Stand in front of the mirror and do a shoulder press. Does the bar move diagonally? If so, it's time to attack this weakness directly and acknowledge that you have one arm stronger than the other. Left-right muscle imbalances are very common, not only with the legs, but also in the upper body, and an easy way to resolve these imbalances is to work with unilateral exercises.
El one-sided job or one-arm (or leg) is also a great way to make sure you're not going to overload your dominant side. It is very normal for this side to take over by default when it gets heavy. It also improves balance and core strength and helps with injury prevention and rehabilitation.
Here we show you five unilateral exercises, which you can introduce into your usual training routine.
Floor press with elastic band
Here we will do a dumbbell press, but lying on the floor. Although you will only push the dumbbell with one arm, we will increase the intensity by holding an elastic band with the other arm. This will not only help build strength, but it is also an effective way to generate more tension through your core, as it will have to brace itself much harder than it normally would due to the pushing and pulling action of the exercise. rubber simultaneously.
Keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body, and make sure your pulling arm (the one with the rubber) stays flat on the ground at all times.
Elastic Band Clean Shoulder Press
This exercise is similar to the previous one, only now you're kneeling (or in Knight's Pose) and pulling the band up and holding it at the top of a bench press lifting position, while the other arm brings the dumbbell up.
Alternating Shoulder Press
This is a great way to tell which arm is stronger, as you will no doubt feel one arm starting to tire faster than the other. This move takes on a seesaw action, where one arm presses overhead while the other arm lowers the dumbbell toward the shoulder.
Hold the pace with high reps to see if there is a muscle imbalance. High reps will also help build some muscular endurance.
One-arm dumbbell pull
Anyone who has persistent shoulder problems should be careful. Do not do this if you feel pain and if any discomfort worsens as you continue to do repetitions.
Most people find that one arm is considerably stronger than the other in these, which also makes them a great option for addressing strength imbalances. Make sure your elbow stays above your hand on these reps, keep the dumbbell close to your body, and lower it slowly and with control.
One-arm ring row
I'm sure we've all done ring rows, but by the time you do them with one arm, you'll see that the exercise is completely different.
You'll find that you probably have to keep your body much more upright than you normally would with two arms.