How to Lift with Scoliosis & Muscle Imbalance

[@juliehibberd5007]

Your video confirms what I have suspected, and have been trying to discuss with physiotherapists (for decades) regarding the exercises they suggest to help with my S-shaped curvature. I have tried, without success, to explain that working both sides simultaneously does not work because my stronger side carries the weaker side. Only to be told "just do the exercises as directed" and treated at like I'm not doing the work and letting myself down, and that I'm wasting the physiotherapists time. Thank you for making this video. 🙏

[@tylerberry139]

Ive been working out with scoliosis for 4.5 years and he's 100% right about working one side at a time, I only realized this about 1.5 years ago, but I've noticed a massive difference in development on the weaker side. Also from my personal experience, working basically all muscles in the back, especially the traps lats and rotator cuff has made a big difference for me.

[@erikthomasfitness]

I love seeing feedback like this! Thank you for sharing.

[@pug2451]

Could you elaborate your workout? I have an s curve and I’ve been to pt but can’t seem to really “fix” my curve and always seem to hurt after a long day at work. Should I be focusing one side at a time instead of lifting both at the same time?

[@tylerberry139]

@Pug first of all, I am not a PT just to be clear. So, unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions for fixing your pain, but I do have suggestions for executing an effective workout while having a large muscle imbalance caused by scoliosis. Basically all the exercises in my workouts are unilateral, only some exercise I will do 2 handed because they are essential for strength in that muscles group, like barbell bench press or 2 handed lat rows on a cable machine. Other than almost every single exercise i do is unilateral so my stronger right side can't take away from the weaker left side, by executing unilateral exercise it forces my weak side to be fully independent. One specific tip I have tho, is to develop your traps fully especially your mid and lower traps. They are probably underdeveloped if you have scoliosis, also work on your rotater cuffs. Overall Stability and strength should be your goal.

[@manuelmacias5192]

@@erikthomasfitnessdo you have any tips on how I can improve my shoulders? I’m really insecure with pictures one side is always higher then the other

[@dontmindme8467]

@@manuelmacias5192 posture might be causing it. Exercise and good posture has made my back and upper body in general look more or less normal standing straight.

[@williamherner7569]

Authentic as fuck, mad respect. Hate all these fake ass fitness people. You made my day bro.

[@erikthomasfitness]

Appreciate you 🤝

[@RussFicara]

As a chiropractor I found your video very intelligent and sincere. Good Job Erik!

[@BitterMedicineNoSugar]

Thanks bro, I am 45 and started working out again after years. My shoulder joints were aching when lifting. I switched to dumbells and now I have put on some muscle and definition enough to where if I put on a T-shirt people start looking. having scoliosis, wasn't as big a problem when I was younger, as it is now. Seeing this lets me know I am not alone and am on the right track. I went from 295 lbs to 192 lbs, target goal is in sight (185 lbs, I am 6"0).

[@erikthomasfitness]

I stay away from all barbell movements besides squatting on occasion. Cables and dumbbells are the way to go.

[@kristofernivens6903]

Thank you so much for posting this video. I just randomly figured out I have mild scoliosis after taking a pic of my back muscles to check progress. Obvious (but mild) curve in the spine. It's funny because unilateral exercises always felt more in my control, but everyone preaches bilateral compound movements these days. I'm looking forward to rehashing my entire routine to focus on unilateral training.

[@jibirocksyou2]

Can’t tell you how much pain I feel some days. Sometimes I just feel like I should give it up but it’s motivating to see others with the same problem doing better. Thank you

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@jibirocksyou2 the pain doesn’t get better until you fix the problem. Fuel your body. Strengthen it and the endorphins will overcome your pain

[@mohammedahmed1887]

I truly hope you read and respond to my comment. Living with scoliosis, I deeply relate to your fitness content. My primary challenge is my chest workouts, where my right side tends to be shoulder-dominant, while my left side engages my chest effectively during compound exercises like the bench press. Despite my best efforts, unilateral exercises have not completely addressed this issue. Even when I perform flat, incline, and decline dumbbell bench presses with my right hand, my shoulder still takes over. Before I was aware of my scoliosis, I took on a 200 push-up a day challenge for a month. This resulted in a visibly larger left chest and right shoulder. Even during push-ups, I felt my left chest working, but on the right side, it was my shoulder that got the intense sensation. This experience led me to develop a dislike for push-ups Now, I'm focused on building a balanced and complete chest, despite having access to only dumbbells and barbells in my gym. Your advice on addressing this challenge would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[@spyrosdafereras5110]

