One Pec Is Bigger Than The Other? 10 Tips To Help Fix
Do you ever wonder why one of your pecs is bigger than the other? It’s a common – if perhaps difficult – question among avid lifters and fitness enthusiasts, but there are actually some pretty good explanations for why it might be happening.
Thankfully, understanding the reasons behind this difference can help you find ways to bring balance back to both sides of your chest!
In this blog post, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about why one half of your pec might appear larger than the other, so that soon enough you’ll have a more symmetrical (or at least more proportionately buff) set of pecs.
Why Is One Pec Bigger Than The Other?
Uneven pecs can be caused by a variety of factors, from medical issues and injury to inheritance or discrepancies in the strength of different muscles. Whatever it may be, understanding why your pec imbalance exists is integral for creating an effective remedy. You could have a medical condition like scoliosis, which affects muscle development on one side of your body more than the other, this can lead to asymmetrical chest muscles. Similarly, if you’ve recently suffered a serious injury to your chest or shoulder, the affected area may take longer to heal and could appear smaller than the non-injured half due to muscular atrophy. Genetics can also play a role in uneven pecs – if one side of your family has larger pectoral muscles than the other, then chances are that you might too. Finally, an imbalance of strength can contribute to uneven pecs. If you mainly use your dominant side for work or certain exercises (like chest press or pull-ups), this can cause one of your pecs to develop faster than the other. To get balanced development on both sides, it’s important to focus on unilateral training and using dumbbells instead of barbells or doing exercises that target each side of your body individually.
It can be frustrating having one pec smaller than the other, but there are ways to help bring balance and symmetry back to your chest, let’s look at them now…
1. One side is heavily favoured
It’s perfectly normal to have one dominant side when it comes to doing anything that involves manual labour or fitness. For most people, this dominant side is the right and it’s important to recognize which one of your pecs is more favoured than the other. By recognizing this, you can consciously try and draw more focus and attention to your weaker side when working out.
It can be difficult if you have a job which involves manual labour that requires you to use your dominant side more than usual – in which case you should try and supplement this with extra exercises that target the weaker side.
There are some occasions when the smaller pec is the dominant side, which can be frustrating and confusing because you want to focus on building up the weaker side but can’t seem to get it as big as your dominant one. In this case, more emphasis should be placed on stretching and mobility work which will help open up the muscle range of motion and thus help with muscular development when working out.
2. Medical condition
If you have a medical condition, like scoliosis or even an imbalance of hormones, this could lead to uneven muscle development on one side of your body compared to the other. It can be difficult for medical conditions like these because they require a different approach when it comes to training and even dieting – talking to a nutritionist or doctor can help you find out what is best for you in terms of exercise.
Other medical issues include muscle weakness due to nerve damage, which can cause one side of your body to compensate for the lack of strength and thus appear larger than the other. In cases like this, it’s important to consult a medical professional about possible treatments or therapies that could help bring balance back to your chest muscles.
Certain medical conditions can affect your posture or the development of different muscles on either side of your body, which can be causing one pec to appear smaller than the other. In this case, it’s important to seek professional advice and get a diagnosis as soon as possible.
A doctor may be able to provide you with specific exercises or treatments that will help to even out your pectoral muscles or refer you to a specialist who can help.
3. Injury
If you’ve recently suffered an injury that has affected one of your pecs more than the other, it’s important to take some time off to let the area heal and avoid exacerbating any existing imbalances in strength between the two sides. Once you have healed fully, take extra care when doing chest exercises and focus on using lighter weights.
It’s important to take your time when recovering from an injury and ensure you are fully healed before going back to more intensive workouts, as this could cause further damage or uneven muscular development.
Having a solid rehabilitation plan is crucial when coming back from any injury, as the muscles need to be strengthened and stretched in order to reach their full range of motion – this will help to even out any muscle imbalances.
Some people get bored and frustrated quickly after recovering from an injury as the rehab can be extremely monotonous, but it’s important to understand the exercises and time it takes to heal and build a muscle can take weeks and months, not days or hours.
4. It’s genetic
The smaller pec may be simply hereditary – some people are just born with one side of their body which is naturally bigger and stronger than the other. In this case, it can be hard to bring balance to your chest muscles as the imbalance between them may be genetic.
It is important to understand how both genetics and lifestyle can affect your body’s development – if you are genetically predisposed to having one side of your chest smaller than the other, be mindful of how much you use it in exercises as this could worsen any existing imbalance.
However, don’t be discouraged by an unevenly developed chest! With proper training, it is possible to build up your weaker pec and bring some degree of balance. Although it may never look the same as its counterpart, exercising and strengthening can help even out both sides to a certain degree.
5. Is the problem elsewhere?
It’s important to understand that if one side of your chest appears bigger than the other, it doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the only muscle group affected. It could be a combination of weak muscles throughout your body or even an imbalance in flexibility which may affect posture and stability when performing exercises.
