Muscle Imbalances

Source

 I feel safe in saying almost everyone who has worked out for any amount of time has experienced a muscle imbalance at one time or another.  This can also happen to those who do not workout regularly but most of the time they do not realize that they are experiencing a muscle imbalance.

What is a muscle imbalance?

When one side of a joint or the body becomes too tight from overuse, it can cause the muscles on the other side to become weak from lack of use.  

Those who workout and are focused on changes in their physique will notice the differences while one who isn't focused on a certain physique will most likely notice it through pain or just call it "their weak side."

How does this happen?

• Training a muscle group too frequently
• Using poor form when training
• The kind of work a person performs (channeling my safety career here).

While training a muscle group too frequently and poor form are simple fixes, the kind of work a person performs is one cause that isn't always as easy to fix.

Our client Mary is a massage therapist.  She is on her feet several hours a day and note that she is also right handed.  Mary's muscle imbalances in her lower body weren't visually obvious but became obvious when we started doing unilateral lower body exercises.  She began to notice that her right knee was a little bigger than her left and her left leg in general was weaker than her right.  Before she told me how she stood when she was working, I guessed it - she was putting most of her weight on her right foot.  To correct this, we had to do a little extra work on her left side and have her consciously focus on her posture when she was working.

How is a muscle imbalance corrected?

1. Find the root cause.
2. Is is a mobility or flexibility issue? Incorporate stretching and/or some light yoga.
3. Do unilateral exercises.  When you do bilateral exercises, you will naturally do more work with the stronger side.  Unilateral helps "even the playing field."
4. When doing unilateral work, start with the weaker side.
5. Add an extra set to the weaker side. (only do this for a week or two, then reassess or else you can potentially end up with another muscle imbalance!)

While muscle imbalances are frustrating to see and painful at times, they aren't impossible to fix.  The key is identifying, finding the root cause, and then putting corrective measures into action.  Also to note - this may not be something one can do alone.  A physical therapist or a (good) chiropractor can be your best friend during this process.

"I Hate Working Out"

There are some people who naturally love working out while others hate every aspect of working out.  When talking to clients and asking questions to find out why they hate working out, we often find a few things: 

• They were doing the wrong type of workouts. 

•  They didn't have any guidance on how to workout so they didn't feel the workouts were working and/or they got injured. 

•  The workouts weren't designed around their needs and lifestyle.

This is why  as coaches, we have to figure out what our client truly needs and wants in order to attain their goal. THEIR GOAL not the COACH'S GOAL.  That's where a lot of coaches can get off track - not focusing on what the client's goal is.  Everyone has a different goal. That's also why these cookie cutter programs that are often sold on social media are not effective most of the time - they aren't customized to what a client actually NEEDS.

In order to ensure that as a coach, you are providing top notch service to your client, having a comprehensive client intake form is key.  In addition, it's an awesome time saver since as a coach, you can always refer back to it!

What's been your experience with working out? Are you a natural born workout lover or hater? 

Coaches - what tools do you find most effective in order to ensure that you are giving your clients something that they want, love, and need?