Weak Points - Part II

To figure out where your individual imbalances and weaknesses are, I find a strength and mobility test works best.   There are many different tests out there and there are specific ones for specific goals.  Your personal trainer might evaluate strength through 1 rep max testing.  Your doctor or physical therapist may evaluate your balance, coordination and flexibility within a physical.  I find it is best to evaluate yourself on many different levels. 
One approach is to start by testing every major muscle group strength (1-3 reps) and endurance (10+).  For example, squats work well as a quadriceps dominant exercise test whereas deadlifts test the entire posterior chain of the body.  Doing exercises like these can give us an idea of where strengths lie and where imbalances are in our body.   The NSCA has published many different reference guides in regards to muscle strength, muscle endurance and cardiovascular endurance.  One test for example is the YMCA chest press endurance test.   A man of age 27 and average body weight, that can perform the bench press 55 times with 80lbs, is in 90th percentile among his peers and has very good upper body muscle endurance.  There are many different organizations that supply information on personal strength, endurance and flexibility.  One that is recommended by many is the National Strength and Conditioning Association.  To look up your personal strength and endurance tests and measurements, reference nsca-lift.org or exrx.net. 
 Taking this one step further, incorporating unilateral exercises such as the lunge into your evaluation can really reveal to you if there are any major strength or endurance discrepancies between the right or left side.  Most times you will find that people who are right handed are usually stronger at pushing and pulling heavier weights with that side compared to the other.  The same goes for squats and lunges, where you will find that you may be leaning to one side or compensating for a lack in strength on one side.  You may not even realize you’re doing it.  Utilize a mirror and take note of foot placement (both feet should be the same distance from the midline; toes pointed at same angle) and hip/knee alignment (no shifting of weight or buckling inward of the knee should occur).  This is why something like a leg press for a lower body strength test should not be used.  It cannot show you as clearly these discrepancies in strength. 
If you find a discrepancy in strength, you must ask yourself WHY in order to know the approach for fixing it.  Did you have an injury to that side?  If so, that could be causing the weakness.  Is it fully healed?  Is it causing impingement?  Does flexibility suffer in that area due to scar tissue or disuse?  Most times scar tissue can be broken down and mobility restored through physical therapy, foam rolling, stretching and regular weight training.  Strength also returns quickly after lack of use in a limb or muscle group due to injury through proper weight training.  It is possible, through specific unilateral or dumbbell exercises, to force the affected area to handle the same load as the unaffected side and increase strength and endurance to comparative levels.   Maybe the weakness between two sides is just from being dominant on one side though.  If you think this is the case, this is easy to spot and easy to fix.  The strength/endurance between the two sides should only differ slightly to moderately.  Unilateral and dumbbell exercises for that specific muscle group can also work in the same manner as mentioned above.   To add to this, take note to carry weights not just in your strong hand.  Don’t always turn the prowler in the same direction.  Use your other hand or foot first, and maybe do an extra rep or two on your weak side.
  Maybe you find you’re much stronger in your upper body compared to your lower body.  Many people first starting an exercise program are unaware of how the body is affected by exercise.  For instance, you cannot spot reduce or lose fat in just one area.  No matter how many triceps pushdowns one does, you don’t just lose arm fat.  Same goes for the abdomen, no matter how many sit-ups you do, you can’t see those ab muscles pop out until enough body fat is lost.  So most times when someone wants to make aesthetic changes in appearance, they go about it in the wrong way and end up causing imbalances.  Guys tend to do a lot of upper body bicep and chest work, neglecting their legs and lower half.  They also end up doing a lot of pushing and no pulling.  This can lead to anterior shoulder roll, postural problems and a generally weak lower half that can barely support their broad shouldered frame.  Women tend to shy away from the heavy weights when interested in weight loss and choose exercises that they think are toning their legs and butt by burning fat (adductor/abductor machines).   They should be doing the opposite by using more challenging weights and utilizing free weights rather than just machines.
There are many more testing protocols and mobility screening evaluations.  But the point here is use some common sense and objective thinking.  Don’t skip an exercise just because its hard or not as fun as something else.  If it can get you to your goal faster, YOU DO IT!  Test your aerobic capacity, see where your strengths are, exploit your weaknesses and ATTACK them!  You will make yourself that much stronger, healthier and closer to your goals by doing so.


-Nick Johnson