To identify the true source of the problem, it’s important to look at your overall form during exercise and assess how you move. Once you have identified any areas of weakness or tightness, you can then work on individual exercises and stretches to bring balance back to your body.
For example, you may need to do more unilateral training sessions, such as dumbbells, to focus on the weaker side of your body and bring it up to the same level as your dominant side.
Additionally, issues with your range of motion can also affect how well certain muscles develop – if one side is too tight or stiff due to poor flexibility, you may need to focus on stretching and lengthening the muscles in order to bring balance back.
Related: Is bench press enough for your chest?
6. What exercises are you doing?
It’s important to understand the exercises you are doing and why they are beneficial for each of your pectoral muscles. This can help to identify any imbalances in strength or focus between them. For example, if you find that one side is naturally bigger than the other, it may be because you tend to do more press-ups and dips which focus on the chest more than other exercises.
If you find that certain exercises are causing an imbalance in your chest development, it might be helpful to switch up your routine and focus on doing more unilateral training sessions – this can help to bring balance back between the two sides of your body.
It is also important to focus on the form of each exercise. This can make a huge difference when it comes to building up your weaker pec and helping you to identify any imbalances in strength or motion between the two sides. Additionally, focusing on the mind-muscle connection can help to target both muscles evenly and also bring balance back between them.
7. Unilateral training
To help even out any muscle imbalances between your two pecs, it’s important to focus on unilateral training – that is working one side at a time. This will allow you to target each side of your body equally and bring balance back between them. Dumbbells are a great tool for this – you can use them to focus on the weaker side, isolating and strengthening it until it’s up to the same level as your dominant pec.
When you use pec exercises with dumbbells, it’s important to pay attention to form and concentrate on slowing down your movements. This will help you to be mindful of which side of your body you’re focusing on and make sure that both sides are getting equal attention.
If you only use barbels and have uneven pecs, consider including more unilateral exercises in your routine and focus on getting the form right. Additionally, be sure to stretch regularly and pay attention to any imbalances between the two sides of your body.
With proper training, it is possible to build up your weaker pec and bring some degree of balance.
8. Issues with ROM
Another reason why one side may be bigger than the other is due to issues with range of motion. For example, if one side of your body is too tight or stiff due to poor flexibility, this can affect the development of certain muscles – such as your pectoral muscles.
To address this issue, it’s important to focus on stretching regularly and lengthening any tight or stiff muscles. Yoga and Pilates are two forms of physical exercise that can help to restore balance between the left and right sides of your body by improving strength, flexibility, and range of motion.
If you aren’t performing exercises with the full range of motion, you will develop muscle imbalances over time and this may then lead to one side of your body being bigger than the other. So it’s important to be mindful when you are working out and make sure that you are using the full range of motion for each exercise.
9. Form
Pay attention to your form when you are working out. This is very important for understanding which muscles are being targeted and making sure that both sides of your body are receiving equal attention.
Make sure that you have good posture, keep your core engaged and focus on slowing down the movements, as this will help with establishing a mind-muscle connection between the two sides of your body. This will help to target both muscles evenly, ensuring that each side is receiving the same amount of stimulus and helping to create balance between them.
By focusing on form, you can help to identify any imbalances in strength or focus between the two pecs and work on strengthening your weaker side until it’s up to the same level as your dominant side.
Related: Why do I feel dumbbell chest flys in my shoulders?
10. Mind-muscle connection
The mind-muscle connection is essential when it comes to working out, as it helps you to focus your energy on the muscles that you are targeting. When you flex and hold a muscle contraction for a few seconds, this helps to engage the target area fully and make sure that both sides of your body are getting equal attention.
Therefore, if one of your pecs is bigger than the other, try to flex and hold each contraction for 3-5 seconds when you are performing pec exercises. This will help to ensure that both sides of your body are receiving equal attention while allowing them to develop evenly and helping to create symmetry between the two pecs.
Improving your mind-muscle connection with your pecs is also important for boosting the overall quality of your workouts and giving you a better aesthetic look. So be sure to flex both pecs when doing chest exercises, paying attention to the form, feeling the connection to each muscle, and focusing on slowing down the movements.
Final thoughts…
If you find that one of your pecs is bigger than the other, it may be because of a medical condition, injury or genetics. Alternatively, it could be due to a lack of unilateral training, issues with range of motion or form.
In order to bring some degree of balance between the two sides, focus on including more unilateral exercises into your routine, stretching regularly to improve flexibility and range of motion, and paying attention to form and mind-muscle connection. Doing so will help you build up your weaker pec and create an aesthetic look with balanced muscles.
Is one of your pecs smaller than the other and have these tips helped? Let me know in the comments below.
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