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 I've been playing sports all my life and I have a noticeable "stronger" and a "weaker" side in my chest and arms. Are there any exercises I can do to fix this?

..................................................................................

 

Christopher Warden:  Absolutely.  The exercises most often used to strengthen left-right imbalance are unilateral exercises, where you train one side of your body at a time (i.e. a 1-arm overhead press, a 1-arm chest press or 1-arm rows.)

 

The best way to do it? 

 

Train with more volume on the weaker side, not with more weight.  For example, if your left side is weaker, you’d do 2 or 3 sets of a 1-arm chest press on the left, as compared to 1 set on the right.  If adding more sets is not an option, simply trying to add a few more reps when working the weaker side can help.

 

Do keep in mind, that even with your efforts to balance out your left and right, you’ll probably still always notice a difference. 

 

After all, almost person on the planet has one side of the body that they prefer to use, and that “preferred” side will always go back to dominates the other as you use it for your activities – whether or not they’re sport-related.

 

So, unless your strength difference from one side to the other is the result of improper training or injury – in which case it’s essential that you work to balance yourself out to prevent mobility issues or further injury – I wouldn’t necessarily worry about the “noticeable” difference too much.

 

Christopher “Doctor” Warden, CSCS traded in his lab coat, latex gloves and microscope in the late 90's as part of a transformation from pencil-necked geek to, well, freakishly strong not-so-pencil necked geek. 

 

His ability to understand and teach the technical aspects of fitness, coupled with his passion and intuitive sense -- hey, are we sure this guy's not Spiderman? -- have made him one of the most coveted trainers in NYC. 
 

When he’s not busy studying, writing or transforming client physiques, Christopher loves traveling, snowboarding and chillin’ with his family and friends.  You can learn more about him and his training insights by visiting his fitness and self-empowerment  blog.

 

      

 

 

Ask Us a Question

    

What's more important for getting rid of stomach fat; exercise or diet?

 

How long will it take before I starting seeing results?

 

How long do I have to rest between workouts?

 

How do you get rid of stretch marks?

 

What are your thoughts on using a weighted vest during my workouts? I've seen something called the X- Vest for sale and was thinking of getting it. 

 

I'm trying to gain muscle but it's coming along slowly. A friend of mine recommended I drink a protein shake in the middle of the night. What do you recommend? 

 

I've got fat located in the area of my body where my arm meets my shoulder, and I can’t get rid of it.  Are there any exercises in particular that would help improve that? Or what about any spot reducing supplements?

 

What's the best exercise for arms?

 

What role does heart rate (and using a heart rate monitor) play in doing cardio to lose weight?

 

What are some good snacks to have between meals when trying to lose weight?

 

I have a personal trainer I see at least twice a week. What do you recommend I do on the other days I don't see him? Cardio, weights or classes? I don't want to interfere with his program for me and didn't know which would be better, if not a little of all three. Thanks.

 

I got your book Black Book of Secrets last week and I'm loving it.  What would you say is the biggest benefit from using the techniques in the book?

 

Back in my marathon running days I used to use a few tricks like baking soda to increase my endurance a bit. It worked but it was rough on the stomach.  Are there any new 'inventions" on the endurance front?

 

You mentioned the benefits of scheduling a "cheat meal" into your eating program at least once per week.  Is there a best time to east a "cheat meal"?

 

As you've suggested, I'm starting to substitute more healthy foods into my diet. I'm already starting to see the results.  What would you suggest I can add to some foods to sweeten them up without adding calories?

 

I recently read that cinnamon helps you lose fat. Is this a joke?

 

If you could eat one thing to lose fat, what would it be?

 

I’ve always been told to get a six- pack you need to do a lot of abs work with high reps. Would you agree?

 

I'm just getting back into weight training.  I want to make fat loss my number one priority, so should I focus on cardio work to lose the fat and then start the weight training program?

 

My doctor says my blood pressure is too high and that I should exercise to lose weight.  Which exercises are best to help me lower my blood pressure?

 

 I've been watching celebrity fit club recently and it;s funny, but at the same time it's kind of motivating me.  What do you think of these shows?

 

I see commercials for juicers on TV all the time, and I'm thinking about getting one to help me lose weight.  Do you recommend getting a juicer?

 

Once in a while I like to have a diet coke or add a little Splenda to my coffee.  Are products containing artificial sweeteners ok?

 

What makes a person gain fat- is it dietary fat or too many calories?

 

What is the best way to train and stretch the rotator cuffs if they are extremely weak and atrophied?

 

During a 30 minute cardio session, which will burn more calories, treadmill or the exercise bike?

 

Do fat burners really work?

 

What is the "thermic effect" and how does it relate to building a better physique?

 

What do you consider the #1 mistake people make when trying to add muscle?

 

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