Functional Training - Correct Your Muscular Imbalances



Posted: Monday, November 23, 2009

by
Catalyst Personal Training


 Ask yourself this question, is your left side as strong as your right side, or vice versa?  If you are able to answer yes, or if you are unsure, you are definitely in the minority. Most people, including athletes and non-athletes tend to suffer from muscle imbalances. In some it is very extreme, even debilitating. Muscle imbalances make people very susceptible to injury while playing their sport, training for their sport, or simply performing daily activities. Not only do muscle imbalances increase the risk of injury, they significantly impair performance.

Many sports create these imbalances by forcing athletes to use one side more than the other, for instance, baseball, tennis, hockey, football (throwing), golf, the list goes on. Also, many day to day activities create imbalances, for example, carrying a briefcase or child, working on a computer and using the mouse, raking, etc. In fact, years ago I dislocated my rib because I'd spent countless weeks working on a computer and had created such an imbalance that my muscles pulled the rib right out of place. Let me tell you, it was a very painful lesson. Also, leg length discrepencies, muscle tightness, poor posture, and spinal cord issues are responsible for creating muscle imbalances. Last January I ended up discovering that my L4 vertebrae was out of alignment, as was my sacro-iliac joint. I think I sustained this injury over 12 years ago (at the same time I tore my calf) so this significantly contributed to my muscle imbalances and other injuries I had incurred over these 12 years. Once I had a very good chiropractor diagnose and fix these issues, my muscle imbalances were significantly reduced.  Faulty joint mechanics, which can be caused by muscle imbalances, creates either the overuse or underuse of the joint, muscles, ligaments and tendons, thus increasing the likelihood of injury.

When most people work out they tend to perform exercises that target both sides of the body at the same time. Machines and barbells, while they can be very useful, they do not help correct any side-to-side imbalances. In fact, they can help create them. For instance, when performing exercises bilaterally our dominant side often takes over and prevents us from achieving equal gains on both sides. Even though we believe we are using both sides evenly our stronger side is often controlling the exercise. Look around the gym notice how many lopsided squat bars or bench press bars you see. This is an example of people overusing their dominant side and unintentionally neglecting their weaker side.

A great way to see if you are equally strong on your left and right side is to perform a one-leg leg press. Next time you are in the gym take off a little more than 1/2 the weight you'd use with two legs. Now perform the same exercise with one leg. Make sure that your knee and foot is in line, and that you push through your heel, not your toes. I bet you will notice a disparity between the strength in your right and left leg. If not, great work, you are in the minority.

Several years ago, I made unilateral training a huge part of my training program. I performed all of my lower body exercises with one leg. At first, it was so apparent how much stronger my left leg was in relation to my right leg. I believe the imbalance in my right glute medius made me develop tendinitis in my left achilles, as I was probably overusing my left leg. I dealt with that injury for the majority of my soccer season and at times the pain was almost unbearable, but I forced myself to play. The fact that 100 percent of our practices and the majority of our games were on unforgiving turf did not help. Also, my right hip flexor was compensating for my weak right glute medius muscle and as a result it was chronically tight.

Had I been doing this unilateral training prior to my soccer season I doubt I would have developed that debilitating achilles tendinitis. I also believe that I would've had a better season because after 3 months of the unilateral training my strength, speed and lateral movement has dramatically improved. Now the difference in strength between my left and right leg is much less pronounced.

After my first month of unilateral lower body training I experienced a tremendous amount of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in my glute medius muscles, particularly on the right side, and also in my vastus medialis muscles. Following several workouts, my body had become accustomed to this type of training, even though I was adding additional weight. I have progressed from performing higher reps at a lighter weight (approximately 12-15 reps), to lower reps at a heavier weight (8-12 reps). Now I am performing weighted unilateral plyometric exercises and am well on my way to becoming the strongest and most explosive I have ever been. This is a good thing because in just over a week I have my fitness competition (Femsport) and I hope to win it this time around. No more second place for me!


Now many of you might be wondering what some examples of unilateral exercises are. Most exercises that are done with both sides can be done with one side. Some unilateral exercises include:



One leg squat, one leg leg press, one leg deadlift, one leg leg extension, one leg hamstring curl, one leg standing or seated calf raise one arm shoulder press, one arm lateral or front raise, one arm bent-over row, one arm pull-down, one arm seated row, one arm chest press, one arm fly, one arm tricep pressdown, one arm bicep curl, etc.

It is also very important to point out that it is crucial to stretch. I'll be the first person to admit, I am not fond of stretching. However, several years ago I made a conscious effort to stretch after each workout, as well as roll. It has made a significant difference in my overall flexibility, as well as in my overall performance. However, it is just as important as weight training and also cardio. For most of my life, I have suffered from tight muscles, especially in my glute medius muscle and hip flexor. Also, just under 12 years ago I suffered a torn calf muscle, and I later found out it was because my achilles tendon was a few degrees too inflexible.

Be sure to take as much time as you can each day and stretch out your muscles and joints, especially the one's that you use a lot or are especially tight. Hold each stretch for about 20-30 seconds and repeat each stretch 2-3 times. Hold the stretch smoothly and do not bounce. Lastly, the stretch should not be painful, but perhaps a bit unpleasant. Combine your unilateral training with a good stretching routine and you will be well on your way to becoming the strongest and fastest you've ever been, and most importantly, you will have made yourself much less susceptible to injury. Train hard but smart, and keep up the excellent work!

Meghan Callaway
Catalyst Personal Training
http://catalystpersonaltraining.weebly.com








 

This Article has been viewed 873 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
» left by Nenita Wells
 2 years 77 days ago.
301 fans.
Hi Meghan. Wow! this exercises sound very complicated to me. I am sure it is easier if I actually do it. Thanks for sharing this good piece. Thanks. ~Nenita~
» left by Meghan Callaway 2 years 73 days ago.
4 fans. Follow Meghan Callaway on twitter!
These exercises are complicated but if you obtain guidance from somebody who knows how to do them, for instance a very qualified personal trainer, you will learn what to do but in a safe manner.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.