Bro i have the same problem but the opposite. My left shoulder is stronger and my right peck is stronger. I have figured out my shoulder workout but my chest workout is still a problem. I dont want to give up on bench press cause i have come a long way and i dont know what to do . Cause when i bench press my left shoulder takes over and my right peck is being stimulated more than my left one. I think i should switch to a flat press machine or dumbell press

[@thespeedlife]

Hey guys, I had the same issue two years ago and what fixed it for me was Isolating the pecs on a chest fly machine. Basically just did a variations of flies for chest, excluding all pressing movments for some time until you develop a strong mind muscle connection with your chest.

[@yoyo-yg3fo]

Starting out weightlifting and going to the gym, then it dawned on me that I have scoliosis (I had forgotten lmfaoo). So this video was really informative because I had read up that I shouldn’t do deadlifts etc, thanks.

[@yoyo-yg3fo]

I forgot to mention it’s just mild, nothing serious, but I thought it would be wise to look into it. Just because I felt a slight imbalance. Thanks again for the video!

[@leonardoaniballi3711]

I have mild scoliosis too . I’ve been having problemas since I started training 4 years ago, firstly calisthenics that actually made me totally unbalanced in the upper back, traps in particular . The unbalances were caused by my bad form probably and scoliosis mixed together cause I was stuck home with covid . Then a year ago I started going to the gym regularly and having some chiropractic help sometimes . Things got better , the unbalances went away…but only partially . The traps are good and basically at view is all good . Despite this I got the right arm that move in a slight different path than the other due to the scapula positions, this shit lead me into a difficulty in balancing barbells exercises like bench press and rows . And also in those exercises I am more weak than the others not managing to hit full potential . At the end of the day I always got pain in my right scapula that skyrocket when I don’t go to my chiro for more than 2 weeks . It’s something that gets me mad and also fucks with my brain . But at the end of day I still have unbalances that piss me off so much . Anyway it is what is , don’t let stupid scoliosis stop you from getting huge gains . Keep it up bro

[@Gabe-CN]

@@leonardoaniballi3711do physical therapy instead of chiropractor or do both, chiropractor might help u for the moment but pt will help u stop having pain

[@jessemurray1757]

You are correct, unilateral is a must for people that are not able to fire their muscles properly. Another good tip is to start off using light bands focusing on perfect form and isometric holds. I can't stress enough how important it is to get your abs firing properly too. It's also not a bad idea to toss in a few sets of single sided isolation movements. I've dealt with this issue my entire lifting career. It caused me to become more limb dominant on my right side and more torso dominant on my left. I find that using lighter weights a majority of the time along with using mostly dumbbells helps tremendously. I spend a lot of time focusing on form, mind muscle connection and controlling the weight using little, if any, momentum. I will probably always have to focus hard on form during exercise but at least I can maintain a balanced and even looking physique.

[@erikthomasfitness]

Well said. I use dumbbells and unilateral machines for 90% of my workouts

[@universeobserver378]

What are the details of your scoliosis? Do you have a s or c shaped curve? It's hard to spot too much asymmetry in your shoulders. Keep up the good work.

[@JaccobSimka]

This vid changed my life.

[@lifestyleofthearts1205]

Thank for this, I was just diagnosed with lumbar scoliosis. And the gym was my therapy, I went for 2 years and before that did home workouts and since I have been diagnosed I stopped working out in total due to the pain and fear that I might make it worse. And I ended up losing almost 10lbs due to this, and I thought I could never step foot back in the gym, thank u for this knowledge it is going to help me so so much as I also thought I was stuck doing posture and yoga workouts. I hope you have a blessed day! Keep doing you

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@lifestyleofthearts1205 i never gave up. It took 10 years to figure everything out. I’ve been pain-free for 5 and built the physique I always wanted. I’m releasing my masterclass this week!

