Re: - w/o question

[Guest guest]

It's really common for one side to be stronger than the other. A lot

of people have that problem. Helping out a little with the right hand

is a good idea to help you get those last couple of challenging reps

on the left. Making it adapt and learn to handle the same weight as

your right is better than going lighter. HOWEVER, I don't know

anything about dystonia, so if anything I tell you conflicts with what

a doctor has told you, ignore me. :-)

Here is the standard advice for somebody with a weaker left side.

~~

Use the same challenging weight on both sides and force the left side

to catch up. Don't go easy on your right side in favor of the weaker

left side, but don't increase the weights any further on the right

until they're more in sync. At first, you probably won't be able to

get the same number of reps on the left side, but don't baby it or

give it a lighter weight. Force it to adapt to what the right side is

doing.

You can mix up your bicep and tricep exercises with barbell curls and

barbell tricep extension (skull crushers) if you want to make both

sides work together on a challenging weight. If you do that, in your

mind, lead with the left side, contract it hard and make it pick up

it's share of the load. Don't let your right side do all of the work

on two-handed movements. Your left side should catch up pretty

quickly.

On 3/8/06, psychdeg <dhaist@...> wrote:

> I have been wanting to increase my weights on my ubwo, but I am

> having a problem with my left side. I have a significant weakness in

> my left side - so much so that when I attempted to do some hammer

> curls with 15 lb dumbells, I ended up using my right hand (with the

> weight) to give my left hand a little boost to finish the last two

> reps. This was similar to what I have seen a trainer do when

> assisting someone to get that last puch up there. I have a diagnosis

> of dystonia (lot's of weird muscle cramping) that has actually

> improved with my workouts and improved nutrition.

>

> So, do I only train as much as my left side will allow, or do I

> train each side separately - such as incrase on right but not left.

> It appears only to interfere with the ubwo and then the lower if I

> use the free weights for squats instead of my bowflex. It is simply

> that the weight I need for that is too hard for me to hang on to and

> hurts my shoulders.

>

> Any suggestions on how to bring my left side up to par with my right?

>

> Thanks

>

> Dianne