Please help - symmetry problem

[Riptide]

Greetings-

I need some advice on this... Is there anything I can do? Is it genetic, me favoring one side, or both?

I've tried to watch my posture and my form when I'm doing chest work but without someone to watch over me I can't be 100% sure I'm doing it right. It really upsets me that after all this work I've put in over the last several months I end up looking like this.

If I can't do anything about it I'm probably going to just quit trying to lift and just keep my body fat low. Hopefully over time it'll just even out if I let it go and don't exercise it at all.

Oh, and it doesn't look *quite* as bad as this picture makes it out. I just picked the one where it was the most obvious. It still makes me pretty frustrated though...

 

[Mudge]

Differently shaped muscles, nothing you can do about it Same with people and non-picture perfect abs, and Arnold's left versus right bicep shape.

 

[Riptide]

That is a major let down for me. I feel like I've pretty much wasted the last several months trying to build my body if I'm cursed like this. This symmetry problem is bad enough that I don't see any point in continuing on with lifting then if there is nothing to be done about it short of plastic surgery (if even that would fix it).

I take it this is genetic then? You have no idea how much of a personal let down this is for me and how jealous it makes me of those that don't have this problem.

 

[gr81]

dude, you are taking this way too hard, people are shaped differently, you have to play the cards you are dealt. You are gonna quit lifting b/c you aren't shaped perfectly, Cmon. once you put on some size they will take a better form and it will be no big deal. Everybody has body parts that they hate b/c they are stubborn or not shaped the way htey would like. deal with it. I don't have a long insertion point or a nice peak on my bis, does that mean I am gonna quit, shit it means that I am gonna work ten times harder to develop them.

 

[Riptide]

Maybe you're right. It's just kinda disappointing to put in a lot of work and have results you aren't happy with. I don't mean to whine or anything, but I have beat the hell out of myself the last 8 months. I lost 70 pounds of fat (was 220) in 5 months and have been trying to gain ever since. Maybe I set my sights to high? A symmetry problem in the pec area is much more noticeable than bis or tris. I also have small problems w/symmetry in my bis but it doesn't bug me near as much.

What can I do then? I'm a newb, so please let me know if these ideas look like they would help or not:

1) do pecs once a week so I can arrange to have someone watch my form each time. more than once/week I won't be able to do that.
2) go lighter, to help with my form

How many repetitions should I be doing, total? Should I go lighter or continue to try and push heavier?

Thankyou for your help! I do appreciate it immensely as I'm pretty desperate. I don't really want to quit, I'm just disappointed right now and feeling a little helpless.

 

[Mudge]

Rip, I used to feel that way but you know, would you rather go back to a sedentary lifestyle? We all are born the way we are, make do with what you have man.

You are not perfect and neither am I but you have alot to be thankfull for, suck it up.

 

[gr81]

^^understandable.
check this, maybe your expectations are a little too hig for the amount of training you have put in man. You have only been training for 8 months you say? BB is not a road that you travel to the end quickly, it is a lifelong odessy brotha, think about things in the long run. What do you expect to have accomplished in 8 months, things take time. As far as training goes, mix it up with the rep scheme, keepo your body on its toes so to speak. Using a variation of high and low reps together will recruit both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers for better overall development so show your body everything.

I don't know if this will help but my best friend has a similar situation to you I suppose. He has been training since he was 11 or 12, he is 20 now. He has incredible strong man genetics. Put the both pf us together and you wouldn't think there is much of a difference in strength,in fact my chest is much thicker and vascular than his, but his bench is two times what mine is. It is totally a sticking point for him, and most of the time he is completely frustrated b/c it does a good job of throwing his whoile physique off, but he plugs away week after week, month after month, year after year. His chest has come a long way, it still has a ways to go, but think about what a great sense of accomplishment he will have after fully developing such a big week point. Much prouder than a guy that has things come easy to him. That is what bodybuilding is all about, the challenge. It wouldn't be suych an accomplishment if every had the pohysique they dreamed about after only 8 months of training.ya feel me? goodluck bro

 

[oaktownboy]

The only thing I am mad about is that fucking Niners hat u have on your head.

 

[gr81]

hey, I am a bigger raiders fan too but you gotta love Terrell Owens, he is the best WR in the league IMO.

 

[oaktownboy]

he has also the largest mouth

 

[gr81]

he CAN talk all the shit he wants to, he is such a good athlete. He is soo talented that if he didn't play football he would probably be playing nba ball. I saw an interview with him once and they asked him about how he has such a nice physique, he was just like, I don't really lift weights I just look like this naturally. Now those are some genetics.

 

[Xplicid01]

hes giant 2, hes ripped and big

 

[Riptide]

You guys are right, I'm sure. Perhaps 8 months is a little quick to be pussing out on and passing judgement that it's a hopeless cause. I'll keep going then. Maybe after some time it'll even out a bit. There's always hope I suppose, right?

So should I continue to try and push harder or should I go a little lighter? Is hitting pecs once a week going to be enough to develop them?

