Muscle Imbalances: The Hidden Threat to Performance

Welcome to The Stoiclete! Every Monday, We're here to help you improve by answering your questions about exercises, training issues, and specific areas like power and mobility. Learn from other sports and get the edge on your competitors in just 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can sign up for the weekly email here.

Here’s what we got for you in today’s edition:

• What muscle imbalances are and what causes them.

• What the consequences of muscle imbalances can be for your sports career?

• Which exercises you can use to fix them?

IN OUR MAILBOX

Welcome to ‘‘IN OUR INBOX’’ where we answer your strength and conditioning questions related to your sport. Got a question? Send it to [email protected]. Your question can be answered in the next edition! Let’s dive into today’s question:

Think of your body as a finely tuned machine, with muscles working together to power your movements. But sometimes, just like a car's alignment can get off track, your muscles can become imbalanced. Can you solve muscle imbalances and if so, how do you do this?

ON YOUR MARK

A muscle imbalance often occurs when the balance between the muscles that perform a movement together is disrupted. When we look at muscles in your body, you can distinguish between two types: Antagonists and Protagonists.

These two types of muscles perform a movement together but are opposite to each other, such as the biceps & triceps and quadriceps & hamstrings. When one of the muscles is contracted during a movement, the other will relax, and vice versa.

Why does this happen? Well, it's often due to repetitive movements or poor posture. For instance, if you always favor one side during exercises or sports, like constantly using your dominant arm in basketball shooting, you're likely overworking those muscles while neglecting others. The consequences of muscle imbalances can include:

• Increased risk of injuries: Unequal muscle strength in the legs or upper body can lead to improper execution of exercises, increasing the risk of injuries to the knees, hips, or back during squats, deadlifts, or bench presses.

• Unstable joints: Poorly coordinated muscles can make joints unstable, leading to injuries such as torn muscles or tendons during heavy exercises.

• Reduced strength and performance: If you train one muscle group much stronger than the other, you may struggle to use your maximum strength during heavy lifts like the deadlift or bench press because your body is not working efficiently.

Muscle imbalances are not only found in powerlifting; it is a topic that all athletes should pay attention to in sports where athletes often perform the same movements, such as tennis, swimming, and soccer. Muscle imbalances are common, even though you don't usually hear about them.

In sports where athletes frequently have to hit, such as tennis and badminton, the consequences of muscle imbalances are shoulder injuries. With a hitting motion, the inside of the shoulder joint is used more than the outside, causing one side to be more heavily and possibly overly loaded.

Therefore, it is important to train both sides to keep the strength difference as small as possible. In sports where athletes frequently change direction and have to jump a lot, such as basketball and soccer, the consequences of muscle imbalances are knee and ankle injuries.

The cause of knee and ankle injuries often stems from a significant strength difference between the quadriceps and hamstrings or between the leg muscles and ankle muscles. The strength difference prevents energy from being absorbed evenly, leading to muscle overload. Therefore, it is also important to train all muscles and reduce the strength difference.

GET SET

To prevent muscle imbalances, athletes should work on strengthening weak muscles and also focus on flexibility training. The intensity of the exercises is around 60-75% of maximum strength (1RM), with repetitions of 10-15 times per set.

The exercises should target one side of the body at a time, helping to correct discrepancies and promote balance. Many common exercises can be converted into unilateral exercises. Look at the exercises you already do in your routine and see if you can perform them on one side using a dumbbell or landmine. This way, you don't have to switch exercises too much.

To specifically address the situation of the powerlifter's imbalance in the bench press, 2 exercises can be recommended. Add the single-hand dumbbell press to your routine. Lying on a bench, push the dumbbell up with one hand while your other hand rests on your chest. Start with your weaker side and match the number of repetitions with your stronger side to maintain balance.

The third exercise you could add is the single landmine shoulder press. Secure one end of a barbell in a corner or a special holder. Stand upright and hold the other end of the barbell with one hand at shoulder height. Press the barbell up until your arm is fully extended, then slowly bring it back to your shoulder. Switch arms after each set and start with your weaker side here as well. This exercise helps make your shoulders stronger and more stable.

GO

Welcome to the "GO" section, where we put ideas into practice. Before you start this training week, take a moment to answer these two questions below. This will help you understand and apply the information from the newsletter in your training. Let's begin:

AROUND THE STADIUM

Welcome to the "AROUND THE STADIUM" section, where you’ll find research links and helpful products to boost your performance.

• Muscle Imbalance Review: A systematic analysis of muscle imbalances and injury risks in athletes using overhead movements.

• Tennis Elbow Connection: Investigates how muscle imbalances contribute to the development of tennis elbow in athletes.

• Tackling Imbalances: How exercise physiologists approach muscle imbalances in sports to enhance athlete performance.

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DISCLAIMER: None of the content provided in this newsletter constitutes medical, training, or performance advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not intended to be a substitute for professional guidance or personalized coaching. Please be mindful of your limitations and perform exercises at your own risk.