One pec bigger than the other

[MarcTheMachine]

Hey, Ive been working out serious since the start of June, and all this time and even before I started working out serious, my left pec has been bigger than my right. Any ideas why and how to fix that? I was told on this forum that if I just work out it will even out, but it hasn't yet.

I was thinking that this could have happened because for the last 10 years I have been a competitive ice hockey player and I shoot left. When I shoot, pass, stick handle, etc. all my force is going in my left arm when my right arm just holds the top of the stick and doesn't do as much work as my left. Could this be a big key as to why my left pec is much bigger?

Thanks for any response or help you can give me. -- much appreciated.

[DomzyCuttin]

I have the same prob, as do many people. Theres 2 main reasons, one is that you have a better mind muscle connection in your left peck, as I do, its way easier for me to flex the left one as appose to the right. Second is that your right delt will be stronger if your right handed, just from every day activities, example for me would be dishwashing for 4 years, scrubbing hundreds of pans a night takes its toll. So if your right delt is stronger, then the peck has to do less work to get the weight up, resulting in imbalance. I recomend stopping short 2 reps before failure on left, and keep going on right, using machines for this is much easier. Also focus your mind on your right peck. Im still working on getting mine even, but im sure this advice is bound to work. I guess you can also do the opposite and do an extra set for your left front delt, maybe like a 4 or 5 rep set, to get the strength up, but keep growth limited, assuming theyre already symetrical.

[MarcTheMachine]

My right side is my stronger side, I do everything with my right when lifting things, writing, punching, etc. so that has to make my right delt stronger, which has that right pec doing less work, correct? (Just so i know im understanding this)

[playboy4ll23]

i think its simply cause your right handed

[DomzyCuttin]

Originally Posted by MarcTheMachine

My right side is my stronger side, I do everything with my right when lifting things, writing, punching, etc. so that has to make my right delt stronger, which has that right pec doing less work, correct? (Just so i know im understanding this)

exactly, now try to apply the solution.

[Sepulfuras]

i find its not my pec (right) as a whole that is bigger. But its my pec minor. The smaller muscle that gives the chest width, fulller shape and that muscular overhang.

[def_con_3]

Originally Posted by Sepulfuras

i find its not my pec (right) as a whole that is bigger. But its my pec minor. The smaller muscle that gives the chest width, fulller shape and that muscular overhang.

I totally agree - the pec minor is what seems to add fullness to the chest. If dips are the only exercise that work the pec minor, according to exrx.net, how could you go about evening out the pec minor?

[GermanBB]

im sorry, but damnit this question comes up all the time, yet nobody ever seems to know how to correct it. switch to dumbells for a while!!!!!! with chest for example. each pec has equal weight stressed on it. the weaker pec will have to work harder to lift the weight than the stronger pec. over time with db's the will correct themselves

[Mr-Scrawny]

Originally Posted by brighteyes

im sorry, but damnit this question comes up all the time, yet nobody ever seems to know how to correct it. switch to dumbells for a while!!!!!! with chest for example. each pec has equal weight stressed on it. the weaker pec will have to work harder to lift the weight than the stronger pec. over time with db's the will correct themselves

i agree with this guy. i have the same problem a was on a travel hockey team and no matter what i did my left pec was considerably bigger then the right, only to me and the untrained eye. i have also found that my left arm sticks out a little farther then the right. i went to the doctor to get this checked out. they did the spiabifida test where you bend over and they check you spine and noticed that my left shoulder stuck up. to shorten this up due to all the years of hockey and my left arm sticking up from the right hand grip my bones adjusted. this is what i was told. but i changed from doing less bench press and used dumbells. now my chest is evening out. try it and see if it works the same for you. we had almost the same problem

[def_con_3]

I know switching to dumbbells would help for evening out the pec major, but what about the pec minor? According to exrx.net, it is not involved in any dumbbell or barbell chest movements - just dips. I would think of leaning, but that would just make the shoulders and the triceps on the stronger on one side, which would then lead to even more muscular imbalance. So how would you even out the pec minor?

