DOMS + Right-Side Dominance

[Adamnp]

I've just started weight training a month or so ago and since that time I've noticed I'm a little bit stronger. A lot of you may laugh, and rightly so, but when I started I could only bench up to 90lbs. I'm a beginner, so I would start at 50lbs and move the weights up in increments of 10 after each set of five. Now I can do 110lbs! The first few times I finished my exercise routine the muscle groups I trained the night before were sore. Now though, it seems that I never get sore after I train, yet I still seem to get stronger. Could this be due to good nutrition? I don't use any supplements other than a quality multi-vitamin. Should I train harder and longer? I worried that I may not be pushing myself hard enough. I'm using the popular 5x5 routine that was suggested to me on these forums. I usually have a hard time finishing the last set. I know I could do more sets though if I really pushed myself and that's what I' am wondering. Should I go that extra mile and will it pay-off if I do? I never really bothered to figure-out what my 1RM is, but I figure I'm pretty close because usually my last set is a bitch to finish and sometime I have to put the bar down after each rep.

My concern deals with the whole right side of my body. It feels much stronger than the left. When I'm benching I want to push more with my right and when I'm squatting I want to push more with my right leg. I can see a potential problem developing. I've been forcing myself to try and equal out the resistance, but even if both muscles were to grow equally, my right side will still always be stronger. I’m looking for some suggestions.

Thanks!

 

[Chi town]

Start using DBs when u work your chest. This forces each arms to work independantly. Not to mention you need to mix it up anyway so u don't get in a rut.
If your right leg is a lot stronger than left, do one leg at a time on isometrics. For example: On leg extensions, just use your right leg and get as many reps as you can. Then use your left leg and make sure u get the same # of reps, even if u need a spotter to help force out the last 2 reps. Use the same method on arms. After a while, your strength will balance out better.
And don't be ashamed of what you're benching. We all started somewhere.

 

[lavi]

Don't worry about the soreness, as you can see yourself it doesn't correlate with progress in the gym. Since you had just started to work out, you were getting really sore. Btw when I started out my 1 rep max was about 85 lbs so dont worry . Most people start off around there.

About evening out the sides, just keep pushing equally with both sides. I would assume you're pretty much doing that now since you're able to balance the bar when you bench and squat. Even if you do start to develop an imbalance eventually, for now focus on the basics of getting stronger and worry about that later.

I wish I was on the 5x5 program when I started working out

 

[Adamnp]

Thanks both of you.

Chi- Unfortunately, I don't have access to a gym. I just own a basic olympic bench and that's it. I will pick-up some DB's though. I was thinking about using DB's for bent-over rows anyhow. As a beginner I cant seem to get the form correct with barbell bent-over rows.

Lavi- Yeah, it's weird. I got sore once for each muscle group and that's it. I haven't done anything different accept increase the weight. I had always heard that soreness equals growth. It's hard for me to accept the fact that I'm making a difference even though my muscles feel fine.

What can you bench today and how long have you been at it? If I started at 90, do you think I can get up to 200lbs in one year?

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Firstly, as a beginner, you can easily reach 200 lbs. in one year, provided you train correctly.

Second, learn to accept that soreness means NOTHING. It's no way to guage a workout's efficacy. Trust me. Anyone with some basic level of knowledge here knows that. If you want to get sore for a psychological reason, fine. Physiologically, though, there's no benefit.

Growth occurs when a muscle is exposed to a weight (load) that it is unaccustomed to. This, along with excess calories (not just protein, as so many think), will lead to muscle growth. To continue with the process, you must increase the weight. It's not that cut and dry, but you can keep it simple so as not to complicate it for yourself and just look at it like this - Strength = Size.

Obviously if you're only really training to increase your 1 RM (the amount of weight you can lift for one rep at maximal effort), you'll be teaching for CNS (central nervous system) more than anything else, and you won't see much in way of size gains.

To keep it short - soreness means nothing. Train with proper form and utilize the best exercises in the arsenal (squats, deadlifts, bench press, standing military press, rows, pullups). Eat a lot of good, wholesome goods. Eat a lot of them.

 

[Adamnp]

Firstly, as a beginner, you can easily reach 200 lbs. in one year, provided you train correctly.

Second, learn to accept that soreness means NOTHING. It's no way to guage a workout's efficacy. Trust me. Anyone with some basic level of knowledge here knows that. If you want to get sore for a psychological reason, fine. Physiologically, though, there's no benefit.

Growth occurs when a muscle is exposed to a weight (load) that it is unaccustomed to. This, along with excess calories (not just protein, as so many think), will lead to muscle growth. To continue with the process, you must increase the weight. It's not that cut and dry, but you can keep it simple so as not to complicate it for yourself and just look at it like this - Strength = Size.

Obviously if you're only really training to increase your 1 RM (the amount of weight you can lift for one rep at maximal effort), you'll be teaching for CNS (central nervous system) more than anything else, and you won't see much in way of size gains.

To keep it short - soreness means nothing. Train with proper form and utilize the best exercises in the arsenal (squats, deadlifts, bench press, standing military press, rows, pullups). Eat a lot of good, wholesome goods. Eat a lot of them.

Thanks, Tom!

Speaking of eating a lot. I noticed that ever since I started training I'm more and more hungry! I'm almost always hungry. I try to eat in the morning, but when I'm at work theirs not a whole lot of time to eat until lunch and the same with after lunch. I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Almost every meal consists of some meat or potatoes. I dont have much say in what I eat, as this is controlled by the parental units I live with.

soreness means nothing...
soreness means nothing...
soreness means nothing...

Ok, I got it now!

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Meat and potatoes is a great place to start. If you can talk them into it, try and get some salmon or tuna, maybe chicken breasts, wholewheat pasta in garlic and olive oil, or just other random dishes. Don't worry about counting calories just yet, either. Just make sure you eat until you're full at each meal, and then try to snack on good, wholesome foods in between meals. An apple at work, maybe. A protein shake. Even just two glasses of milk in a thermos. Anything quick and simple to get calories in. Good calories, too.

My favorite quick meal - 16 oz. milk, 2 scoops whey protein powder (ON 100% Whey), and 1 cup of oatmeal. 740 calories, 8 grams of fiber, 72 protein, 72 carbs, 12 fats. Works nicely for myself.