Body Asymmetry and Efficiency

We are all given a body to use it as we please. Very few of them are perfect in terms of function and health, both from inherited sources and things we do to it. If you look at me, at first glance I seem normal or average. As I get more into kettlebell lifting I notice just how different the two halves of my body are.:

I broke my left collarbone when I was about 12. If you look closely, it is a slightly different shape and size than my right. It makes my left shoulder a little farther from my midline and makes that trap muscle appear a little bigger. My overhead flexibility is a little more limited than my right. I drove a truck with a hydraulic clutch for 5 years, so my left calf is more cut around the bottom of it, making it appear shorter than my right. The horizontal lines in my abdominals are staggered, not straight across. My chiropractor says my spine is a big S-curve (If that's true, it is slight and recent). I am a bass (upright and guitar) player by former profession. Each forearm and hand muscle group is trained to function a different way. The strap hanging the guitar on my left shoulder for thousands of gigs may have further "asymmetrized" my upper body. I strap a 2-pound pistol on my right hip all the time, and a full gunbelt every day at work. I also wear body armor, so my hip and trunk mobility is decreased and I naturally find ways to compensate. I have crashed on my left knee twice, so it will probably never feel the same as my right.

I can deadlift, squat, and press all I want, and I feel great doing it. But as a lifelong strength and conditioning routine, The asymmetries in my body lead me to focusing on ballistic work, kettlebell lifting is way more forgiving to my two unequal halves.

Whether I do single-kettlebell work, or doubles, there are asymmetries. Over the months, I have learned that what is the best for one side may not be for the other.

From the ground up:

On swing sets, I follow all the rules: grip position rounding the inside corner of the bell, the thumb lock, head following the bell, anatomical breathing, etc. But when I switch, it just feels different. My right hand has more strength when the handle is positioned lower on my grip. My left is better off contacting my index-thumb circle and laying across farther down the fingers.

On the rack. Again, I follow all the rules: leverage the weight by leaning back and rounding the upper back to let the elbows contact the hips, relaxed wrist position, filling the bell handle by choking up to the corner, with it sitting diagonally against the "hip" of the hand, the ball distributing evenly on hand, arms/shoulders, and chest. But my torso is minutely asymmetrical all over the place. It is most relaxing and efficient if my right hand rotates inward, and my left slightly outward. The handle sits on a slightly different place on the "hip" of each hand. We're talking millimeters difference here. The result is my right forearm is at a different angle and closer to my midline and my left is rotated slightly more outward. I do not interlace fingers in the rack, but the handles overlap so I could if I want.

The lockout: My right shoulder feels flexible and relaxed because I can easily lock out with the bell more internally rotated. My left takes a little more tension to hold a stable lockout. And I cannot rotate it as much. I think It has to do with my collarbone, or possibly my spine.

All my kettlebell movements themselves have slight differences (I follow all the rules still) from side to side. I have worked hard to make them equal, trying what feels the best for each side on the other. I have come to the conclusion that since my strength and endurance on both halves from top to bottom is about equal, it is ok to work with what is best for each. Until I notice a difference in performance or health, I will continue to embrace that different quirks can be addressed and as long as I am following the basic rules of safety, efficiency, and use proper mechanics, I can do it my way. Since almost no one is perfectly symmetrical, find what works for you for each body part and listen to how it feels. pay attention to how it performs and you can maximize your kettlebell lifting.