Krissykiki started this discussion ·
Hi all! I'm self taught beginner who just started taking classes. I'm seeing improvements but I am still struggling with my left side. My left arm is just weaker. Are there any tips or exercises to help bring it up to speed with my right side? Thanks Kris
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I struggle with this as well. It's so easy to get unbalanced! I suggest focusing on holds to begin with. Holding side planks on your left side, either on your elbow or up on your hand is a great way to strengthen your core as well as the stability through your shoulder. To strengthen both arms I'll place my hands under my shoulders like doing a push up. I'll then push up and hold the pose partway up the pushup for as long as I can. Oh, and one of the other things I've done for better balance (both muscular and in general!) are handstands and elbow stands. I'm also a fan of free weights. I simply do a few more reps on my weaker side. That said, free weights tend to do a better job on the larger muscles, and it takes using my body as resistance (the other stuff) to increase my strength over all. Good luck, and welcome!
Thanks! I'll start doing the side planks. I never thought about that, Kris
eitoile ·
i think you should try to do all the moves on the left / weaker side as well when you do conditioning and training - especially for conditioning. e.g. pull ups with right hand on top first, then with left hand on top. maybe for training on tricks, just do it on the 'usual' side first until you get confident, then learn it on the other side (since learning new tricks is hard enough without having your weaker side hold you back!) my usual studio does everything on one side, and recently, i've tried out another studio where everything is done on the other side, and it was a shock to the system.. i struggled even with a simple invert at the start (where to put the legs etc.), so my progress there is lagging significantly behind my regular side. but it's great physical as well as mental (trying to get your mind and body to co-ordinate in a different way) challenge, and i think a great way to balance out the body! :)
I've been poling for 4 months and still have a super hard time doing things lefty. I do work on it, but not as often as I'd like. I can do simple things, like fairy/fireman, etc but when I get to split bracket grips I cannot do them on the weaker side. I am trying to work on climbing lefty, and am working on inverts on my dominant side. When I am more comfortable with those, I will try lefty. But I definitely, definitely have to work extra hard on my non dominant side.
I have definetly been trying to work on my left side more. I'm lucky to have a studio that makes us practice on both sides but it frustrating trying to learn new tricks that i can do easily on my right and then have it be almost impossible to learn on my left. I need more arm mucles in my lefty!
What's worked for me is really just to force myself to do everything on both sides. If I do a spin on right, I do it on left as well. Same goes for climbs, pull ups, and anything else. My left arm is still a little weaker, but everything I can do on right, I can do on left as well - just not for as long..:)
