Correcting muscle imbalances

[Mr_Krabs]

This is quite a common topic but the imbalance discussed is usually that between muscle groups ie; trainer X has issues with squats or deads because their abs are weak/imbalanced causing back issues. The imbalance I want to talk about is that within a muscle group so heres my scenario:

About 5-6 years ago I dislocated my clavicle (collar bone) at the AC joint with the scapula (shoulder blade) on the left side. It now “floats” and sits about 5cm displaced to the rear. When I started weight training it really fascinated me how my body had learnt to cope with this injury over the years. My body had strengthened all the muscles around the shoulder to compensate for the instability in the joint. This was most noticeable while overhead pressing, my right arm (healthy and usually my stronger side) would give out 2-3 reps before my left. After a few months the strength had evened up a lot but in the last couple of months Ive been noticing that my pecs are quite imbalanced (in the third dimension), my left pec is larger than my right. Now I know its normal for girls to have different sized breasts but Im not too keen on my pecs being this way. This is presumably because in pressing movements this pec holds more weight because it cant “brace” off the collar bone as effectively as the right. So the left pec working harder and has led to more growth.

So what Im really looking for is other peoples experiences with such things, whether it be caused by injury or other factors and how they coped with it. Also any possible solutions for my training.

The first thing that comes to mind for me to is maybe just work the right harder than the left in the hope it catches up using dumbbells and single sided presses etc but the dislocated collar bone is here to stay so I would have to do this all the time even once the right caught up.

[rose]

Hmmmm yes. My boobs are not noticeably different in size. But I imagine it's quite distressing. Have you tried wearing a supportive padded bra? Man boobs are most unattractive when they start to sag :shock:

Years ago I tore an ACL. For ages afterwards I had muscle wastage in the vastus medialis. Physio kept giving me heaps of different exercises to do and I spent ages trying to target it in the gym but nothing seemed to make it come back. Looked like someone had scooped it out with an ice-cream scoop. They stole two of my hamstrings to reconstruct it so I had a twingy ham on that side for a while too.

I'm not actually sure when the vastus medialis came right. Because nothing seemed to work I gave up trying to target it specifically then recently I remembered it again, inspected it and noticed there was no difference anymore.

But yeah my knee was repaired and fully functioning so a bit different to your lop-sided chest, which by the sounds of it might be better worked in isolation. Man boobs probably respond better to a bit of extra attention?

Pecs aside, I know you say your body has strengthened the muscles around the shoulder joint to compensate, but have you done shoulder rotation exercises to specifically target the supraspinatus and other supporting muscles?

Years ago I had my arm ripped out of its socket and for years it gave me shit until I strengthened all the fiddly little shoulder muscles. At times it felt like it was going to pop out of the socket again. Have not had the same problems since.

[Mr_Krabs]

Oooo yuck knees, Im sure Im gunna blow mine one of these days, way too common in snowboarding, scarey thought. Blowing a knee would really screw me up in the recreation department I dont really know how Id cope to be honest.

My rotators are pretty good havent had any problems for years (all of my joints are pretty flexible).

The only real "fix" I can see for the root of the problem would be to get elective surgery to get my clavicle "nailed" back down, at the moment it kind of floats with no fixed position (effecting the pec attachment) although it is fun to freak people out with the mysterious bump on my shoulder.

[rose]

Heh, it's bionic now though 8)

It was a pain in the arse at the time. And for ages after I didn't trust it. Now it's just like new, but better! Xrays with pins and metal bits showing up in them are just like scars, we dig them more.

Mysterious bumps I'm not so sure about though :shock:

[trainharder]

Hmmmm yes. My boobs are not noticeably different in size. But I imagine it's quite distressing. Have you tried wearing a supportive padded bra? Man boobs are most unattractive when they start to sag :shock:

Years ago I tore an ACL. For ages afterwards I had muscle wastage in the vastus medialis. Physio kept giving me heaps of different exercises to do and I spent ages trying to target it in the gym but nothing seemed to make it come back. Looked like someone had scooped it out with an ice-cream scoop. They stole two of my hamstrings to reconstruct it so I had a twingy ham on that side for a while too.

I'm not actually sure when the vastus medialis came right. Because nothing seemed to work I gave up trying to target it specifically then recently I remembered it again, inspected it and noticed there was no difference anymore.

But yeah my knee was repaired and fully functioning so a bit different to your lop-sided chest, which by the sounds of it might be better worked in isolation. Man boobs probably respond better to a bit of extra attention?

Pecs aside, I know you say your body has strengthened the muscles around the shoulder joint to compensate, but have you done shoulder rotation exercises to specifically target the supraspinatus and other supporting muscles?

Years ago I had my arm ripped out of its socket and for years it gave me shit until I strengthened all the fiddly little shoulder muscles. At times it felt like it was going to pop out of the socket again. Have not had the same problems since.

umm Rose can i ask what you have been doing to get these injuries

you must have hobby or interest thats fairly dangerous

[rose]

umm Rose can i ask what you have been doing to get these injuries

you must have hobby or interest thats fairly dangerous

I'll tell you if you promise to laugh with me not at me :shifty:

[knock knock]

:nod: :pfft: :pfft: :pfft: :pfft: :nod: