Jim Brown, Core Performance

When one muscle is stronger than its opposing muscle, you have an imbalance.
For instance, if you do push-ups or bench presses daily, but never do rows, pull-
ups, or other upper body pulling movements, there's a good chance your chest is
far stronger than your back, and you likely have a strength imbalance.

Photo by Dave Cruz
So, why is this an issue? As far back as 1992, an article published in the journal
Sports Medicine showed that an athlete is 2.6 times more likely to suffer an injury
if an imbalance in hip flexibility of 15 percent or more existed.
And it's not just those who play sports who are at risk. About 65 percent of
injuriesboth athletic and lifestyle-relatedcome from overuse, which is
repetitive use of joints that are rendered dysfunctional by muscular imbalances,"
says Mark Verstegen, president and founder of Athletes Performance and Core
Performance.
How It Happens
Your opposing muscles and muscle groups are supposed to work together. Those
muscles must be balanced in terms of strength, flexibility, and even posture to be
efficient and to prevent injuries. Here are some examples of muscle pairs and the
movements they enable:

Biceps and triceps help bend and straighten the elbows.
Deltoids and latissimus dorsi lift and lower the arms.
Abdominals and erector spinae bend the spine forward and backward.
Quadriceps and hamstrings bend and straighten the knee.
Hip abductors and adductors move the legs toward each other or apart.
Whos At Risk
For non-athletes, a simple daily activity such as picking up groceries, working at a
computer, sitting in one position for a long time, or lifting a child can cause muscle
imbalance over a period of time.
But for athletes, muscle imbalance is likely to be an overuse issue as a result of a
particular motion used in their respective sports.
Weight lifters often develop the pectorals (chest muscles), while neglecting the
muscles in the upper back (trapezius).
Pitchers in baseball often develop one arm and one side of the side without giving
equal attention to the opposite arm/side.
In tennis, there is a condition informally called gorilla arm, which happens after
years of doing almost every motion with the dominant arm to the detriment of the
non-dominant arm.
Many conditions are caused by muscle imbalance. For instance, patellofemoral
pain results from a band of muscle tissue that pulls the kneecap outward so that it
grinds against the groove in which it lies. Runners knee, jumpers knee, low back
pain, and Achilles tendinitis are other common athletic injuries directly or
indirectly caused by muscle imbalance.
The Solution
The simplestperhaps too simpleway to avoid muscle imbalance is to choose
exercises that strengthen opposing muscle groups, such as bench presses (for your
chest) and seated rows (for your back). But Gray Cook, author of Athletic Body in
Balance, suggests that muscle imbalance is a more complex problem.
Most researchers would rather look at movement pattern problems through a
microscope, as though by looking at all the parts, they can assume the whole,"
says Cook. "Unfortunately, this is not the way the human body works, moves, or
lives. The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts.
Cook prefers the concept of movement imbalance training, rather than muscle
imbalance training. Even if muscle testing reveals a muscle imbalance, the pattern
of movements that caused the problem still has to be correctedretrained.
Cook uses a series of chop and lift exercises, which he says are fundamental
right side/left side movement patterns and building blocks at the ground level of
training. He emphasizes that training is for weak links in the body, not for
practicing favorite activities. Examples of chop and lift exercises (illustrated in his
book) include the half-kneeling chop, halved rope chop, half-kneeling lift, tall
kneeling chop and lift, squat chance chop and lift, and scissors.
Prehab
Pre-hab (prehabilitation) exercise routines muscle imbalance and movement
imbalance issues. Pre-hab, explains Verstegen, is the proactive means of
training and conditioning often-injured areas of the body, such as the shoulders
and hips, to prevent injuries and surgeries that would require rehabilitation.
Pillar strength, Verstegen adds, consists of hip, shoulder, and core stability, which
is the foundation of efficient human movement and which is vital to optimum
performance and health.
Pre-hab is designed to strengthen the muscles supporting the upper back and
shoulder rotator muscles. This improves posture by pulling the shoulder blades
back and down. The ball and joint socket of the shoulder should then move freely
and efficiently.
Examples of pre-hab exercises include:
Physioball Y, T, W, L
Physioball Pushup Plus Glute Bridge
Sidelying Adduction and Abduction
Pillar Bridge Front
Pillar Bridge Side
Regardless of your age, gender, occupation, or physical condition, there are
probably muscle and movement imbalances that need your attention. Find a
qualified physical therapist (PT or DPT) or certified personal trainer) who can give
you an accurate assessment of your status in terms of muscle balance, imbalance
and movement.
Including the appropriate exercises in your routine can make you stronger, more
flexible, and more efficient in everyday activities and athletic performance.
Jim Brown, Ph.D. has written 14 books on health, medicine, and sports. His articles have appeared in the Washington Post, New York
Post, Sports Illustrated for Women and Better Homes & Gardens. He also writes for the Duke School of Medicine, UCLA School of
Medicine, Cleveland Clinic and Steadman-Hawkins Research Foundation.

References
1. Mark Verstegen, author, Core Performance, Core Performance Essentials, Core Performance Endurance, Core Performance Golf,
(Rodale, Inc.)
2. Gray Cook, author, Athletic Body in Balance (Human Kinetics Publishers)
3. Lyle Micheli, MD, author, The Sports Medicine Bible for Young Athletes, Sourcebooks, Inc.
4. Muscle Balance Lecture Notes, Department of Physical Education, Health, Dance, & Athletics, Los Angeles Trade-Tech
5. Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter
6. Wayne Westcott and Thomas Baechle, Strength Training Past 50 (Human Kinetics Publishers)


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