How to correct a muscular asymmetry?

The muscular asymmetries are a problem for many weight trainers. These imbalances between two muscles, the left pectoral and the right pectoral for example, can be the result of a poor execution of an exercise or a injury. But whatever the cause, it is possible, to a certain extent, to correct a muscular asymmetry at the gym.

What is a muscle imbalance?

A muscular imbalance (or muscle asymmetry) refers to a difference between two muscles that are supposed to be balanced. In reality, there are two types of muscle imbalances:

• volume asymmetry,
• force asymmetry.

Volume asymmetry

As its name suggests, thevolume asymmetry is characterized by a difference in volume between two muscles. This can affect any muscle group in the body, whether it is the pectorals, biceps, triceps, trapezius, quadriceps or calves. For example, it is not uncommon for some athletes to have a right leg that is slightly more developed than the left leg.

Whether they are located at the upper body or legs, such muscular imbalances are visible. In terms of aesthetics, these irregularities can be a problem for athletes who wish to develop a symmetric physics and harmonious.

Force asymmetry

L'force asymmetry is another imbalance that is well known to physical activity enthusiasts. In concrete terms, it is materialized by one muscle being less strong than another. During a lower limb sports session, this can, for example, result in a left quadriceps that is more powerful than the right quadriceps in the leg extension exercise.

The asymmetry of force is also often noticeable on the exercise of the bench press. Especially when starting out, many athletes have a strength deficit in one arm that prevents them from pushing the bar consistently.

What can cause muscle asymmetry?

There are several reasons for the appearance of muscle asymmetry:

• poor muscle contraction during certain exercises,
• a poorly executed movement on isolation work,
• a medical problem or injury.

Poor muscle contraction

An imbalance can occur if you don't contract your muscles properly during your workouts. Let's imagine that you regularly use the thigh press to build up your legs. If you are working both legs at the same time, you may not be pushing the loads in a balanced manner. If your left leg is pushed harder than your right leg, it will create an asymmetry in volume or strength.

Of course, the principle is the same for the pectoral muscles with the bench press or for the arms with curl exercises at the bar. During your training sessions, make sure you contract each of your muscles to achieve a optimal weight gain and balanced.

A poorly executed move

Let's take the example of the biceps curl exercise with dumbbells (but it's the same for the bench press with dumbbells, the Bulgarian squat, the seated bench press for the shoulders or the chest press for the back). Poorly performed, this exercise can be responsible for imbalances in the arms. Indeed, some practitioners master the posture and the movement better on one side than on the other. The recruitment of muscle fibers of the biceps is therefore optimized on one side, while it is under-exploited on the other.

In addition to the risk of injury related to poor execution of the exercise, so it can create an asymmetry in the long run.

A medical problem

Past injuries can lead to muscle imbalance. This is, for example, often the case for athletes who have ruptured cruciate ligaments in their knees. I have personally experienced this situation.

In the event of an injury, the traumatized muscle group is melting like snow in the sun. In my case, I lost a significant amount of volume in the quadriceps of the injured leg.

It can be very difficult to make up for asymmetry following a limb injury. Despite hours of muscle strengthening and rehabilitation, electro-stimulation sessions and a lot of isolation work, I always have one thigh slightly smaller than the other. When this happens, of course you have to deal with it and accept it. There is no need to give it more importance than it has.

Despite this, there are solutions to reduce or eliminate correct an asymmetry muscle.

What are the solutions to correct a muscular asymmetry?

Understanding the imbalance

Above all, it is fundamental to understand the cause of this imbalance. This is the first step towards improving the situation. Regardless of the muscles in the body involved, it will be impossible to correct the strength or volume asymmetry without knowing the reason.

Once the cause is identified, you can implement other solutions to catch up without making the same mistakes.

Working unilaterally

To correct an imbalance, it is necessary to carry out some unilateral strength training exercises. You will be able to compensate for the delay on your "weaker" side by using it in isolation.

To do this, supplement your regular exercises with specific movements. If your right bicep is smaller than your left bicep, perform your barbell curl in the traditional manner. Once you've completed your set, perform curls with a lighter barbell, but only with your right arm, until you reach a maximum of muscular failure. This will allow you to develop your weak point little by little in order to reach the desired balance.

For the pectoral muscles, to isolate the work on only one of the two sides with a dumbbell is more perilous, because you are likely to miss balance. On the other hand, you can quite make your series of bench press with the bar, then to follow by a series on a dissociated guided machine by soliciting only the weak side.

Another solution is to underdose the weights used. Work both muscles simultaneously, but use lighter weights than usual to optimize the recruitment of fibers from the weak muscle. Your strong side will work less, so you can gradually narrow the gap.

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Conclusion

Correcting muscular asymmetry can take time. It is therefore necessary to be patient and rigorous. Sometimes, it is impossible to completely reduce the accumulated gap between two muscles. This is particularly the case after certain muscle, joint or ligament injuries. And that's okay, don't waste too much time trying to make up for an imperceptible deficit.