Uneven Size in My Arms

Morning chaps,

Bit of an unusual one- had some mixed advice from other people but thought to throw it out there.

Basically my left bicep is noticeably smaller than my right in my opinion and I notice it in my shirt sleeves and such. There isn't much difference in strength though which is weird- I happily concentrate curl 20kg or EZ curl 50kg with no real stress.

My real question is do I train the right arm less or the left one more!?

Are you Rafael Nadal?

Really not sure to be honest, mate. Are you definitely training for symmetry? i.e. using the same weight and doing the same number of reps per arm?

Also, I'd stay away from exercises where you're using both arms, as it may be that you have a tendency to do most of the work with your right arm, so stick to isolating each arm and ensuring that you're doing the same weight/reps on each.

Haha I wish!

Nah I blew my rotator cuff out a while back and I guess it has always been handicapped in that sense. Still the other guy I tackled got knocked clean out so it wasn't all bad!

Recently I have trying to focus more on the isolated exercises to see if it would benefit. Luckily it doesn't impact my benching and deadlifting too much or I would be peed.

Guess its more vanity than functional!

Ah right.

I don't think I'd recommend training one more than the other, as this could then have an impact upon your other areas of training and lead to a strength disparity.

Will have to see if any of the other guys have any info for you, but as far as I'm aware there isn't a great deal more that you can do if you're already isolating each arm and ensuring that you're lifting the same on each.

Mate we are always stronger in one arm than an other because we tend to use one arm more than the other.....You watch any benchpress competition....and you'll find one arm lags.....

If it bothers you try doing one arm preacher curls with just that arm after your barbell curls etc....

But to be honest unless you want to compete I really wouldn't let it bother you..

My left arm is 17 1/4 and my right 17 3/4...

One arm always looks better and that's usually the arm competitors do their side posing with...

Zane always seemed to use his right more..

Don't worry just enjoy your training..keep your mind free for more important things.........

same for me to an extent my left is slightly smaller than the right what i have been doing recently is after my usual workout i just spend 5-10 minutes on my left... perhaps this isnt reccomended im not sure but has worked so far for me as my left is slowly but surely catching my right one up.

but it is just me being vain!!

So right arm noticably bigger than left, in order to isolate the cause I would need to know how good your eyesight is.

20/20 fella.

An example is I always roll up my sleeves at work...the right arm is tight as hell...the left arm slack to the point I can put fingers up there...

I think that my left is slightly more impressive than my dominant right. I have always put this down to my army days as going a long time without female contact meant that my right hand didn't get the necessary rest after training required for muscle to grow.

Seriously, i've always thought that and still do.

Everybody has one arm more impressive looking or bigger than the other.......

No two things on the human body are mirror images whether it be eyes, cheeks, legs, shoulders or arms....

Simple fact is one arm, leg or shoulder etc will be stronger than the other and the definition on both will be different...

Like I say you can try isolation exercises to make them similar but they'll never be the same....

don't worry about it..............Your Mrs will still loves you...at least that's what she tells me when you're at work....

Somehow Trussman the reason one arm is bigger is because he most likely doesn't have a wife

( i know you were all thinking it )


Even so trussman is correct with what he has said

I was too polite Ferny!!!!...

But all is not lost...he can have mine...

5 weeks from my orginal post and I can confirm significant progess in arm size and strength. Isolations were key!!!

My routine went something like this.

8 x 3 Dips (Last set with a 15kg plate between legs)
5 x 5 Dumbell Press
8 x 3 Dumbell Fly
8 x 3 Standing Dumbell Curl
8 x 3 Hammer Curl
5 X 5 Seated Preacher Curl
21 x 3 EZ Bar Curl (I do a game of 7s- 7 bottom to mid, 7 mid to upper then 7 full reps)
8 x 3 Skull Crushers
12 x 3 Cable Cross Overs

I didnt measure my arms before but I can't wear my size 16.5 shirts for work due to the arms being too tight! As for weight I can now curl 28s no worries

Good stuff, mate, glad it was a success.

That is a decent weight to curl!

I'm easing off increasing weight at the moment, and just concentrating on cutting up really. I guess that I don't really want any more size considering I'm boxing a couple of times a week. Always preferred the lean look anyway.

To be honest I have reached the peak size I want to get. I am 6'5 and currently about 250lbs but I wanna go down to a leaner 240lbs like I was at the start of the year...the challenge will be not losing any of the strength I have gained.

I got some low carb protein on order and I'll up my cardio to more high intensity interval training like rowing or sprints. Also gonna work the legs more as it eats the calories.

This was me in Men's Health after I lost 7 stone so wanna get back to that shape- just a bit more mass in chest and arms:

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/lose-weight/motivation/I-sacked-the-fat-to-score-my-dream-woman

Fair play mate, that was some achievement. The things blokes will do to get laid eh

I'm 6ft tall and 12 stone at the moment, so already quite lean. I've got quite a narrow waist but wide shoulders, which is a bodybuilder type shape but I'm not sure whether I want to lose some of the shoulder width or not (is that even possible?!).

Trussman will say DON'T lose any size from your shoulders, I bet. Haha.

Haha well had I have known the amount of putang it led to I would done it a long time ago! Having that on my living room wall is an awesome talking point!

Yea I know what you mean- loads of people in my gym were peed as they said I have the near perfect fram to get really hench but I think being that muscular is as bad as being fat.

Not sure how you can cut your shoulders perhaps lots of lil 2kg Arnie Curls!?

Ha, to be honest it is mostly my natural frame, as I had quite broad shoulders before I even set foot in a gym.

Thats it man...the frame is the most important part I think. I see some people with an Ethiopian body shape curling 6's and I really resisit the urge to tell them to get on that treadmill!

Having said that I am into my running as much as the weights so who knows....

I box twice a week, with one of those sessions being more fitness orientated and one more technique orientated, and I try and do a 3 or 4 mile run once per week to complement that. I then generally go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week, too.

Used to go about 4 times a week until I took up boxing, but that is obviously impractical now, so I'm probably maintaining size as opposed to growing, which is what I want anyway as I'm like you in that I'm not a fan of the overly muscular look.

Someone also asked me about boxing/MMA...I don't have the stamina for it. After I did some basic boxing drills I have untold respect for you guys...the footwork needed in American Football is one thing but boxing is another level!

I think when you see guys like Brock Lesnar, especially after the Velasquez fight, who are that stacked and to see him literally drain all his energy after 5 mins due to the sheer mass those lungs have got to charge was enough of a warning for me to stick to the gym haha!

Do you compete or just train?

I spar, but haven't mustered the courage to compete just yet. I've only been doing it a few months actually (take a look in the off topic section, I posted a thread called 'starting a new sport' where I blogged about my first few visits, and then about my first sparring session.

You're right though, the fitness and stamina required for boxing is like nothing else I've ever known. The drills themselves are hard enough, but sparring is ridiculous. Without a word of a lie, one 2 minute round is pure hell. The movement, concentration, throwing of punches, whilst being hit all at the same time makes life very difficult, and add to that breathing through a gumshield obviously isn't as easy as breathing without one. So tough.

I run 4 miles 5 times a week, gym it 3 times and eat a crapload of chicken!!!