Re: Muscular Imbalance - Training Modification?

[Guest guest]

If he has an imbalance but it is not causing him injury or

negatively affecting his performance, is it really necessary to

deviate from his current training regimen to correct this imbalance

which is seemingly causing him no trouble?

Dave

Yorkshire

UK

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> A client of mine had a knee injury a few years ago.

> Talking with him and basic testing reveal he has

> weakness on that side (right side). It appears his

> glute medius is under developed on that side, weak

> internal rotation (tensor fascia latate and ITB?) and

> seems to have weak everters on the ankle (it hangs

> slightly in inversion). He has been declared fine by a

> physio and has been training on his own for a few

> years since his injury with no real problems.

>

> Does anyone have any ideas which exercises should be

> done to correct these imbalances?

>

> Guy Razy

> Montreal, Canada

>

[Guest guest]

Sometimes, but in certain sports imbalances develop because of the actions

required in that sport and are necessary for the athlete to be most proficient

in that sport. For example the extensors of the joints of one leg is

significantly stronger in sprinters, particularly in the elite. The push off leg

is stronger than the swing leg. (Yushkevich, Teoriya i Praktika Fizischeskoi

Kultury, 1989)

Muscular imbalances do not always correlate with an increase in injury rate. We

have to also remember that muscles apply different forces at different joint

angles. So the ratio of an agonist strength vs it's antagonist may be, say 60:40

at one joint angle, but if the strength was measured at a different joint angle

the ratio could be entirely different.Also, how was the imbalance tested in the

athlete in question? Isolated muscle testing? If so how do we know that the

athlete’s imbalance is also showing clearly in the more complex, compound

actions that are required for martial arts?

Anecdotal evidence here (my apologies) but I have a twin brother who, when doing

dumbbell bench press, can get his left hand up fully without being able to budge

his right. However, when he practises judo, the ratio of the forces displayed by

each limb are optimal when he practises his techniques. The bench press should

mean he would have difficulties or would have being injured buy now with his

imbalance, but so far this has not being the case. This is after 10 years.

Due to he generally asymmetric nature of martial arts, I would expect a martial

artist to have a degree of muscular imbalance.It is not always muscular

imbalance per se that is the problem, as different sports require imbalances in

different muscles for maximum proficiency. Rather, it is imbalance in

inappropriate muscles (i.e muscles where it would be best for them to be

balanced for their athlete’s sport) or incorrect ratios of imbalances as well as

other factor that are cause of increased injury rate and decreased sporting

proficiency.

Dave

Yorkshire

UK

>

> Dave

>

> It may not be at the moment but in my experience muscle imbalance

problems

> do inevitably contribute to lessened progress / decreased

performance /

> injury problems. I consider the inclusion of adjunctive remedial

work in a

> training programme to be good coaching practice.

>

> Denis Doyle

> Shropshire UK

>

> Re: Muscular Imbalance - Training

Modification?

>

>

> > If he has an imbalance but it is not causing him injury or

> > negatively affecting his performance, is it really necessary to

> > deviate from his current training regimen to correct this

imbalance

> > which is seemingly causing him no trouble?

> >

> > Dave

> > Yorkshire

> > UK

>

> snip >

>