[@jacksonlim40]

What exercise that can help me grow muscle and strength shall I do?? I also have scoliosis smilliar to your which is lumbar spine

[@cyndyweber4500]

Thank you so much for all research and sharing what you have learned!! My S curve is 65° on both curves, For the first time in my life (I'm 67 years old)I can lift weights without getting hurt. You are an inspiration, thank you so very much!

[@erikthomasfitness]

Everyone’s story is different. Thank you for sharing as well!

[@2P2G5C]

single kettlebell clean and press is a unilateral compound lift. Snatches and swings etc

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@2P2G5C Without a trainer, I wouldn’t recommend something so advanced for people who are experiencing pain. I’ve always been a proponent of slow and controlled to gain mind-muscle connection

[@meagainstmyself5923]

Dude u made my day I’ve been trying to put on some size for three years and just keep getting hurt and set back I’ve been super down like not even trying to lift the last two days this gives me hope !!!!!!!!!!

[@erikthomasfitness]

I’ve been there. Don’t do anything that causes you pain. Workout with a weight that you can comfortably move and control. Make sure you’re even. Use a weight that’s a lot lighter than you’d expect.

[@ganirambis]

Thanks, this sounds like pretty solid advice - I started lifting a couple of months ago at age 61 and it really became apparent quickly that I definitely need to make some kind of adjustment. Unilateral make a lot of sense.

[@nathaliejimenez110]

This is great advice I started doing this a while back, but I still do compound lifts with one or two excercises. Now I’m going to focus only on the unilateral while I balance. Please keep sharing your journey! Thanks.

[@honestjohn8894]

I've done weights (Compound lifts) for over 10 years. I've only found out I have Scoliosis at the lumber and worse at the Thoracic (and i'm in my 40's). I find it hard to change and almost don't want to, but I guess I know long term I have to get to the unilateral work out. As I have been in pain lately. The Dumbells will replace the Barbell. Thanks nice video.

[@edibleapothecary]

Thank you! Please make more content about scoliosis!

[@cassandraanderson1255]

Thank you so much for the advice. And it's so helpful to read similar stories to mine here in the comments. Specifically I want to thank you for the honesty in admitting that not everything you say may be right for all of us. Scoliosis is so idiosyncratic. I have learned that you must arm yourself with knowledge but your body is your ultimate guide.

[@erikthomasfitness]

Well said. Thank you!

[@CaptainYaadie]

I’m 27 and have been compound training my whole life with scoliosis, but now I think I will switch to unilateral. I’m tired of looking at how my right side lat is bigger than my left😂 good content

[@erikthomasfitness]

Thank you! Unilateral training will definitely even you out

[@Northern_Star]

Wow man, seeing a lot of myself in you. I went from being told I should never lunge or put weight over my head to squatting 3 plates. Being told you can’t is a great motivator I suppose. Unilateral is the way. Also band work can help to balance compound movements and work through mobility issues. If you haven’t tried squatting low bar I’d recommend it based on where your curvature lies. My upper back curves right so I try not to put direct downward pressure on the upper spine. Also some days after a workout of intentional flexing my back muscles A LOT my spine would end up being one the most sore areas. After doing that for years now my scoli has substantially been reduced in X-rays. Lots of scapula flexion and realizing that yes high rep is good but you must still have high intensity for long lasting myofibril hypertrophy. Never give up people :)

[@erikthomasfitness]

Love this feedback!! Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻

[@ostypicgaming5725]

Hello, I got diagnosed with a 16 degree thoracic scoliosis and a 17 degree lumbar scoliosis just about 11 days ago, it resembles the shape of an S. I'm a 17 year old man. I've been really confused as to how I should approach the gym and what exercises I should and shouldn't do, my PT said that I should quit the gym and never think about coming back ever again as it 'supposedly' puts pressure into your spine. But I ain't no scientist and people really recommended different stuff and I've never been more confused in my life. I know my case is not a severe one but I've heard that scoliosis is a progressive condition. My main question is how can I make use of unilateral training to help my lower area as it's the one that causes me the most pain because my hips are even.

[@Gabe-CN]

@@ostypicgaming5725jus lift and see what works for you. For me it doesnt cripple me in the gym, just listen to your body. If you are hurting one day do some maintenance and make sure ur healthy. Doing lots of planks and core strengthening stuff and not as much stuff like russian twists more like planks and dead bugs

[@Matt-ov1qp]

I did unilateral movements for a long time before doing compound. I'd say unilateral is safe and a good place to start for most people but I think most people can do compound as well.

