Lopsided?!

[FeralGoth]

I took last week off while dealing with some serious DOMS that seemed to border on injury - my right arm hurt worse than the left - now after a couple of workouts this week, my right arm is visibly LARGER than the left! I measured and just below my elbow my right arm is 10", the left is 9.75". What to do! I've been doing identical exercises with each arm, with some exercises using both (pushups etc.).

Any ideas?

[JUSA]

I took last week off while dealing with some serious DOMS that seemed to border on injury - my right arm hurt worse than the left - now after a couple of workouts this week, my right arm is visibly LARGER than the left! I measured and just below my elbow my right arm is 10", the left is 9.75". What to do! I've been doing identical exercises with each arm, with some exercises using both (pushups etc.).

Any ideas?

I wouldn't be concerned about the size differntial. Nothing you could have done in one workout would add 1/4 inch to your arms.

However, I would take it easy on the workouts. DOMS for a more experienced lifter should be minimal and newer lifters don't need to push themselves to their limits to make gains.

Good luck

[gfundaro]

Are you sure it's not inflammation? You might've torn any number of things that could've caused some swelling.
Or, you're just asymmetrical like everyone else, and there's nothing to worry about. Everyone develops unevenly, and everyone has a dominant side. My right tricep is much more visible than my left even though I use the same exercises, reps, and weight (and I don't even bother with kickbacks, so both of my tris are always worked simultaneously). That's just how your body is.

[FeralGoth]

I'm going to take it easy for the next few days - after a second look it does seem like a result of a bit of swelling - and its down today

[JUSA]

Are you sure it's not inflammation? You might've torn any number of things that could've caused some swelling.
Or, you're just asymmetrical like everyone else, and there's nothing to worry about. Everyone develops unevenly, and everyone has a dominant side. My right tricep is much more visible than my left even though I use the same exercises, reps, and weight (and I don't even bother with kickbacks, so both of my tris are always worked simultaneously). That's just how your body is.

I was about to mention she might want to ice/hot-pack her arm. Good call.

FeralGoth, how's your arm feeling lately?
How was your workout prior to the servere DOMS? Was it your usual or something new?

gfundaro, Yea everyone has a bigger side (usually right for us righties). I noticed my arms tend to grow more evenly when I do less isolation work and more compound movements which simply use my arms in addition to other parts (like bench pressing, deadlifting, heavy rows and so on)... I know most women don't incorporate this kind of stuff into their workouts - although I've learned to never assume here at bb.com...

[FeralGoth]

I have a sheet of those little ice packets (each is the size of a ketchup packet but they're all stuck together) that I lined with a towel and wrapped around my arm. Its looking and feeling normal for the past couple of days (hurrah!).

What kicked off the crazy DOMS was I went for a free trial of the local Crossfit gym and did a slightly lighter version of their workout of the day, which was a little insane. I unfortunately have a compulsion to "do my best" and that worked against me that day - somehow the old Ministry song "Burning Inside" comes to mind. Prior to that I have been doing a mix of kettlebell exercises - deadlifts, squats, lunges, cleans, presses, and snatches with either a 12k or 16k kettlebell depending on which exercise I'm doing at the time. I mix it up with variants adding in traditional stuff like pushups, situps, and the few chinups that I can do. On non lifting days its tai chi and 20 minutes of some form of cardio (bike, elliptical, treadmill, jogging, whatever).

[gfundaro]

:-O Ooooh, Crossfit! That stuff IS craziness! Good job trying that out, that takes guts hehe And yea, overexertion can definitely lead to DOMS. Some days I'm bad and I'll do legs and then go play right after (tennis or racquetball) and the next day I suffer! But lately it's been a bit better because leg days are higher calorie days for me, so I got away with playing yesterday. If you want to cram a lot of activity into one day, you can, but you also should up your calories a bit. It won't hurt because your expenditure will be higher (and it can really get up there...I've had some 2700 calorie days)

[Araj]

1/4 of a inch is nothing at all.
Most people are probably more like 3/4 of a inch larger on one side.

[FeralGoth]

:-O Ooooh, Crossfit! That stuff IS craziness! Good job trying that out, that takes guts hehe And yea, overexertion can definitely lead to DOMS. Some days I'm bad and I'll do legs and then go play right after (tennis or racquetball) and the next day I suffer! But lately it's been a bit better because leg days are higher calorie days for me, so I got away with playing yesterday. If you want to cram a lot of activity into one day, you can, but you also should up your calories a bit. It won't hurt because your expenditure will be higher (and it can really get up there...I've had some 2700 calorie days)

I'd like to go back, but on a one-on-one basis to get up to speed... hopefully less crazy at first! Cool, then glad I wasn't the only one eating and eating - I figured I should go into healing mode and chow down a little.


Araj - I'm pretty small, so it actually looked funny if you can believe that!

[Donica]

I noticed my arms tend to grow more evenly when I do less isolation work and more compound movements which simply use my arms in addition to other parts (like bench pressing, deadlifting, heavy rows and so on)... I know most women don't incorporate this kind of stuff into their workouts - although I've learned to never assume here at bb.com...

Yes, you know what they say about assuming. I think a lot more women here than you might dare to think "incorporate this kind of stuff into their workouts", but we won't hold it against you for not knowing for sure!