Back after long layoff, BIG uneven arm strength

[gatesmarch]

Hey guys,

I'm finally back at it again after a 4 month layoff for my joints and other injuries to heal. I'm 40 so things don't work like they used to. Anyway here's what's going on and I'm looking for some tips. I've just started my 2nd week of my 5 day split/9 week program. When it comes to individual arm exercises, my weak arm is WAY behind my strong arm. I can do 10 reps on my strong one, and my weak one will totally die at 5-6 reps of the same weight.

So, do I...
A. Eliminate single hand exercises for this cycle, until my muscles are back in the groove?
B. Stay at the same weight until my weak arm catches up ?(doubt it)
C. Continue increasing weight individually for each arm?

Any advice would be appreciated. It was a really frustrating workout tonight.

 

[Creepusmaximus]

Barbell curls with uneven weight on each end no collars. 10 on one side 20 on the other or whatever. Idea is to force the weak side to catch up to keep the weights from falling off.

Give it a try.....

 

[MaxxReps]

B - Brother.

A will mask the problem, C will keep making it worse.

I had a major shoulder imbalance that really affected everything. I went with strictly one handed exercises for everything and after 8 months it caught up and I am really starting to make solid gains again. That meant single arm pull downs, dum bell chest and shoulder presses, dumb bell rows, single arm tricep work etc.