[@erikthomasfitness]

Over time, I agree. Unilaterals help you identify how you’re compensating and can help with mind-muscle awareness

[@davidbrucemusicvideo]

Great advice, thank you so much! I used to be a personal trainer, and taught on high end sports supplementation for a company out of Dallas Texas. Normal weight was 219 pounds, now I’m around 207 pounds and can’t really seem to put muscle on because I’m 6‘5“ tall, 56 years old, and can’t lift as much because of scoliosis. I will totally put into practice what you just mentioned.

[@erikthomasfitness]

It’s all about consistency and progressive overload. Hit the same muscle group every 2-4 days to build muscle and keep your protein intake high 🤝

[@kelseyevans7806]

I was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency and fibulae hemmilia of the right leg and have recently done a lot of research about resistance training for my particular body type. I watched a mind pump media KZbin video where they recommended to a woman with my condition to do unilateral lower body exercises only. I’ve adopted it for the last few weeks and it’s going well so far - can’t wait to see the results over the next few months to year. 😊

[@proavocado1806]

Thx for taking the time to post this I have it myself

[@FidelStrength]

Great advice. Thanks for sharing. Suit case carries help my lower back imbalance. Plank and glute bridges help too. Will definitely focus on more unilateral exercises now though.

[@iamkimbap1]

I've been going to hiit and strength classes for the past few months but suddenly started having numb pains in my lower left back above my glute. Realise now it's due to all those weights I've been carrying and have now switched to pilates..

[@MsYummyMusic]

This is a game changer! Thank you so much for sharing the wisdom 🙏🔥

[@erikthomasfitness]

Glad I can help! Changed my life

[@MsYummyMusic]

It’s totally changing my life. Yesterday was Upper Body focus (free weights) and I modified it to all be unilateral movements. Wow - I found that I was so much more focused and engaged, I could lift heavier weight, and it didn’t induce any sciatic pain like usual. I want to cry this is so good. Gonna try this on Lower Body focus next. Excited for my future! 🔥🔥🔥

[@benyaminkaranlik3088]

Hey man i appreciate that so helpful for me please continue...

[@marlontrevon22]

Good video I definitely go through a lot your talking about and will try out those suggestions

[@wiktorb6846]

YOU are my idol. YOU helped me and i will be forever grateful

[@shampineXV]

Thanks bro, I really needed to see this video.

[@dominiktet7922]

Thanks . Maybe this is the way. Will try

[@daves5443]

Great video. Gonna give it a try

[@nikkirobinson5184]

This is life-changing! Thank you so much!!

[@kareanajensen1681]

I am 45, female and very fit. However, my scoliosis has progressed to 42.6 on the upper and the lower is compensating at 28 or so but twisting my pelvis out which is causing quite a bit of issue. I am going through a process to get a brace for stability to wear in the evenings and to learn some remedial exercises BUT I need to shift from so much running / jumping to weight training. Anyone else on here got a similar thing happening? I am so glad I saw this video as I have been going to the gym and not doing unilateral movements. I feel like I need help to know what to do.

[@erikthomasfitness]

I’d love to help! Pick out a time slot via my Instagram bio and let’s hop on a call 📞 I create custom workout plans and diet plans for my clients. I have an app that allows me to track your progress day by day to make sure we’re hitting your goals!

[@kareanajensen1681]

@@erikthomasfitness thanks. I’ll make contact on Insta. I am in Australia.

[@loriwilliamson5738]

Great video! Thank you for sharing your experience. Very helpful.

[@alexbenfield123]

Yes mate!! Thanks for this. Subscribed!

