When you're in the gym, you might notice that some exercises are harder on one side of your body than the other. When you lift a barbell, one side might come up faster or with more ease than the other. These are signs that you might have a...
The overhead squat is a common form of assessment that many fitness professionals use to observe how well your body moves. It can reveal body limitations that can affect pain in your joints or muscles, muscle and joint stiffness and poor stability...
Your back muscles work hard all day to hold your skeleton erect and perform upper body movement. But when your day-to-day activities demand work from some muscles while others lie dormant, muscular imbalances can develop, which can lead to pain...
Muscle imbalances are when one muscle group is stronger than the opposing muscle group, and can lead to poor posture, injuries and decreased performance. Common muscle imbalances occur between the chest and back muscles, and hip extensor and...
Every time you stretch, lift or bend, your voluntary skeletal muscles work together to balance muscle movements. If you place too much strain on one muscle, you will upset the balance, which can lead to tight, constricted and weak muscles. When...
The best way to prevent muscle imbalances in your shoulders is to strengthen them. Dips, shrugs, cable raises and shoulder presses are all excellent ways to build strong, flexible muscles that support your upper back and neck. Adding two to three...
If you are suffering from nagging pain, a muscular imbalance might be the cause. Your muscles pair up to activate motion from your body. For example, your quadriceps and hamstrings work together to move your knee. Through imbalanced training or...
Imbalance in the chest area is cause by poor upper pectorals development. This happens to those who don't use the incline bench press with each training session or put aside the incline bench press until the last part of the chest maneuvers at...
Females athletes tend to be more prone to knee injuries than male athletes, particularly anterior cruciate ligament injuries, with females being up to two and a half times more likely to tear their anterior cruciate ligaments. A number of factors...
A goal of a washboard stomach may have you neglecting back exercises in favor of abdominal crunches. This type of muscular imbalance can lead to strain on your lower back. The good news is that with an exercise program that strengthens your entire...
It is normal to be stronger on one side of your body than the other, but a significant difference causes a noticeable lack of symmetry. An uneven look in your chest may be aesthetically undesirable and can increase chances of injury, just as if...
The muscles in your body work together in pairs to complete movements. Overtraining or overuse of one muscle in a pair can lead to increased strength and tightness in that muscle and weakness and overstretching in the other. Many cases of lower...
A muscle imbalance is when one muscle group is stronger than the other. Muscle imbalances can create poor posture and make physical activity more difficult. There are a variety of exercises that can help correct muscle imbalances.
It is normal to have some muscle imbalance. However, some types of imbalance can lead to longer-term patterns of discomfort or even pain. You can modify your workouts to address these problems. Strengthening and learning to move from the core can...
A muscle imbalance in the arms occurs when one muscle is consistently worked while the others are not. This may interfere with your performance while cycling and could contribute to an injury. A varied exercise routine helps you work all your...
You registered for an area triathlon, and race day is only 16 weeks away. But, before your training program can begin, you must improve muscle imbalances. Muscle imbalances are characterized by one muscle or muscle group being significantly...
The best way to correct muscle imbalances and prevent injuries is to strengthen all of the muscles in your body. Before you hit the gym, however, you'll want to identify which muscle groups really need strengthening. During your workout, you'll...
If you have been experiencing muscle pain or spasms, one possible cause could be an imbalance of magnesium and potassium levels. Muscle pain is unsettling and can interfere with your day-to-day routines. Because it also can be an indication of a...
Hip flexor muscles connect the thigh muscles to the hipbones, allowing you to perform a variety of movements. The hip flexor muscles work in conjunction with each other, and with different muscles found in the thighs and buttocks area, to enable a...
If you notice a difference in the shape of your pectoral muscles, or you feel a difference in strength from one side of your chest to the other, the time has come to expand your exercise routine. While the pectoral muscle covers the upper portion...
The job of the hip flexor, or iliopsoas muscle, is to bend the hip toward the thigh, lift the thigh toward the hip and assist in extension of the lower back. When the hip flexor is imbalanced, or shortened, it can manifest in vertical pain in the...
According to Core Performance, when one muscle is stronger than its opposing muscle you have an imbalance. The goal of training is to strengthen all muscles, but in doing so you want to make sure that the body is balanced and has symmetry. By...
Your calves are made up of two major muscles -- the gastrocnemius and soleus -- that work together to control the extension and flexion of your foot. Your calf muscles provide some of the force needed for essential daily activities, including...
A flexibility imbalance exists when one muscle is tight and inhibits the connecting muscles from functioning properly. A chain reaction occurs that can pull the body -- usually one side -- out of alignment, affecting the joints and causing pain...
Scoliosis is characterized by sideways curvature of the spine. In most cases, the curvature is relatively minor, and provided the proper stretching exercises are performed, the condition will not get worse. Tennis players, particularly young...
The hamstrings perform hip extension, medial leg rotation and knee flexion. Strong and well-defined hamstrings improve the appearance of your legs, enhance their functionality and prevent injuries. Hamstrings are usually 60 to 80 percent weaker...
Joseph Pilates had his own physical transformation in mind when he developed his signature exercise technique. As the victim of numerous illnesses, young Joe was no stranger to chronic pain. His exercise plan transformed him from sickly child to...
Muscle balancing therapy is a natural remedy that deals with the underlying cause of postural dysfunction. Believing that the cause of all muscle imbalance is improper spinal curvature, the self-directed approach helps you realize where any muscle...
Zumba is a combination of low impact aerobics and dance. It is a Latin-inspired, continuous movement class consisting of salsa and meringue dance moves set to motivating music. When combined with proper nutrition, the workouts help improve aerobic...
The plank knee to elbow will work the stomach centerline as well as the obliques. Learn how to do plank with knee to elbow from a certified personal fitness trainer in this exercise video.
