Leg strength imbalance

Widgeon · Post by **Widgeon** » January 21st, 2007, 12:40 pm

I noticed that I felt like my left leg was doing all the work during max effort embedded intervals during an hour peice last Weds. I've also felt like the learning curve has been awfully steep on my core perform.

Well, I asked my coach to help me test my individual leg strength on Thurs, and I have endurace descrepancy between my two legs, and a 15 lb max effort difference on seated leg press and leg curl manuvers. My right leg being weaker.

I am right hand dominant, with no significant leg length discrepancy.

My coach has helped me with a plan to help balance my leg strength, essentially involving single leg, equal weight training for each leg on the leg press, and curl machines.

I would welcome any suggestions, ideas or comments, since I think I will perfom better if firing on both cylinders!

Probably help keep me from putting my boat in circles, seems like I was continuously adding starboard correction last summer, which I assumed was a newbie to water rowing/technique problem.

Thanks! Pam

seat5 · Post by **seat5** » January 21st, 2007, 1:54 pm

How did your coach test for this? I have the same problem; my right leg is just along for the ride, it seems. I have the hardest time making my right leg do it's share. Do you mind sharing your coach's recommendations for correcting it?

Alissa · Post by **Alissa** » January 21st, 2007, 2:22 pm

seat5 wrote:How did your coach test for this? I have the same problem; my right leg is just along for the ride, it seems. I have the hardest time making my right leg do it's share. Do you mind sharing your coach's recommendations for correcting it?

Carla,

Since you have slides, you can do one-legged work so that the right leg can't simply come along for the ride. Plant the left leg to the left of the erg. Lock your left knee and ankle so that they form right angles (the goal here is to not use the left leg at all!--you're simply planting yourself to a particular spot on the floor--the erg will move up & down beneath you). Make sure that the hips are stable (neither hip is farther forward than the other on) and your weight stays evenly distributed on the seat. I understand that you'll find this in some of Xeno's DVD's. (We certainly do it when at the Iron Oarsman.)

I don't know that this is "the" correction, but it can't hurt. I think everyone has a dominant leg/arm...and that they are often on opposite sides. So simply something to work through.

HTH,

Alissa

Widgeon · Post by **Widgeon** » January 21st, 2007, 7:59 pm

seat5, We tested the leg strength with both the seated leg press machine and the leg curl. I did a maximum strength effort with both legs; single lift, rest, add weight, single lift until I was unable to lift the additional weight. After rest, repeated with just left leg, rest, then with just right leg. Did the entire sequence again with leg curl.

We calculated about 50% of my maximum single leg effort for the right (weak) leg and I will do my weekly weight training with single leg lifts on those two machines, using the same weight on each leg. So far extremely easy for the left leg, hard for the right. I will do a total of 3 sets during our circuit, with 15 reps per leg. He wants the right leg to strengthen while maintaining, but not increasing the left leg strength, with plans to start inceasing strength in both legs once I have better strength balance. Hopefully in a few weeks.

I don't have slides, but my coach did recommend the single leg rowing on slides as an additional good way to help strengthen the right leg. I can tell I don't have the endurance for the intense work on the right. I tried just lightening up on the pressure and trying to engage just my right leg for parts of my hour peice today. Can really feel it when I do. This will take some time to correct, and my inclination is to do some additional training with the right leg to hasten the process. I am planning some additional closed chair resistance work, right leg only, and going up stairs with right leg leading.

Pam

PaulS · Post by **PaulS** » January 22nd, 2007, 11:51 am

Good test, but if you could give the results it would be interesting to evaluate.
No need for actual weights if you don't want to give them, percentages will do.

Right Leg Max + Left Leg Max = 100%
Both Legs together Max = ?%
Right Leg Max = ?%
Left Leg Max = ?%

Example: Right = 75lbs. Left = 100lbs. Together = 150lbs
Right Leg Max + Left Leg Max = 100% (175lbs)
Both Legs together Max = 85.7% (150/175)
Right Leg Max = 42.9% (75/175)
Left Leg Max = 57.1% (100/175)

One of the critical measures in Rowers is that the better ones approach 100% using both legs together. It is not unusual to be in the 80% range for the normal population.

The single leg work would be fine to address a large imbalance from left to right, however it does not address the more important issue of getting the legs to work together, which can have causes that stem from technique and posture.

If you are a sweep rower, I would suspect that you are a Starboard, and could benefit from switching sides from time to time.

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » January 22nd, 2007, 12:51 pm

Widgeon wrote:I tried just lightening up on the pressure and trying to engage just my right leg for parts of my hour peice today. Can really feel it when I do.

We used to do quite a bit of trotting while running, switching leads, an exercise I got from Percy Cerutty. It's very cool. Differences between legs are quite evident and get rapidly sorted.