[@jctrades7048]

Thanks for the video. I will give it a try

[@mayalensky1170]

Great advice! definitely gonna try unilateral training

[@coletonk1401]

I have severe scoliosis and its hard for me to stay consistent with the gym the pain makes me want to skip but another side of me wants to grow stronger and i dont like being skinny

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@coletonk1401 it’s important to have a structured workout plan that addresses YOUR imbalances. Send me an email or reach out to me on insta

[@TheSuperiorSpidey]

Thanks for this man, I'm 15 with a 17 degree curve. I wanna start getting into the gym, and it just kinda pissed me off because my physical therapist basically told me to do the exercises she gave me but never really went futher about much else. edit: im also in karate so I realized that was also unilateral lol

[@avex0118]

My therapist and doctor told that i should NOT go to tgr gym 😢

[@TheSuperiorSpidey]

@@avex0118 Dang, if your above the age of 18, you dont need to worry about it as much because your done growing.

[@avex0118]

@@TheSuperiorSpidey i am, thanks for the information

[@TheSuperiorSpidey]

@@avex0118 cool, your welcome, because I've found people on youtube who weightlift with scoliosis

[@ChugsTheHippie]

More of these type of videos 🙏🏼

[@latishaperry1358]

Thank you, you gave me some hope.

[@1223-e9q]

Thanks a lot for the info! Really needed this advice.

[@erikthomasfitness]

Glad I could help

[@tristanyoung46]

Thank you Sir!

[@misias_momentum]

I like you! You are so honest and authentic!

[@amenays]

Really good content, I was really confused on how to lift safely with my scoliosis, but I have a question, how much was your Cobb Angle ?

[@erikthomasfitness]

Unfortunately, I never got it checked. I wish I did.

[@Mina-op5rc]

Great video. Thank you.

[@Thoughtspresso]

Thanks for this!

[@davidmaximovich8793]

Thanks for the advice!

[@orca_ah]

Thank you for this video

[@mommyof3_908]

Thank you so much for making a video about this. Scoliosis sucks. I started my fitness journey about 9 months ago and just fell in love with the lifestyle. But, I started getting an imbalance in my glutes. I seem to always have to "catch up" my left side.. With unilateral movements. So i guess I'm on the right path? I still do squats and deadlifts, goodmornings ect to still involve both sides. I have no problem firing up the left side so far it's just visual for me. No pain either so I'm not sure I should stop. But maybe I won't have as much issues with the imbalance if I stop. Thanks again

[@erikthomasfitness]

It’s trial and error. What works for you won’t necessarily work for someone else. Do what feels best, focus on your form and be smart about it. I’ll be updating everyone on my journey in the next month 🙏🏻

[@mommyof3_908]

@@erikthomasfitness ok great! Going to sub for that. Thanks! :)

[@qpred6234]

Good video man

[@mattkraig]

This seems so obvious hearing you say it but it just blew my mind. I really hope this can help me, thank you!

[@Wind_Style_Rasenshuriken]

Thank you ✨

[@Abriiii]

How do you train chest? Great vid

[@ЙерднаАпам]

Hi guys!How I can know which side is weaker?Concave or convex?

[@AngelRangel-z1f]

Do you start experiencing pain once you start to correct your scoliosis???

[@erikthomasfitness]

If you’re experiencing new pains, you’re doing something wrong. You may be extremely sore the first week or two when incorporating new exercises and waking up “latent” muscles but experiencing pain is an indication that you’re doing something wrong. Again, sharp burning pains are BAD. Fatigue and muscle soreness, or “DOMS” is good.

[@AngelRangel-z1f]

@@erikthomasfitness yeah it’s not sharp pain but it’s hard to describe but it’s probably from sitting in school for 8hrs

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@AngelRangel-z1f that’ll do it. I used to get that all the time. I would constantly change positions and try to stretch out my back but honestly working out is what really fixed everything for me

[@AngelRangel-z1f]

@@erikthomasfitness but you know how to work out which I don’t know I’m just scared to make it worse so I try just to stretch

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@AngelRangel-z1f book a call with me on my website. I’m an online personal trainer. I’ll get you caught up to speed in less than 90 days. No pain and a workout/diet regimen that’ll get you to where you want to be

[@Luckygirlme111]

I find it difficult to determine which side is weaker. I only know my right buttcheek is weaker because I can really feel the difference when I do one legged glute bridges. But for the back itself, I have no clue.

[@erikthomasfitness]

Usually the convex side of your curve is weaker. I would try single arm cable rows and see which side fatigues faster over the course of 3 sets

[@Luckygirlme111]

@@erikthomasfitness Thanks for the tip!

