impingement, as well as form. As well, and most likely there are things like muscle imbalance and or dominance.
For example in myself:
My left pec is (was) larger than my right. You know why? My right tricep is larger than my left. Pay attention, stick with me.
When executing bench press, most specifically barbell, I use too much tricep on my right dominant side and little tricep on my left side. The result is that my right pec does not get recruited enough in the pressing movement because my dominant tricep overcompensates. Furthermore, on my left side, my less dominant tricep does not recruit as much and subsequently forces more recruitment of my left pec when performing press movement.
My right trap is a little smaller than my left because I am right arm dominant. When shrugging I tend to recruit less right side trap because my dominant are is overcompensating.
I suspect that when you are doing pull movements for your back you have a dominant arm that is being used and is overcompensating and not allowing for full recruitment of your lat muscle.
Think about it and consider looking at it the next time you execute your back work. There are a multitude of ways to compensate for this but the first step is identifying the underlying cause.
This is just my personal experience from some rather decent understanding of body mechanics as well as trial and error and attention to detail.
Good luck.
There are a multiple of possibilities as in depth as genetics, spinal disks and or nerve impingement, as well as form. As well, and most likely there are things like muscle imbalance and or dominance.
For example in myself:
My left pec is (was) larger than my right. You know why? My right tricep is larger than my left. Pay attention, stick with me.
When executing bench press, most specifically barbell, I use too much tricep on my right dominant side and little tricep on my left side. The result is that my right pec does not get recruited enough in the pressing movement because my dominant tricep overcompensates. Furthermore, on my left side, my less dominant tricep does not recruit as much and subsequently forces more recruitment of my left pec when performing press movement.
My right trap is a little smaller than my left because I am right arm dominant. When shrugging I tend to recruit less right side trap because my dominant are is overcompensating.
I suspect that when you are doing pull movements for your back you have a dominant arm that is being used and is overcompensating and not allowing for full recruitment of your lat muscle.
Think about it and consider looking at it the next time you execute your back work. There are a multitude of ways to compensate for this but the first step is identifying the underlying cause.
This is just my personal experience from some rather decent understanding of body mechanics as well as trial and error and attention to detail.
Good luck.
EasyEJL
Never enough
much as I hate to agree with reaper
your hands and shoulders both are not level, and that can make a big difference in what your lats look like
B5150
Legend
As much as I enjoy to be argumentative or 'right' I feel that I am quite accurate in my assessment. Additionally, your observation is further enforcing my point.
There is obviously a significant imbalance in muscle mass in the lower lat. This can be indicative of what I mentioned and in particular cervical spinal injury from the c3-t1 approx. This is not to say that it just happened either. Brachial plexus injuries (comprised of the c1 thru t1 nerve system) happen in child birth. As well they can be common childhood injuries like swinging from a tree or falling off a bike.
I still suspect muscle imbalance and or spinal issues. I would not be surprised if spinal issue were involved or the root cause for the imbalance. The easy visual diagnosis and beginning of compensation is the attention to posture and form, when flexing and in particular when resting. I imagine unflexed it is equally distorted or imbalanced.
I am not looking to boast or be self righteous in that matter, but I have made a study of this sort of thing over the 18 months since my c7 spinal disk injury and rehabilitation. But it can also be a pelvic tilt, a short leg, a shoulder rotator/posture issue to mention a few.
I'll move on and the the rest of your post up your ideas. Have fun.
Good luck Brolic. I suggest you see a chiropracter at the least.
There is obviously a significant imbalance in muscle mass in the lower lat. This can be indicative of what I mentioned and in particular cervical spinal injury from the c3-t1 approx. This is not to say that it just happened either. Brachial plexus injuries (comprised of the c1 thru t1 nerve system) happen in child birth. As well they can be common childhood injuries like swinging from a tree or falling off a bike.
I still suspect muscle imbalance and or spinal issues. I would not be surprised if spinal issue were involved or the root cause for the imbalance. The easy visual diagnosis and beginning of compensation is the attention to posture and form, when flexing and in particular when resting. I imagine unflexed it is equally distorted or imbalanced.
I am not looking to boast or be self righteous in that matter, but I have made a study of this sort of thing over the 18 months since my c7 spinal disk injury and rehabilitation. But it can also be a pelvic tilt, a short leg, a shoulder rotator/posture issue to mention a few.
I'll move on and the the rest of your post up your ideas. Have fun.
Good luck Brolic. I suggest you see a chiropracter at the least.
Attachments
B5150
Legend
If you have article without advertisement and give credit to the author go for it.
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Hbs6
Member
Can't agree with you more. I had shoulder issues and once I corrected it with proper scap/rotator exercises the pain has subsided greatly, but I still have a little scapular winging. I love this stuff, I work with high level athletes at this time and am learning/applying this stuff and its incredibly interesting to see someone do an exercise, and watch how they literally cannot use a certain muscle, complete shutdown...there body starts shaking...amazing.
Hbs6
Member
Now, I assume you have some shoulder issues right now also...and if you dont to be honest you probably will...
Just read these, i know some of it seems unrelated to your problem but please just give them a shot.
This is part III, read the other two the link is there.
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Go to page 2 of this one and skip down to the The Scapulo-Thoracic Joint section. Read. Also take not of the mobility drill above that.
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This stuff looks different, I thought it was all retarded until a month went by and my scaps werent winging as bad, my shoulder didnt hurt as much. And even though I dont care (i am a combat athlete so i dont care if I look balanced) my back started looking the same on both sides. Try this stuff! WHen you do it right and you feel muscles cramping and shaking because your body hasnt used them for so long you will be shocked at your results.
