Muscle Imbalances the OTHER Way

[thuggish]

Here's a random musing I just thought about...

We all know how guys can get too tight/strong (comparatively) in the chest/shoulders/forward pressing type of movements, it happens all the time, usually to chest-obsessed teenage idiots, in my experience. Their shoulders are constantly rotated forward, etc.

But has anyone ever heard of this happening in the opposite direction? Like a climber needed to focus on pressing movements because he did so much pulling? Is it even possible?

[Chris_Befoul]

I wrestled for only two years but it requires a good amount of pulling which has got my back much more advance than my chest, my rear delts are also.

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[theroymccoy]

A few of my friends have this problem...for whatever reason their backs grow much quicker or they don't stretch as often as they should...I've also noticed that when their hands are at their sides, the palms are slightly turned forward. The guys with overdeveloped chest/delts, the palms are slightly turned backward.

[RageBlanket]

My abs are overdeveloped...looks like I have a belly. :laughing:

Wait...I do. Shit.

[thuggish]

A few of my friends have this problem...for whatever reason their backs grow much quicker or they don't stretch as often as they should...I've also noticed that when their hands are at their sides, the palms are slightly turned forward. The guys with overdeveloped chest/delts, the palms are slightly turned backward.

So it IS possible...

[mentalflex]

Yes, check out some elite backstroke swimmers. Most swimmers have pretty balanced physiques from performing a variety of strokes, but some of the backstroke specialists have what appears to be significantly large backs in proportion to the rest of their body.

[big ross]

Yes it is possible, but I don't know if you can actually put yourself in danger by not having enough quad-ham or chest-lat strength. I know that vice versa is true an I think no hammies can put your knee at risk. The back-chest strength ratio and shoulder injury is something I've never heard of and not really sure if it exists.

[0001Delta]

My back is humongous when in comparison to everything else. (I think I could stop training back entirely and get away with it).

So yeah it's possible. The muscle groups you train/use more, or simply the ones you have an easier time contracting, will often be the bigger/stronger ones.

Take your own example. People who do pec centric programs end up with shitty backs/everything else, so why shouldn't people who use their backs a lot end up with imbalances in their "pressing" muscles ?

[thuggish]

Well of course it's possible to have a disproportionately large back, I just wondered if it ever caused problems the way it does on the other side...

[big ross]

It's a very interesting thought. Immediate answer is it has to but I don't know if you can make your pull-push strength so much higher that's its actually dangerous. I've heard of being 3-1 in pull to push being fine and actually advocated. I know a push-pull of that and your shoulder will be done.

[thedunhill225]

Well to be real simple. I have seen guys that could bench 4...5... Even 6 that couldn't row 300 strict to save their lives BUT I've never seen that type of discrepancy the other way. If you see someone rowing 3+ strict I can guaranty that they can bench what they row. My posterior chain is my strength and sure I can dead a lot more than I can bench but if we talk about shoulder stability I would guess rows are more relevant and as strong a rower as I am...I could always bench at least what I row.... And probably always bench more. Never met anyone that could row considerably more than they could bench.

[big ross]

Well to be real simple. I have seen guys that could bench 4...5... Even 6 that couldn't row 300 strict to save their lives BUT I've never seen that type of discrepancy the other way. If you see someone rowing 3+ strict I can guaranty that they can bench what they row. My posterior chain is my strength and sure I can dead a lot more than I can bench but if we talk about shoulder stability I would guess rows are more relevant and as strong a rower as I am...I could always bench at least what I row.... And probably always bench more. Never met anyone that could row considerably more than they could bench.

It's pull up to bench strength, and it is easy to believe a 150 lb guy could have a 100 lb plus pull up but not bench 225. I don't think that it is actually possible for the discrepancy between pull>push to be high enough in the upper body to cause issues.

[Victory Kick]

Here's a random musing I just thought about...

We all know how guys can get too tight/strong (comparatively) in the chest/shoulders/forward pressing type of movements, it happens all the time, usually to chest-obsessed teenage idiots, in my experience. Their shoulders are constantly rotated forward, etc.

But has anyone ever heard of this happening in the opposite direction? Like a climber needed to focus on pressing movements because he did so much pulling? Is it even possible?

Even people who don't work out will likely have tight tight/shortened chest and loose back, not just the chest-obsessed. Chest obsession will sure magnify the problem though.

Just think about it... how often does a normal person do this:

http://www.ptbuddy.com/exercise/full-body-extension-prone/

and how often this:

http://www.sarahmassagetherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bad-posture1.jpg

very rarely does a person have the opposite on a normal daily basis (extended knees, hips, back, and arms/shoulders) so that's why you almost never see a person with too much posterior tightness.

[thedunhill225]

It's pull up to bench strength, and it is easy to believe a 150 lb guy could have a 100 lb plus pull up but not bench 225. I don't think that it is actually possible for the discrepancy between pull>push to be high enough in the upper body to cause issues.

Why would it be pullups to bench? They are different plains... I can see pull UPS to mill presses and bench to bent rows. If we are talking about shoulder balance and stability it would seem rt to compare movements on the same plain but in opposition directions of load or pull.

[Victory Kick]

Why would it be pullups to bench? They are different plains... I can see pull UPS to mill presses and bench to bent rows. If we are talking about shoulder balance and stability it would seem rt to compare movements on the same plain but in opposition directions of load or pull.

yeah you are right if you had to pick one it would make more sense to do the same plane like row/bench.

Even still, you guys shouldn't think that you should be able to row what you can bench. The muscles are too different with their origins and insertions to make it a 1:1 ratio for strength.