[@takieddiine5048]

Thank you man

[@erikthomasfitness]

Got you 🙌🏻

[@JPEGFILES]

Thank you so much, i just started noticing how my left side was bigger than my right.

[@erikthomasfitness]

Fix it early 📈

[@sabrinab6673]

My right side is huge compared to the left one! It is like i have never worked out my left muscles... when i’ve done same weight same reps... how should i fix it? If i train unilaterally it might not worsen things but i mean how can i get the left side to catch up ? Should i do more reps on the weaker side? Sorry that is the one thing i didn’t quite understand. Thanks a lot for the video litterally nobody talks about this! Keep posting i’d even love to see a full week or workouts and all the exercices that you think are safe for us and also effective for muscle imbalances.

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@sabrinab6673 you can do a few extra reps on your weaker side if you’d like but be careful not to overtrain. I prefer training my weaker side first and then training my stronger side to match the same amount of reps. Your “bigger” side could just be bigger due to inflammation but if your smaller side is the one that causes you pain, then your smaller side is injured and restricted in mobility. Focus on gaining the mobility back. The more range of motion you have, the more muscle breakdown you can incur and the more the muscle will grow. Hope this helps !

[@epicologyfr6177]

I've experimented a lot with my case, the biggest problem I have is muscle compensation, specifically starting out my lower back was used in every single exercise no matter what movement it is. Now it's barely used but I've discovered another problem, my traps are used in every exercise, they're used at all times of the day, I can't turn them off. I'll definitely try these tips out, my question is though, did you start out not focusing on musclebuilding, but on correcting the compensations instead? And if so, how long until you started focusing on building muscle? And when you started training, did you get treatment for your scoliosis or did you cope and work around it? Sorry for the long comment. I haven't been able to find information that directly answers the problems that you managed to answer in this video so I'm very grateful.

[@erikthomasfitness]

I started out with low weight to recognize my compensations. After I knew what my body was doing (correctly & incorrectly) I was able to make adjustments and increase my weight. Eventually I dialed in my calories to start packing on weight and build muscle. It took me 3-6 months of extreme focus before I really understood my body and how to build. I’ve been pain-free for 3+ years now. I’m the strongest and biggest I’ve ever been.

[@erikthomasfitness]

I tried a bunch of different styles of training and went to multiple specialists. I found what worked best for me by listening to my body (I’d something hurt… I wouldn’t do it). Prioritize your form and get a sense of “feel” for the exercise/movement before upping your weight

[@epicologyfr6177]

@@erikthomasfitness Thanks so much, you earned a subscriber btw!

[@ErlingGrey]

My dawg! This is great advice. I was going to give up but I won’t.

[@mmatrix3998]

Thank you bro

[@erikthomasfitness]

🤝

[@cameronevans1608]

Hey bro can you drop a stretching and workout routine I have the same problem with my lumbar scoliosis and shoulder pain

[@erikthomasfitness]

What’s up man. I dropped my workout plan on my website 🙏🏻

[@amershloul2247]

Omfg you are a genius kind hearted little man ily

[@here2comment1232]

Your results are amazing and inspiring man! I have a question about your scoliosis. I saw your transformation post on instagram where you showed the before photo, still looking imbalanced and definitely had the ‘scoliosis look’ type of posture (for lack of better words). However, I noticed that it didn’t actually look like your spine itself had a curve in it. How bad is your scoliosis? I have it mildly but my right side is noticeably bigger than the left, ribcage and shoulderblade sticking out more on the right. When I record my back and look at it I can definitely see a little curve in my spine, while yours seemed to be relatively straight. So my question is did you do any other exercises / movements besides the unilateral weight training to balance out or were you never very curvy to begin with? If you did have a curve before, and have now corrected most if not all of it, how did you do it? Also, now that you’ve essentially balanced yourself out using the unilateral approach, do you now do ‘normal’ compound exercises seeing as your muscle are in balance? Or do you stick to unilateral? Thank you for the inspiration!