[bake]

bench on smith and use one arm. put weight under your left shoulder if using ur right arm and bench like that.*makes u tilt to a side so u get more contraction. try that, but dont over do it and over train ur weaker muscle . i did that. i traied one side TOO hard nad it got worse.

[zildjian_4]

Originally Posted by brighteyes

im sorry, but damnit this question comes up all the time, yet nobody ever seems to know how to correct it. switch to dumbells for a while!!!!!! with chest for example. each pec has equal weight stressed on it. the weaker pec will have to work harder to lift the weight than the stronger pec. over time with db's the will correct themselves

no that doesnt work. i am the king of lopsided(past-tense) pecs. dumb bell just allow you to differ the form on each side. it doesnt work. stick with BB and watch your form. it does go away, very very slowly.

[zildjian_4]

Originally Posted by bake

bench on smith and use one arm. put weight under your left shoulder if using ur right arm and bench like that.*makes u tilt to a side so u get more contraction. try that, but dont over do it and over train ur weaker muscle . i did that. i traied one side TOO hard nad it got worse.

i can push the bar in the smith machine up with my 1 side alone, meaning it is probably taking more of the weight when i use both hands. you think your pushing your weak side just as hard but your not.

[B.Money]

the only way to work the pec minor is to do dips?! as of right now I cant do dips because of an elbow problem ... Maybe it will be alright, since I dont even know what the pec minor really is.

[prozack12]

well I love to reaserch and learn about this kind of thing....I know I'm yung but don't underestimate me lol.

but if you want to even it out then it's quite simple. You can do dips or standing flies with the cables! you must also acknowledge that the male has an uneven set of ribs compared to a female! You know back in the garden with adam and eve? how God took adams rib and made eve? anyway all males have one less rib on one side then the other! this will also unbalance your chest! My chest is ublalanced as well, but if you look, most guys are ubalanced! for instants; I'm right handed yet my left pec is bigger! thats just how it is! just make sure to always do the same amount on both sides. If one pec is STRONGER then the other, then start with the weaker one and end with the weaker one for a couple of months untill they're the same...those exersises will be good for your core too because you should be doing one side at a time!

I hope this helped

[holojay]

try doing dumbbell presses with two different weights ie - a 40 lb dumbbell and a 60 lb dumbbell. do 6 reps and switch sides, or do 4 sets and switch sides each set. unbalanced loads supposedly correct imbalanced muscles, but this is only what I've read.

[rodsey]

Originally Posted by holojay

try doing dumbbell presses with two different weights ie - a 40 lb dumbbell and a 60 lb dumbbell. do 6 reps and switch sides, or do 4 sets and switch sides each set. unbalanced loads supposedly correct imbalanced muscles, but this is only what I've read.

If this thread wasn't three years old, your post would still be useless...

[Anonymity]

Strong first post brah

[TRUEmass88]

just do a single arm dumbell compound chest exercise with the smaller pec. do 2-3 extra sets and focus on the smaller pec. that will help bring it even size with the other pec. but don't do anything more than that or you may look deformed!

[HockeyKid]

Originally Posted by def_con_3

I know switching to dumbbells would help for evening out the pec major, but what about the pec minor? According to exrx.net, it is not involved in any dumbbell or barbell chest movements - just dips. I would think of leaning, but that would just make the shoulders and the triceps on the stronger on one side, which would then lead to even more muscular imbalance. So how would you even out the pec minor?

try decline dumbbells its almost the same as dips

[F126]

i have the same problem, but its my left pec
strange as my right arm is my dominant
im thinking it might jus be a bit of fat over the left one, which will soon go away

(i don have a flat pecs lol)

[dunkalicious]

this thread has 10k views


lol wut

[Chase336]

what I got is a pec major size issue any tips with that?