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Kettlebell Correcting Strength Imbalances

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Powell

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I want to start this thread by first saying thank you to everyone on this forum. I am fairly new around here but have been soaking up as much information as I can. This forum is pretty great.

One of the main issues I am having with my kettlebell training is that I have a noticeable upper body strength imbalance between my left and right side. This has become pretty apparent recently since entering the heavier weeks of ROP (24 kg. Currently on the 2 x 1,2,3,4,5; 3 x 1,2,3,4 week for my heavy days). On my big ladders, I am hitting some sticking points on my right side. On my left side, I am having no issues and the kettlebell is going up smoothly. I attribute this imbalance to my shoulder injury that I had in June. I have been medically cleared to lift since August, but it appears my right side is still playing catch up due to losing two months of training.

Are there any methods that have worked for correcting these imbalances? I just don't want to carry this strength imbalance forward when I begin working with heavier kettelbells for the military press. Thank you
 
Have you contacted a local SFG to make sure the technique is the same om both sides? Or maybe post a video here.

What kind of injury if you don't mind me asking?

I advice my clients to just stick to the program at first, but always start with your strong arm and not your stronger arm. Keep the training the same, so when your right arm can only do, example, 5 presses and left could do 20. Still do only 5 with left. The training stimulus will be bigger for the right arm then the left (because 5 isn't that hard when you can do 20) so the strength-gap between will decrease over time.

So your right arm should be the one that starts all the rungs, and left should do exactly the same. Maybe do some extra Get-up's on variation days?
 
Have you contacted a local SFG to make sure the technique is the same om both sides? Or maybe post a video here.

What kind of injury if you don't mind me asking?

I advice my clients to just stick to the program at first, but always start with your strong arm and not your stronger arm. Keep the training the same, so when your right arm can only do, example, 5 presses and left could do 20. Still do only 5 with left. The training stimulus will be bigger for the right arm then the left (because 5 isn't that hard when you can do 20) so the strength-gap between will decrease over time.

So your right arm should be the one that starts all the rungs, and left should do exactly the same. Maybe do some extra Get-up's on variation days?

I am going to be booking some training with a local SFG here in the next few weeks. I found one that works in a gym nearby and his rates are pretty reasonable.

Injury was a shoulder dislocation, and it was my first one. Fortunately I haven't had any shoulder issues until that injury. I had the shoulder put back in place in the hospital, was x-ray'd, and completed two months of physical therapy. The PT said my movement was great on my right arm and cleared me in late August.

I am currently doing my ROP rungs the way you are describing them. What I'm hearing is that I need to be giving some extra time to allow my right arm/shoulder to catch up. I am okay with doing that. The last thing I want right now is to risk re-injury and halt my progress again.
 
I have been medically cleared to lift since August, but it appears my right side is still playing catch up due to losing two months of training.
I still have significant atrophy and compensation from injuries occurring over a decade ago. Even after physical therapy and lots of training it has never come back fully. I can perform all the same lifts, etc equally on both sides but isometrics really shine a light on the imbalance.

Are there any methods that have worked for correcting these imbalances?
Unilateral movements like you're doing, isometrics, and simply more time.
 
For shoulder injuries I’ve used hanging off a pull-up bar, active and passive, also one arm hanging with feet on floor. I also use lots of band exercises to strength the rotator cuff, look up crossover symmetry, I’ve built my own version of the system for about a quarter of the price, this has massively helped with my shoulder rehab. Also just work the stronger side for the same amount of reps as the weaker side, until it catches up.
 
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