Evening Out

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Kuniku, Feb 21, 2013.

  1. Kuniku

    Kuniku The Hairy Jujutsuka

    Hi all,

    Since joining the gym I've started seeing muscle gains already, and further weight loss - not far to go to reach my weight target!

    But I've noticed (much to my girlfriends amusement) that my Traps are growing at a different pace, namely my right is a LOT bitter than my left. What is the best way of evening them out? at the gym on Tuesday I tried doing an extra set of shoulder press' using just the left arm and not the right, will that help? Or are there better ways to even them out.

    This can be considered a generic question about evening out muscles on each side of the body, as other examples will provide useful knowledge, but personally I'm most concerned about fixing that left trap.
     
  2. Mangosteen

    Mangosteen Hold strong not

    use a barbell instead.
    dont work one side more than the other unless you have MS
     
  3. Kuniku

    Kuniku The Hairy Jujutsuka

    so move away from using this and moving to a barbell will start to even them out?
     
  4. Mangosteen

    Mangosteen Hold strong not

    yes.
    absolutely

    also i have a lopsided shoulder because i've always slept on one side and carried my bag there. learn to change sides
     
  5. Kuniku

    Kuniku The Hairy Jujutsuka

    I do tend to sleep on the bigger side...
     
  6. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    I prefer a nice meal and then a trip to the cinema...oh hang on...THAT sort of evening out.
    Carry on.
     
  7. seiken steve

    seiken steve golden member

    It's far more Likley that one shoulder is actually more internally rotated than the other, very common in MAist, tennis player, bowlers etc.

    Try working on mobility and scapular mobility/movement.
     
  8. Kuniku

    Kuniku The Hairy Jujutsuka

    what kinda motions exercises would that include? (not familiar with the term scapular)
     
  9. Princess Haru

    Princess Haru Valued Member

    lie on the floor with both arms down, extend your left arm in circular motion up in front of your shoulder then continue the motion upward to touch the floor. repeat with the right arm (and left down). likely this is easier for one side than the other. i feel it particularly when doing shoulder dislocates, and can't do a proper Kettlebell TGU with the same weight on both sides as i can't maintain the lockout. On any arm days I make sure to do lots of movement of the shoulder joints but could do with more static stretches

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QPMSriohyE"]Obtain Flexibility in Your Shoulders - YouTube[/ame]

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENdumEL9TU4"]Shoulder Girdle Flexibility Test I - YouTube[/ame]
     
  10. Kuniku

    Kuniku The Hairy Jujutsuka

    Thanks Princess! I'll give those a go at the gym tonight after work! <3
     
  11. Princess Haru

    Princess Haru Valued Member

    there's lots of stuff about YTWL exercises, though Steve would be better to comment on effectiveness, i have some limitations on range of motion, sitting at a desk all day, though haven't noticed an imbalance on muscle size (but i'll ask a friend to take a look tonight). as Mike Richardson said it's not the sexiest thing to do in the gym, my interest is more from a lack of upper body strength and desire to balance out the muscle groups, and partly why my Gym Mondays are balanced in pushing and pulling movements.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nm0rKHAXzU"]Y-T-W-L Series (Prehab/Rehab) - YouTube[/ame]
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2013
  12. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    what they said. i'd also recommend some moderate-weight barbell overhead presses and deadlifts in front of a mirror to see if one of your shoulders is simply higher than the other one when you're doing them (can be a result of tightness, of a physical abnormality such as from an injury, or of a wonky motor pattern, such as zaad's example from bag carrying and sleeping on his side). should that be the case, see if you can groove the correct motor pattern/stretch out tight muscles/adjust technique to compensate/whatever before trying to lift heavy, so when you're actually making a significant effort, it'll help to prevent a reincidence rather than making the problem worse.

    as far as barbell overhead presses goes, focus on constantly trying to push the barbell as high as possible, rather than "holding" it at the top. should help level it out if one side ends up higher than the other, and will instantly let you know if there's a problem on one side if you can't raise it as much.
     
  13. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    can't believe i forgot to post this.

    this is awesome and you should do it:

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDd6fwUgJIE"]Shoulder rehab exercises - YouTube[/ame]
     
  14. Dao

    Dao Valued Member

    It may have been posted already (I am answering on the fly and didn't have time to read all responses sorry) but I suggest you stretch your pectoralis minor on the "big" side.
    It sounds as though it is a scapula position thing and shortness in your pectoralis minor will pull on your scapula and make the trap appear bigger on that side.


    Dao
     
  15. seiken steve

    seiken steve golden member

    yeah spot on, also could be due to rotation in the thoratic spine, winged scapular or bad pec minor damage.

    probably the four most common, in order.
     
  16. Kuniku

    Kuniku The Hairy Jujutsuka

    so we're looking at a potential muscle damage injury rather than my initial thought that one was just more worked out than the other?

    Something I realised while watching Fish's video just now, that I probably should've mentioned before - when I do the shoulder press my shoulders crunch pretty much all of the way up (pretty much always have as far as I can remember from all of the 3 periods in my life I've attended a gym regularly - and non of those were combined with uneven shoulders - or at least not on this scale). I saw the PT about this, and he said to visit a sports massage therapist who might be able to pop things back into place or something, and I just so happen to have a friend who's girlfriend does just that job. Do you think the two things are related?
     
  17. seiken steve

    seiken steve golden member

    yes.

    My shoulder is dropped on the left side potentially due to thoratic rotation and it has caused a huge amount of buld up of scar tissue and kreptis (sp?) which makes my shoulders make horrible cruching sound. a really good sports therapist will be able to pick up on it.

    my next appt for my dropped shoulder is wed night, i'll let you know all thats said.
     
  18. Kuniku

    Kuniku The Hairy Jujutsuka

    I'll try and arrange a trip to the mates mrs then and see if she can pick up on anything going on =)

    I never have any problems with my shoulders perse in any activities I do, including jujitsu and wakeboarding, only when doing the shoulder press when they crunch, and now one looks bigger lol
     

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