Fixing Muscle Imbalances
For some clients (mainly those dealing with chronic pain), this was the right call. But, for the rest, it meant that we didn’t spend enough time actually training. More importantly, it was probably the wrong decision.
Unless you’re dealing with injuries or other pre-existing conditions, there’s likely nothing to worry about if you’re following a good training plan (more on that below).
As human beings, we’re built to move through life asymmetrically. Slight differences in strength (and stability) side-to-side are entirely normal. And if you’re an athlete, trying to correct or remove asymmetries or imbalances might actually hurt your performance.
However, if you have a significant strength deficit on one side, it could also lead to injury down the road as it’s highly likely the weaker side is also not as stable.
So, where do you draw the line? An easy test is judging your workouts based on 3 variables.
You probably don’t need to worry if you’re following a solid training plan because a good workout program is corrective. It ensures that significant balances are unlikely, and that you’re training in a way that will adjust for all of the most common deficiencies.
As long as your workout checks the following 3 boxes with your training, you’ll likely clean up most muscle imbalances over time.
Do your workouts include reaching exercises?
Because we spend so much time in front of computers and sitting, you’ll often hear that a 2:1 pull-to-push ratio is about right. So, for example, you should do at least 2 sets of rows for every bench press set.
While this can help you correct any strength imbalance you might have (and that’s important), we have to dig deeper if you want a healthy, pain-free upper body.
During a bench press setup (using a barbell or a dumbbell), we’re taught to squeeze our shoulder blades together on the bench. This position of retraction (pulled together) and compression creates a solid shelf to press from.
The problem is that the exercises meant to balance out your bench pressing – pulling exercises like seated rows – finish with your shoulder blades pulled together and your back compressed.
In other words, if we look at the position of your shoulder blades during many pushing and pulling exercises, there’s not much difference.
That’s why it’s important to shift some of your push exercises, which are often geared towards barbell or dumbbell pressing, to reaching exercises like pushups and landmine presses.
Where bench pressing and rowing squeeze the shoulder blades back, reaching movements open the shoulder blades (called protraction). That means they oppose (or balance) both pushing and pulling exercises.
