Asymmetrical muscle development

[Maxit]

Hello, helpful people. I have been doing NRLW and am finishing stage 1 and I am pleased with progress (minus minor shoulder aggravation that I am being cautious about so that it doesn't turn into a major shoulder aggravation). 

I have noticed that my left side (non-dominant) arm and leg are showing more muscle definition than the right. I know that people are asymmetrical. I was thinking that since the non-dominant side was weaker to start with that probably its increased load (relative to starting state) has contributed to this. Do you think this is something that will even out over time? Should I be adding a bit of work to the dominant side (such as - a bit more weight with dumbbells, a few more reps of lunges, etc.) or just leave it alone?

[josephz2va]

It'll likely even out eventually. Maybe more reps per set for the weak arm.

Shoulder aggravation can be alleviated quickly by a few tricks.

• Spa/Massage is the most effective to relieve most muscle aggression and loosen lactic acid buildup. I myself miss out on cooldown stretches and using foam rollers and have tons of lactic acid buildup.
• Then there's this: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12753620
• Lastly is to do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utgBIhEua48

[Maxit]

Thanks for the stretching video - I started doing those years ago rehabbing from a partial separation and I think that they are the reason I was able to get away injury free (up until a bit too much enthusiasm on overhead shoulder press lol).  The foam roller with spikey things looks great!  

[SunsetRunner]

depending on what your shoulder aggravation is...

Years ago when was a typical gym dude, doing standard exercises involving shoulder (various bench presses, dumbell flies, cable flies, shoulder press, etc.) I got pain in both shoulders.  After consult with trainer, added in some addtional exercises because pain was due to not building up all muscles involved with shoulders, resulting in tension in the tendons/etc.

Add in:  in/out straight-arm shoulder flies, seated 2-angle shoulder flies and (not sure what to call these) using cables, standing with upperarm tight to ribs, forearm at a 90 deg angle and starting from body, rotating forward (then separate set backwards) effectively rotating the shoulder in place....

After that pain never returned...still working those kinds of exercises to this day....

[Maxit]

Thanks for this, @SunsetRunner .  I had issues with both shoulders as a younger person - on one side an impingement issue brought on by swimming laps over several weeks (stroke modification solved that one) and on the other side a partial separation thanks to my 80 pound dog taking after a squirrel while on a leash.  Shoulder #2 issue caused me to go straight to sports medicine clinic where I learned that I have somewhat "loose" shoulders to begin with (not necessarily a problem, the doc said, unless I was a pitcher lol).  Following PT the first time I basically curtailed all overhead presses but started them with NRFLW last month - got pain in my right delt whilst lifting about 3 weeks in so I rested for a week and tried again & decided that I just needed to quit the presses until I am pain free.  After I found demonstrations of the flys on youtube, I think that they may be very helpful - with weenie weights to start with once I am completely pain free. They are similar in form to what I was doing at one point in PT (including that cable exercise you describe).  

[ltspector]

Definition difference between your domian and non domain side is not uncommon at all.  There are many different opinions on how to "even out" your definition.  I found in my experience, that bringing both halfs of your body to lifting equal weight in an exercise, will help bring them much closer in defnition, and keep them that over time(baring injury).  

For example, lets take Bench Press.  We know that Bench press is a multi joint/muscle excersie working your chest, triceps, and to a limited bit, shoulders.  So if you lift 200 lbs for bench, you should be lifting 100 lbs with each side, not so much.  So how do you make this happen.  This in my opinion is were dumbell work becomes key.  Dumbell or single side work, forces each half of your body to do its own work independant of the other.  So for a workout of chest, I would do Bench press to start, then move to dumbell bench press...and so on.  I would do dumbell work until you are able to lift the same weight with both sides for the same or close to the same amount of reps.  Example 9-11 reps.

Typically, people do injury themselves in compound lifts/multi joint lifts like Bench press, squats, deadlifts, because they are stronger on one side than the other.  I urge you to bring them to equal lifting, and I believe you will start to see your definition start to follow in place afterwards.

*I am not a trainer, just a long time lifter that looks to many of my local trainers for help and information.

I hope this helps 🙂

[SunsetRunner]

Cool!

Good form is everything, especially when bending at the waist a bit for the angled fly.  I tend to do them standing up, but if you do that, got to focus on keeping stomach/core tight and back straight for both safety and to work some core at the same time 🙂

Good weight to use is one that lets you do like 16 reps (alternating straight and with bend at the waist).  Also, personally, only go to like a 30-45 deg angle, go too close to 90 deg at the waist and you're targeting back-flies more so than angled shoulder flies.

As just getting into these, go with light weights to get the technique and to adjust form as needed for your shoulder.  Then once you got it, I use weight so that 12-16 are a struggle -- but still with form.