Asymmetries

Asymmetries reside in all of us, to one degree or another. Despite our best efforts to be symmetrical, there may be a necessary component to asymmetry. The locations of our organs, rotational qualities of our tissues and handedness all seem to point us in the direction of asymmetry. In fact, one side of our brain tends to be biased toward one type of thinking, while the other focuses on the opposite. The unevenness may be what’s driving our movement health too, while the symmetrical movements we incorporate so often in the gym could be hindering us.  

Unilateral loading patterns in the fitness industry has had an influence for quite some time, Mike Boyle has been doing it for years. Some folks have deemed it “functional” weightlifting. Physical therapy has also adopted this form of movement, not exclusively, but it is certainly noticeable. The thought being that if we load in offset ways, we can more easily mimic that daily activities that most people perform. While this is a reasonable thought, and most likely accurate to a degree, there may be more to it.

We are all asymmetrical, in multiple forms, across multiple systems, which may fundamentally make us more effective movers. However, these asymmetries can become overdeveloped and lead to movement issues. Identifying where the issue resides and providing the stimulus to change becomes paramount. Training with this understanding can alter our exercise prescription and rehab strategies potentially making them more useful. For instance, if we want to restore someone’s ability to push off of their right side after an injury, we can set up exercises to do so. Exercises like split squats or suitcase carries with a right-hand load may promote this adaptation. Should a patient exhibit a limited ability to create left shoulder external rotation range of motion, we may be able to change their capability via a concentration curl on that side. This may reduce the asymmetry enough to allow for more optimal movement.

We are all asymmetrical, in multiple forms, across multiple systems, which may fundamentally make us more effective movers. However, these asymmetries can become overdeveloped and lead to movement issues.

Irregularity appears to be ingrained in how we move with some flexibility in terms of how offset we are. Should we limit the default asymmetries via activities like barbel deadlifts or overdevelop our default patterns we can find ourselves in trouble. Identifying where we are on that continuum might provide us with a better understanding of how to address issues in motion.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist