How to correct asymmetry
One side of the body is more developed in the vast majority of people, and that’s normal! . This becomes more evident when someone has an accident and needs to wear a cast for a while, since they tend to move that area very little or not at all.
Greater strength on one side
As a result, the muscles in that limb shrink or atrophy simply due to lack of use. This also happens when more force is applied to one side during training because of a lack of knowledge or poor guidance…
When one side is dominant, that side is conditioned to exert more force, mainly because it is more developed and can handle heavier weights.
Correcting the difference
To correct muscle asymmetry, in most cases, exercises that work each side individually (unilateral exercises) are preferred. The recommendation is to do unilateral workouts with equal volume (the same weight and number of repetitions), starting with the less developed side.
The goal is for the relative intensity to be higher on the “weaker” side, leading to greater adaptations. The use of dumbbells is recommended, especially for differences in the upper limbs.
How to fix asymmetry
One of the main concerns for women embarking on a weight training journey is hypertrophy. And having a symmetrical body is one of their priorities.
Many people who weight train have the sweet illusion that gaining lean muscle is a simple, short-term process…
The truth is that this is a slow process that depends on many variables, such as diet, exercise intensity, adequate rest, and even the use of supplements if necessary.
Muscle hypertrophy is characterized by an increase in volume. This is the body’s natural response to intense, properly performed exercise!
It’s important to let your muscles rest so that the desired effect of hypertrophy can be achieved. Therefore, if the day’s workout is for the upper body, it’s recommended that the next day’s workout target the lower body, or that you take a complete rest day, so the muscles can recover, prevent injuries and overloading, and correct asymmetry.
