[red97gst]

I've been working out and weight lifting for a while now, and I've had a lot of trouble actually building up the weights I'm doing. Basically it seems like my right side is carrying the left through all upperbody exercises that are not isolated, triceps, biceps, chest, back.. etc

The difference is much more noticeable when doing isolated exercises, my left side fatigues extremely fast, to the point of failure, where my right can just keep going and going.

I have even gone so far as to only work my left side for a month, with minimal change.

I stopped working out for a couple months, and just started again a few weeks ago, and once again I'm back to having these problems with my left side. Just to give an example, after doing a chest work out (barbell flat/incline/decline bench), I can move to an isolated chest workout, my left side struggles with 45lbs of weight, where as my right side can do reps of 135lbs no problem... (I only did this once just to prove to myself I'm not crazy)..

I should also note, for the past year or so since I originally noticed the problem, I have consciously tried to do more with my left side (carrying grocery bags, working on cars, etc), assuming that was the problem before, but still no change.

I start every isolated exercise with my left, and do the same weight with the right, I've done this for months now, not really seeing much, if any, change. I start with the left, and if i can only do 7 reps with the left, then I only do 7 reps with the right. I do understand its normal to be slightly stronger with your dominant side, but its not only the strength difference (which is nothing short of ridiculous) but the left side fatiguing/failing so quickly. My right side will fatigue, but I can still push my way through the last couple reps, but my left side goes from feeling good to failure within one rep..

My right is my dominant side, but the difference in strength, again, is ridiculous. On top of that, I actually feel like i have very little control over my left side vs. the right, its hard to explain, but I suppose the best way to word it is that it feels like my left side just isnt communicating with my brain properly. Also, during workouts, the right side always has more of a pumped feeling than the left, and there is a size difference.. in my arms at least

I've had my testosterone/thyroid levels tested as well, and everything was fine there. Its been suggested to me to see a neuromuscular doctor, which I'm going to try to do next week.

I suppose I could just be over analyzing this, but over the past year I've had a few different workout partners, and after witnessing it first hand, they have all agreed with me that this is definitely not normal


Any suggestions/ideas?

Thanks
Matt

[Jomar]

This is only in your arm/shoulder the left side fatigue & weakness ?

Is there any pain or tightness, in your arm, neck, shoulder or upper back?

Can you hold arms out in front or overhead for 3 minutes with no problems.

I hope the neuromuscular doc has some answers for you.

[watsonsh]

SOunds like it could be TOS related. One of the TOS forum members, Dabbo, also was lifting losts of weight and has experienced some of the same problems.

I am thinking nerve entrapment in cervical area or brachial plexus (ie TOS - thoracic outlet syndrome and then the muscles get weak and fatigues. Its a crush or compression injury that can be especially common in wieght lifters and swimmers. Dabbo hurt himself through weight lifting.

Might want to see nuerologist and have nerve tests or imaging done. That might tell where some of the damage is.

Also take a read of some of the posts in the TOS forum particularly from Towelhorse.

[red97gst]

Originally Posted by jo55

This is only in your arm/shoulder the left side fatigue & weakness ?

Is there any pain or tightness, in your arm, neck, shoulder or upper back?

Can you hold arms out in front or overhead for 3 minutes with no problems.

I hope the neuromuscular doc has some answers for you.

Its overall left side of my upper body, chest, shoulder, tricep, bicep, wrist, and I seem to have a weaker grip on that side as well. And yes I can hold my arms straight out over my head for 3 minutes, just feels uncomfortable..

SOunds like it could be TOS related. One of the TOS forum members, Dabbo, also was lifting losts of weight and has experienced some of the same problems.

I am thinking nerve entrapment in cervical area or brachial plexus (ie TOS - thoracic outlet syndrome and then the muscles get weak and fatigues. Its a crush or compression injury that can be especially common in wieght lifters and swimmers. Dabbo hurt himself through weight lifting.

Might want to see nuerologist and have nerve tests or imaging done. That might tell where some of the damage is.

Also take a read of some of the posts in the TOS forum particularly from Towelhorse.

I will start looking into it, thanks!

[red97gst]

Ok, I've read up a bit on TOS and that seems far more severe than the problems I'm experiencing.. maybe this is a mild case?

Some facts for you.. basically anything I can think of, maybe some of this will be useful

- I very rarely get headaches
- I havent noticed any tingling or numbness in my left side
- If I'm not being a hypochondriac, and if I'm thinking clearly, I do sometimes have trouble working with my hands/arms above my shoulders. I do quite a bit of work on cars in my spare time and I seem to recall this.. just a little fatigue, nothing too major
- In regards to working on cars, I used to attribute the left side weakness to always using my right side to do everything, breaking bolts loose, tightening bolts, etc
- I work with computers all day, posture is most likely pretty poor, and I do a lot of typing
- Veins are much more visible on my left arm, while working out I see ridiculous amounts of veins on the left side, and probably about half as many on the right
- I dont recall any pain associated with the weakness of my left side, overall just a feeling of nothingness, hard to explain, just as though I cant flex a muscle on that side once the left side has fatigued
- I have a narrow chest, skeletal wise
- I usually sleep on my right side, but I believe thats just because of the side of the bed I'm on (just like to sleep facing out), and I move around a lot in my sleep
- I do recall every once in a while, rarely, I've had mild chest pain
- I'm 25, 6'0, 176lbs, good blood pressure, generally in good health

thanks..

