I can't flex my left bicep/arm fully.

[MistyMist]

I've noticed that I can flex my right bicep/arm with no/minimal forearm contraction. With my left bicep, I need to flex my forearm and surrounding muscles (pecs, etc.) really hard to get the bicep to fully contract.

My right arm is my dominant arm. So why is this? What can I do to be able to isolate my left bicep? Basically I feel as if I don't have 'full control' over it. Hell, I feel like my left arm is 3x weaker than my right.

[kastnerr]

I've noticed that I can flex my right bicep/arm with no/minimal forearm contraction. With my left bicep, I need to flex my forearm and surrounding muscles (pecs, etc.) really hard to get the bicep to fully contract.

My right arm is my dominant arm. So why is this? What can I do to be able to isolate my left bicep? Basically I feel as if I don't have 'full control' over it. Hell, I feel like my left arm is 3x weaker than my right.

i have this exact same problem. it's infuriating. i notice it most on concentration curls... w/ my right arm, my forearm is barely flexed and my bicep contracts fully (it feels amazing lol). with my left arm, it feels like my forearm does most of the work. i can feel my upper forearm fully flex and my bicep is not able to fully contract. needless to, my right arm is stronger than my left and its driving me crazy.

[Cumulonimbus]

You can't contract it because it isn't developed

[kastnerr]

You can't contract it because it isn't developed

mine is developed though. i do 3x6 w/ 45 lb dumbells. normally my right arm does it fine whlle i have to cheat a little with my left for the last rep or 2. there isn't a huge strength disparity between my arms (the right is only slightly stronger) but when i do curls my right bicep contracts fully and i get a great pump. with my left arm i cant quite contract the bicep fully, my forearm does a lot of the work, and the bicep doesn't feel as worked as much as the right. also, my right arm looks a little bit fuller than my left, though i havn't measured them to see if there is a huge size difference. i was told seeing a myofascial specialist might help this. has anyone else experienced this?

[Yutes]

mine is developed though. i do 3x6 w/ 45 lb dumbells. normally my right arm does it fine whlle i have to cheat a little with my left for the last rep or 2. there isn't a huge strength disparity between my arms (the right is only slightly stronger) but when i do curls my right bicep contracts fully and i get a great pump. with my left arm i cant quite contract the bicep fully, my forearm does a lot of the work, and the bicep doesn't feel as worked as much as the right. also, my right arm looks a little bit fuller than my left, though i havn't measured them to see if there is a huge size difference. i was told seeing a myofascial specialist might help this. has anyone else experienced this?

Reading what you write can help you understand.

[kastnerr]

Reading what you write can help you understand.

i do read what i write. although i will admit it sounds a bit confusing so i will try and clarify. when i said i cheat on the last few reps with my left, thats just natural weakness in my non dominant arm (i'm right handed), i'm fine with that. however, even in the first few reps of curls w/ my left arm (when my form is perfect) my left bicep doesn't feel fully engaged and i cant quite contract it completely. also, it feels like my forearm is doing a lot of work, or at least more than i want it to.

[Abitou]

i do read what i write. although i will admit it sounds a bit confusing so i will try and clarify. when i said i cheat on the last few reps with my left, thats just natural weakness in my non dominant arm (i'm right handed), i'm fine with that. however, even in the first few reps of curls w/ my left arm (when my form is perfect) my left bicep doesn't feel fully engaged and i cant quite contract it completely. also, it feels like my forearm is doing a lot of work, or at least more than i want it to.

Cheating on the last few reps with one arm will just widen the gap between your arms...
jus sayin

[Cumulonimbus]

mine is developed though. i do 3x6 w/ 45 lb dumbells. normally my right arm does it fine whlle i have to cheat a little with my left for the last rep or 2. there isn't a huge strength disparity between my arms (the right is only slightly stronger) but when i do curls my right bicep contracts fully and i get a great pump. with my left arm i cant quite contract the bicep fully, my forearm does a lot of the work, and the bicep doesn't feel as worked as much as the right. also, my right arm looks a little bit fuller than my left, though i havn't measured them to see if there is a huge size difference. i was told seeing a myofascial specialist might help this. has anyone else experienced this?

weight used =/= development

[kastnerr]

weight used =/= development

fair enough. what would you consider developed then?