For example, while running normally, start leading with one leg and driving from the other. There is not much change in running speed when this happens. When leading with the right leg, the dominant drive comes from the left and visa versa. This is a great exercise to work into one's running any time.

It would be interesting to do a semblance of this on the erg.

Regarding the weight tests, when olympic lifting, my best lift for the snatch was 220 pounds. However my coach liked us to do the 1 arm snatch with big hand weights and I got up to 150 pounds for this, as the snatch is done with the whole body and the arms primarily used to direct, maintain the motion and then catch the bar at the top. So there was some loss this way but it was not 50 percent of the total.

As top rowers appear to approach 100 percent with legs together compared to their legs totalled individually, this points that they are getting close to 100 percent of force either way from their legs only and not getting carryover effects from the rest of their body for this test, such as from their gluts etc.

Interesting. I wonder how many variables were controlled in that test. For example did all subjects have similar leg strength or where the rowers compared to a general population with weak legs. In any case, the point is well taken that the legs should be strong and well balanced.

grams · Post by **grams** » January 22nd, 2007, 3:34 pm

I found out that I had a blown acl last year when I started using Ergmonitor. After some experimentation I figured out that my left leg was not as stable or as strong.

So I got the acl replaced and mu physiotherapist gave me endless exercises to strengthen my weak leg. Some of the sideways ones may actually have tweaked my back a bit, as I have been compensating posturally for the bad leg for a long time. Anyhow, here is a short list of exercises for your weak side.

Lie down and do leg lifts: 3 sets of 10 reps front sides and back. Add ankle weight as you get better. Not too much-1 to 3 pounds are fine.
Cycling on the trainer.
Make a loop in one end of a piece of surgical tubing, Make a knot in the other end. Slam the knot in a door, and put your bad foot throughthe loop. Now you can do resistance training while standing, by pulling your leg in the opposite direction.

While you are watching tv:
tighten and hold your quads. Point your toes and tighten all the leg muscles. Hold it for 10-30 seconds.
Bend your toes back towards your body and tighten all the leg muscles and hold it for 10-30 seconds

I do the tv ones all the time. You woul be surprised how much of a difference it makes.

You may need to work on balancing on the bad leg too.

thanks,
grams (slowly coming back from all the 'fixes' I have put my body through lately)

Widgeon · Post by **Widgeon** » January 22nd, 2007, 9:18 pm

Paul, here is the data, I think I have this the way you requested:

Max (R): 115 lb
Max (L): 130 lb
Max (Both): 220lb
Max(R) + Max (L) =245 lb

% Both ( Max (Both)/ [Max (R) + Max (L)]
=220/245 = 89.7%

%R = Max(R)/Max (R+L) = 115/245 =46.9%
%L = Max(L)/ Max (R+L) = 130/245 =53.1%

As I have started the process of strengthening the right leg I am amazed both by how much weaker it is, the diminished stability and the lack of endurance wrt the left leg. I don't know that these numbers reflect what I am experiencing subjectively.

I do very little sweep rowing, mostly sculling. Including marathon distance twice last fall, once in a single, and racing as an octuple (bow).
I definately need to improve technique, but that is coming along.

I have noticed the right side of my shorts being rubbed and torn on the rigging screws, I actually covered them with electrical tape for the practices and race. I guess the strong left leg was pushing me into the right side of the boat, against the screwheads. (either that of the right side of my butt is fatter!

)

grams and John, Thanks for the interesting comments and suggestions. I will try some the the strengthening exersizes you suggested. I can already tell that stretching will be an important part of this process!

Thanks! Pam

PaulS · Post by **PaulS** » January 22nd, 2007, 10:27 pm

Pam,

It really looks more like what a normal right footed person would do. Just exercising the legs a bit independently will improve the coordination of the muscles in your right leg and you will balance out quite quickly simply due to practice effects. There would be similar differences between your right and left hands doing dumbell exercises, unless you have already practiced them.

89% of the sum of both legs is also quite good. For the leg exercises, do the same things with both the right and left and with the same amount of weight. Focus on what feels different between the two, which you are already doing, and getting them to feel similar.

As for the boat ribs, the difference between touching and not can be very small, and though there probably are asymetries in your bum, there are also similar differences in your sitz bones and how you center on the seat. You came up with a good solution by covering the offending surfaces with smooth tape. The bow also narrows, so kind of a double whammy there.

Widgeon · Post by **Widgeon** » January 23rd, 2007, 10:52 am

Paul, Thanks for the advice and reassurance. I will continue to focus on symetrical leg strengthening. Feels like the difference between the two legs is huge now that I'm focused on it; like you said, it will probably balance out pretty quickly now that I'm working on it. Maybe bring greater balance to the rest of my life as well?

Carla, are you getting all of this? Great race last weekend! Speedy woman! Congratulations!

Thanks to all!

Pam