[watsonsh]

HI red,

Many of us that have TOS all have different symptoms. I really did not have headaches either.

Its the overhead stuff and the posture that make me think of TOS.

Get it checked out if you can before it gets worse. I would start with neuro doc.

Good luck

[Jomar]

with the arm fatigue and the veins sticking out more - I'm wondering about a vascular issue also. TOS can affect the nerves, vascular or a combo of both.

I have a fairly mild case of it now, I did have an acute phase for nearly a year before I found some good help with expert PT & chiropractor. I tried a bit of everything at home on my own too - bodywork, posture, ergonomics, nutrition/supplements, triggerpoint, stretches. It still took another 1.5 yrs for many of the symptoms to fade. I still can't hold my arms up or out for more than a few minutes and my finger dexterity is not as good as it used to be. But now I can do most things without much trouble or pain.

i don't know if you looked at the TOS useful sticky thread-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=84

[Karen_]

Hi Matt,

Your post is quite old, but my symptoms are identical to yours. I noticed the problem a year ago: I play a lot of tennis and my backhand was my strongest shot. Suddenly, however, I couldn't get the ball over the net & numerous tennis lessons did nothing to improve it. So I had a very frustrating year of tennis as I play competitively. Then I took a waitressing job a month ago and discovered that the left side of my body was practically useless. Along with this I had a slew of fibromylagia symptoms. The latter are now under control (I followed the protocol in the book From Fatigued to Fantastic), but the left sided weakness persists. (Also some stumbling and clumsiness/dropping things -- uncharacteristic.) I wonder whether you've made any progress in addressing your weakness issue? Mine definitely seems neurological. My posture has been poor -- I've been sloppy about this -- and I also have spent far too much time on the computer in the last decade; I feel like these are likely contributing factors. Somewhere in there, too, I think that I stopped breathing deeply or normally due to prolonged stress, etc.
So I'm thinking body and breathing work are likely in order but...who knows? This is very tough to deal with -- esp. as one looks fine.

Hope things have improved on your end --

Karen

Originally Posted by red97gst

I've been working out and weight lifting for a while now, and I've had a lot of trouble actually building up the weights I'm doing. Basically it seems like my right side is carrying the left through all upperbody exercises that are not isolated, triceps, biceps, chest, back.. etc

The difference is much more noticeable when doing isolated exercises, my left side fatigues extremely fast, to the point of failure, where my right can just keep going and going.

I have even gone so far as to only work my left side for a month, with minimal change.

I stopped working out for a couple months, and just started again a few weeks ago, and once again I'm back to having these problems with my left side. Just to give an example, after doing a chest work out (barbell flat/incline/decline bench), I can move to an isolated chest workout, my left side struggles with 45lbs of weight, where as my right side can do reps of 135lbs no problem... (I only did this once just to prove to myself I'm not crazy)..

I should also note, for the past year or so since I originally noticed the problem, I have consciously tried to do more with my left side (carrying grocery bags, working on cars, etc), assuming that was the problem before, but still no change.

I start every isolated exercise with my left, and do the same weight with the right, I've done this for months now, not really seeing much, if any, change. I start with the left, and if i can only do 7 reps with the left, then I only do 7 reps with the right. I do understand its normal to be slightly stronger with your dominant side, but its not only the strength difference (which is nothing short of ridiculous) but the left side fatiguing/failing so quickly. My right side will fatigue, but I can still push my way through the last couple reps, but my left side goes from feeling good to failure within one rep..

My right is my dominant side, but the difference in strength, again, is ridiculous. On top of that, I actually feel like i have very little control over my left side vs. the right, its hard to explain, but I suppose the best way to word it is that it feels like my left side just isnt communicating with my brain properly. Also, during workouts, the right side always has more of a pumped feeling than the left, and there is a size difference.. in my arms at least

I've had my testosterone/thyroid levels tested as well, and everything was fine there. Its been suggested to me to see a neuromuscular doctor, which I'm going to try to do next week.

I suppose I could just be over analyzing this, but over the past year I've had a few different workout partners, and after witnessing it first hand, they have all agreed with me that this is definitely not normal


Any suggestions/ideas?

Thanks
Matt

[max-max]

Hi Karen/red97gst, what's your new development ? I have the same illness and problem but in the right side of body! about 6 years ago happened! as Karen explained the Acute phase when the right side almost was useless or very weak is over but the chronic phase still exists! sometimes when i have e better physicall conditions and mood it seems to be almost cured( no nothingness and numbness feelong ALMOST) but when i have a worse physical condition and i'm weaker it seems to be worsened! i can press very heavy weights like 500Lb(230kg) in Squat or 300in bench but mostly power is coming from the left side of body! that's why when on dumbles it's revealed that the right side is much weaker! i'm sure that mine is not something like TOS as "Shelley" told, because 6 years ago when Acute phase i had some problem in over parst of right side of body even in the head and toung when i was talking.. something like "Multiple sclerosis (MS)" or a kind of "TIA=Transient ischemic attack"! i had also MRI in the spine and... so I'm sure it has nothing to TOS... what's your new development ? as Karen told and I also have spent far too much time on the computer in the last decade too!+ i was in steroid cycles that made my blood very thick! i remember that everytime i cut my hand very small amount of blood was bled ! that's why the reason as for me is something like a MS or TIA ! anything realted in the brain! nor in the spine like TOS!by the way what's your new results and development?