[Cumulonimbus]

Development as in muscle development, I don't know how to say it any easier lol.

[Cumulonimbus]

Cheating on the last few reps with one arm will just widen the gap between your arms...
jus sayin

lol what, no.

[kastnerr]

Development as in muscle development, I don't know how to say it any easier lol.

lol ok well considering that when i started lifting i curled 15's.... and now i'm curling 45's.... i'd say my biceps are developed.

anyways, i did a little bit of research on it and it sounds like my muscle fascia are tight. i might go see a specialist to see it helps loosen me up a bit so my left bicep can fully contract.

[Cumulonimbus]

lol ok well considering that when i started lifting i curled 15's.... and now i'm curling 45's.... i'd say my biceps are developed.

anyways, i did a little bit of research on it and it sounds like my muscle fascia are tight. i might go see a specialist to see it helps loosen me up a bit so my left bicep can fully contract.

What do you not understand that strength doesn't equal development? i see 160lb kids DB curling 45's (bad form to add to that) and they aren't big. Learn how muscles and different types of fibers work.

[kastnerr]

What do you not understand that strength doesn't equal development? i see 160lb kids DB curling 45's (bad form to add to that) and they aren't big. Learn how muscles and different types of fibers work.

ooo ok gotcha. well i do focus on form a lot; my elbows stay pinned to my side and i dont swing my body at all. and while i'm not a huge kid, my arms are probably the best aspect of my body. i don't really have a body type conducive to getting huge (my dad is a marathon runner) but i'm slowly putting on muscle. while i agree with what you're saying, you also don't have to be a huge guy to have developed muscles. some ppl just show it better than others.

[teslac]

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Get-Massive-Arms

[xStriker7]

stop jerking off so much

[ricardo420]

I've noticed that I can flex my right bicep/arm with no/minimal forearm contraction. With my left bicep, I need to flex my forearm and surrounding muscles (pecs, etc.) really hard to get the bicep to fully contract.

My right arm is my dominant arm. So why is this? What can I do to be able to isolate my left bicep? Basically I feel as if I don't have 'full control' over it. Hell, I feel like my left arm is 3x weaker than my right.

just because i had this problem an I CAN ANSWER IT FULLY! ok as corny as this sounds jst keep trying to flex your left arm maybe touch your bicep to try and focus on the muscle but jst keep trying and trying, you will teach yourself jst like winking with both eyes. YOU ARE WELCOME

[KingWhey]

Its because your right side of your brain is weak

[hessunit]

OP: I'm pretty sure these other guys just have no idea what they're talking about. No offense tot he other posters, but to simply say he's lifting too much or to just say "practice flexing harder" isn't likely the solution in this case. There very well could be some sort of fascial issue cause some inhibition of the left bicep. If this is the case, other muscles (like the brachialis and brachio-radialis) are going to work overtime to make up for the bicep.
Another possibility is that there is something going on at the shoulder joint on that side (whether you feel pain or not) and causing some instability and or impingement. This too could lead to the bicep not firing on all cylinders, so to speak.

[WatsonS90]

I pretty much have this OP, my right arm can dominate most weights but my left lags like chit.

What I have been doing lately on stuff like skull crushers, bicep curls, tricep pushdowns etc is actually looking at my left bicep and trying to get a mind muscle connection. I can feel it more the ...

[Rufflez]

Wot

[JoshTGA]

Old af but.
Try actually creating a mind muscle creating by using perfect form with a light weight.
On youtube:
Kai Greene - I'll never be a weightlifter
Should help.

[Imvox]

The easiest way to fix that is to workout with the max weight your NON DOMINANT hand can handle. And work your way up from there.eg if you can perform perfect curls with your right arm using a 50lb dumbbell but you need to cheat with left arm. Lower the weight to 45 so both arms can work the same amount. And with proper form