What does this imply...?

[SofaGeorge]

When I do alternating dumbell movements... I always do my left arm first. My left arm is/was my weaker arm... so I knew that when I hit max with my left arm I was cooked. In order to maintain symetry... I always stopped my right arm reps at what ever number I maxed out with on my left. If I could only do 8 reps of dumbell curls with my left... I stopped my right arm at 8 reps.

Every now and then I would experiment with my right arm strength. I knew that when I maxed out on 8 reps with my left... I could often get a 9th... and maybe even a 10th rep with my right. Sometimes I tried it to prove it.

Today... I was in the gym training arms. I got out the dumbells... set the bench for 5x5 on the incline dumbell curls... and hit 5 reps with my left... barely... on the first set. Then when I went to finish my 5th rep on my right... I could only get 4.

I tested this on each successive set. On each set my right arm gave out just slightly before my left.

Now the easy answer is - my left arm has gotten stronger... or my right arm has gotten weaker. I know the weights that I use... and I can say conclusively that my left arm HAS gotten stronger.

I'm at life long all time highs on my strength... and now I've experienced another freaky little wierd leap up... but only on one side. Can anybody offer any theroies as to why this might happen?

 

[b fold the truth]

Hmmm...simple body exhaustion?

Just a though...I really dunno...

B True

 

[casualbb]

What's weird is that just by REALLY focusing on a movement and sort of imagining the muscle going through the movement, you can improve strength and size, as compared to not focusing as intensely. I literally evened out my pecs just by "thinking" about pushing with the left pec during my incline DB presses. Strange stuff.

Perhaps this is a similar effect; you were devoting more attention to your left arm because you were aware of it being weaker.

-casualbb

 

[coolcolj]

Your CNS is fatigued - simply as that.


CNS is a global thing

 

[beastboy]

CNS.....I experience the same thing with 1 arm DM rows.

 

[Lord_Suston]

that is wqhy I do db curl simultaneously seated, no fatigue on CNS and no cheating by using your shoulders to drive the weight up . Arms are exactly the same strength

 

[collegiateLifter]

Your CNS is fatigued - simply as that.


CNS is a global thing

i'm with ccj on this one. I find there is bigtime central fatigue on low rep patterns like 5x5. Poliquin will recomend like 5x5 on militaries then superset every 2 mins with 5x5 on pullups. I well i do WAY shittier when i do it that way as opposed to takin the full 4mins of rest between militaries and just doin pullups in the latter part of my work out. This leads me to believe that that fatigue is central, not peripheral.