1. Don't Let One Arm Dominate the Other
Most people use one hand more often than the other, resulting in your dominant hand being stronger than your nondominant hand. During bench press exercises, your stronger arm compensates for your weaker one. With iso-lateral machines, each side moves independently from the other, so your weak arm must push the weight by itself. Both arms, in theory, grow equally strong.
2. Balance Your Upper Body
Upper body strength exercises often result in one arm being larger than the other unless you include iso-lateral exercises. A workout with dumbbells helps balance your upper body by forcing your weak arm to catch up. If you struggle to lift the same amount of weight in each hand, reduce the weight until your weak arm handles the load. Use proper form when weightlifting to avoid injuring your weak side and to achieve an optimal workout.
3. Use an Iso-lateral Machine
You can do most iso-lateral bench press exercises on machines like the Hammer Strength series. These machines provide more support than free weights or regular bench press machines. Plan to spend extra time in your workout, as you must load each side separately and adjust the bench. Position the bench so your shoulders are level with the handles you plan to use. Grip the bars and extend your arms fully before bringing your elbows back toward your shoulders. Make sure your elbows do not pass your shoulders, or you may hyperextend your shoulders.
4. Vary Your Sets and Reps
Varying the way you lift weights helps you build muscle mass and determines whether you get a cardio workout. For a cardio workout, use less weight and increase your reps and sets. You should aim for 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps or do 1 set with a smaller weight to the point of exhaustion for cardio workouts. To build muscle mass, find your optimal weight and to increase the weight for each workout while maintaining the same number of reps and sets.
5. Allow Your Muscles to Recover
Too much stress on your muscles tears your ligaments or causes other injuries like sprains. Rest for 30 seconds to a minute between each set. If you want to circuit train, move to another activity like jumping rope between sets. This keeps your heart in your target zone while letting your muscles rest. Some weightlifters work different muscle groups between sets. For example, they do iso-lateral bench press exercises for one set, and then switch to flys before returning to iso-lateral exercises.
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