Just read these, i know some of it seems unrelated to your problem but please just give them a shot.
This is part III, read the other two the link is there.
Invalid Link Removed
Go to page 2 of this one and skip down to the The Scapulo-Thoracic Joint section. Read. Also take not of the mobility drill above that.
Invalid Link Removed
This stuff looks different, I thought it was all retarded until a month went by and my scaps werent winging as bad, my shoulder didnt hurt as much. And even though I dont care (i am a combat athlete so i dont care if I look balanced) my back started looking the same on both sides. Try this stuff! WHen you do it right and you feel muscles cramping and shaking because your body hasnt used them for so long you will be shocked at your results.
B5150
Legend
I am recovering from a C7 disk injury that was pretty brutal on my nerve root. This branches into the brachia plexus.
I atrophied my left side tricep, lat and pec muscles significantly. The good news is I learned a lot of stuff about my body during my self prescribed rehabilitation. Unilateral work is a biatch. But I am 18 months out from the injury and just about 90% back and now working bilateral work again.
Intelligent training has elevated and improved my whole physique and approach to training. Lifting with ones brain is an awesome feeling that surpassed any strength gains I have ever achieved.
Hbs6
Member
I havent experienced anything that severe, just imbalanaces. But I am glad to hear how well you are doing. But for me, these imbalances were my limiting point. Once I fixed them my strength improved greatly. Not to mention chronic pain was down to pretty much nothing. Its pretty amazing stuff as I am sure you have felt first hand.
Brolic
Banned
what?
Brolic
Banned
i gotta read that artlice still...
Brolic
Banned
t? y?
Brolic
Banned
great links. Really great. Im going to pick up some flash lights.
i wonder if rows and deads are Okay to do tho?
Hbs6
Member
yeah dont abandon your big lifts, just start your warm up with the corrective exercises and then hit the lifts, over time hopefully your body will learn to use your lower trap/other scap muscles properly. Because thats where your issue is. I bet are serratus anterior is probably jacked up to considering it usually shuts off with shoulder/scap issues. Scap push-ups should help you out too.
Brolic
Banned
yes i do
Brolic
Banned
Brolic
Banned
i read all those.. u were a great help... so i stop useing a underhand grip for rows...
I love doing yates row.. do u have aim?
Hbs6
Member
MAKE SURE WHEN DOING WALL SLIDES:
Heels are about 6 in from the wall.
Bellow button sucked in so lower back is flat against the wall, along with head, scap upper back, ass, arms hands...EVERYTHING.
If you cant get everything flat on the wall, then get to as close as you can with everything flat on the wall, and then work on the ROM to that point. So lets say if you got everything on the wall flat but you cant get your forearms there, then work on stretching that part of it until you can get it flat on the wall, and then do the exercise. I hope that made sense...
Heels are about 6 in from the wall.
Bellow button sucked in so lower back is flat against the wall, along with head, scap upper back, ass, arms hands...EVERYTHING.
If you cant get everything flat on the wall, then get to as close as you can with everything flat on the wall, and then work on the ROM to that point. So lets say if you got everything on the wall flat but you cant get your forearms there, then work on stretching that part of it until you can get it flat on the wall, and then do the exercise. I hope that made sense...
poopypants
Banned
thats funny B my pec/arm imbalance is the exact same... my job requies me to drill through lots of wood beams that take an immense amount of pressure sometimes (when im too lazy to re-sharpen my bits) and as a result my right arm is considerably larger namely my tricep. cause of so my left pec has to over compensate and is larger.
Also to enforce the other thing you said (genetics/developement) my right pec aslo has a very small section that contects to one rib lower then the rest thus flattening out m right peck slightly (although not really noticable now).
But when it comes to the back and lats I would assume that the best bet is form... its tough for me to flatten out my large shoulder blades while grabbing my waist and either can look larger from pic to pic deending on how well I execute the pose.
Brolic
Banned
what is a T and Y... how is a wall slide diff from a shoulder press movement
Brolic
Banned
why do u think its jacked up
Brolic
Banned
one of my delts use to hurt alot. i saw a dr and said i polly sore and gave me some pills and said it doesnt feel better , we will x ray it...
well i never took the pills bc i was hdrol. and i did was start taking FLEX and boy the pain stopped
poopypants
Banned
poopypants said:
I agree. :thumbsup:
I was just stating that I have the same imbalance as B did and also have the same lat prob this fellow does... tough as hell to pull my scap all the way flat on either side will properly holding my waist.
Brolic
Banned
please post ur pics
Hbs6
Member
Read the article I posted. A wall slide is for lower trap activation (Which i think is a huge problem for you) amond the other muscles that surround the scap. A shoulder press does not do this, especially by the way people execute them
Your scap is jacked up because the muscles that surround it are weak and do not fire properly this is why your scap wings. Once you get the muscles to fire properly with the correct motor recruitment this should fix itself over time. THis is not an uncommon problem.
Hbs6
Member
a prone Y is in this article. Invalid Link Removed
I prone T is like a y except your arms are in the shape of a...T
I am trying to help you but you wont read the articles I post. These will help you. Read the artcile and it will tell you why a wall slidei s different from a shoulder press and what it does. I have seen counltess athletes with these issues, including myself. If you ask me another question that shows me you didnt read an article I posted, you are on your own.
I prone T is like a y except your arms are in the shape of a...T
I am trying to help you but you wont read the articles I post. These will help you. Read the artcile and it will tell you why a wall slidei s different from a shoulder press and what it does. I have seen counltess athletes with these issues, including myself. If you ask me another question that shows me you didnt read an article I posted, you are on your own.