And as for the niner hat, we'll see who has more W's at the end of the year.

And I like the raiders. The only teams I really can't stand are (ofcourse) the cowboys and the packers. And I don't have much love for the broncos either since everyone up here in MT rides 'em hard.

 

[Jim1954]

Man, you got to quit looking at your imperfections,
and look at your good points! Don't EVEN compare yourself
to somebody else, like yourself for who and what you are.
8 months!?!? I'd say you look damn good for someone that has
only spent that much time at it.

 

[Fit Freak]

I agree... you're being way too hard on yourself! You look amazing for only 8 months of work...I know guys that can't achieve a physique like yours after years of training. Stick with it, be patient, continue to work hard and the imperfections will become less and less noticeable. Also like what was said, don't compare yourself to other people...you can only control your own body and the training and diet you follow...so focus on that. Try to look at you strong points for motivation and always work extra hard to bring up your weaknesses. BB is a lifelong journey....make it a lifestyle and you'll be hooked for life.

 

[OceanDude]

I can understand your frustration too. BUt in addition to some of the advise you got here you can focus on maximizing and playing to your strengths. Get a killer 6-pack and wide lats and cannon ball delts and huge guns and people have to respect you. Perhaps the hardest thing to get though is one's own self respect. I think you are being too hard on yourself and don't forget, unless you are into the high end competition no one probably looks at your body closer than you do - this applies to all of us. And you know what else? We all don't always walk around in posing trunks - most of us are in street clothes more often. If you are all buff and trim you will look terrific in trim fitting clothes and suits etc. - way more than 65% of the general population. Being the exception and and proudly wearing a winning attitude stands out in a crowd above all else.

Good Luck - you have a lot to be thankful for.

 

[Riptide]

Jim, FF, and OceanDude, thankyou very much for the encouragement. I have thought about this a bit and I think you are all right - I shouldn't get to down on myself.

I have been overweight for 10 years now and am pretty much healthier than I have ever been. I was 220 pounds of soli.. err jelly when I started to get my life under control. I cut off 70 pounds of fat in 5 months and my body fat right now is only 8%. It's difficult to tell that my BF percentage is that low since I have extra skin on my body from all the years of abuse - as is also evidenced by the stretch marks you see on my biceps. I have that weight loss to be proud of - and I will never allow myself to abuse my body like that again.

I intend to keep trying and keep on with this. I realize now that 8 months is by far to early to give up, especially since my body is still trying to cut right now. I spoke with someone at the gym today, a PT who has lifted for years and is quite a big guy, and he has some ideas for me that I intend to try. Some of them are:
1) drink a gallon or more of water a day
2) eat at least 1g/protein per pound of body weight
3) stick with presses instead of DBs for the most part since DB flys are more of a cutting exercise
4) do pecs once a week, there is no need to do more for now
5) only do 3-4 pec exercises at a time, 5-6 sets of around 5 repetitions

This isn't verbatim what he said and I intend to take a notebook in there tomorrow and write down in detail exactly what he suggested since I trust his opinion. It seems the answer to evening things out a bit will be to build it up more, not shrink it back down.

Thankyou all again and if I manage to scan in some before pictures I'll post them here so you can see how much of a big boy I was before I trimmed the fat off.

 

[gr81]

Originally posted by Riptide
I spoke with someone at the gym today, a PT who has lifted for years and is quite a big guy, and he has some ideas for me that I intend to try. Some of them are:
1) drink a gallon or more of water a day
2) eat at least 1g/protein per pound of body weight
3) stick with presses instead of DBs for the most part since DB flys are more of a cutting exercise
4) do pecs once a week, there is no need to do more for now
5) only do 3-4 pec exercises at a time, 5-6 sets of around 5 repetitions

You need to consume more than 1 gram of protien/day. Bump that to 1.5-2. Second of all, there is no such thing as a cutting exercise versus a bulking exercise. There is nothing wrong with db flys, you can go heavy on them you know. The function of the chest is more of a fly motion anyways than a pressing motion. If I were you I would bump up the rep scheme to 8-12 at least, there is a better chance of hypertrohy at a higher rep range, especially being a beginner, that is unless you are aiming more for strength. I agree about th water and the volume though. good luck.

 

[Riptide]

Thanks gr81, I didn't explain that very well. My friend mentioned to me that I could still do some DB work but to concentrate more on BB. I'm no expert, but if you're trying to work on a symmetry problem a BB would make more sense because it would be a little easier to keep form that way with a straight line like that opposed to two freely moving points. It's funny you mentioned that about the protein because he also said I should probably get up to 1.5g or so, I just didn't post that.

I'll do chest once a week and will have my woman there to watch me do it and help me keep my elbows in line. I am hoping that will help as well in case part of my problem is due to form.

Oh, and that is one FINE lady in your sig BTW.

 

[gr81]

That is Trish Stratus my friend.

 

[oaktownboy]

just a friend?

 

[gr81]

no no, not trish= my friend, I was reffering to him as my friend. Trish is much more than a friend, well actually I have never met her and probably never will.