[@erikthomasfitness]

What’s up man. Thank you so much for the response! I definitely have/had an abnormal curvature in my spine (thankfully it’s not too noticeable). I never got the degree of curvature of my spine so I’m not too sure how bad it is/was. Everything I’ve done has been to minimize pain and maximize growth and that’s what I’ve perfected over the last 4 years. I haven’t experienced pain since I’ve figured out how to train and build. I wrote a book on my experience, I’d be more than happy to share it with you. Now, I do a lot more bilateral movements. During my recovery, I did 90-100% unilateral… while now I do about 65-85% unilateral training. After years of experience, I know what feels good and what doesn’t… it just takes time getting to know your body.

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@here2comment1232 send me a DM on Instagram @erikthomasfitness

[@stephaniehenry6674]

May I ask what severity of scoliosis you have? I’m wondering if this is something I can do as well.

[@solo3976]

thank you for this

[@christoper4785]

I have 45° severedextroscoliosis thoracic. I do push up and bench press. I weigh 125pounds my rep max is 140 lbs. I don t feel any pain I feel good.

[@AngelRangel-z1f]

That’s amazing I have three questions I was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 15 almost a year ago. I’ve corrected most of it. I don’t have much pain but will that small pain ever go away??? Do you still have pain??? What jobs are not recommended??? I would like to be an auto mechanic but I’ve heard that it’s bad if you have scoliosis😢😢😢😢. THANKS

[@erikthomasfitness]

All of your pain should go away if you’re 100% healthy and everything’s in check. I haven’t had pain in 4+ years. And yes your job can definitely have an impact on your body.

[@AngelRangel-z1f]

@@erikthomasfitness does that also include eating healthy and is this what you do for a living help people☺️🙏

[@AngelRangel-z1f]

@@erikthomasfitness what are some habits I should start taking? And what streches do you recommend I corrected most of it but you caint correct it 100% so know I wanna work on pain free and strengthen the back

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@AngelRangel-z1f yes it does. And yes I work as an online personal trainer full-time!

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@AngelRangel-z1f it depends what’s going on with your body. Schedule a call with me via my Instagram bio and let’s figure everything out!

[@jakefarrell3769]

Hey man, great video. Lots of good info. I've been fighting lots of overuse injuries in my upper body (golfers elbow, wrist pain, general elbow joint pain etc) I have had scoliosis since i was young and my right shoulder dips lower than my left. Although these injuries do seem to happen in both arms, they are far worse on the side which my shoulder is lower. Do you think these chronic injuries I've been dealing with could be related to improper training due to me having scoliosis and imbalances created from having scoliosis? I'm not looking for medical advice just trying to see if you have had experience with these kind of injuries due to scoliosis. All the best !!

[@erikthomasfitness]

Yes that sounds exactly like what I went through. You’re mobility is probably restricted on the side that is lower, if I had to guess. I stopped doing all conventional lifts that involve barbells and my pains went away and I was able to grow. Unilateral cables, bands, and free weights is all I work with. No pain. And growing!

[@JohnsonSmithson]

Thanks a lot for the tips and guidance. I'll train unilaterally now, as I've noticed my left side's limbs are a little bit longer than the right's. Do you suggest, on exercises like the leg press using both legs or the pull up, to fully straighten (locking elbows/knees) or limit my ROM to always bent, but very close to straight?

[@erikthomasfitness]

Never lock out on leg press. Keep the tension on your quads at all times. When it comes to pull ups, I wouldn’t go to full extension and lock out your elbows. You’re trying to build your back muscles so keep the tension on your back at all times. This will help you with maintaining mind-muscle connection and prevent you from having your shoulder come out of your socket. (Assuming you have instability) I’m both exercises, keep it close to straight but maintain tension on the target muscle. Don’t lock it out.

[@JohnsonSmithson]

​@@erikthomasfitnessthanks a lot for the advice.

[@-_-ye9441]

thanks for the advice. it just sucks cus all my homies don’t have horrible muscle imbalances due to. scoliosis. one of my biceps is pretty noticeably smaller and weaker and my left pec is smaller it just sucks bro i’m trying to fix it but i got a lil hunchback on mitre dame goin on

[@erikthomasfitness]

I was in the same position, man. It’s not easy but if you stick to it, you’ll balance out and feel 100x better. Im 4 years pain-free and my muscle imbalance isn’t noticeable anymore. Overcame the kyphosis posture as well.

[@XTheSpartanX7]

Very true. My go to movements are bulgarian split squats, standing one arm DB press, one arm rows.

[@erikthomasfitness]

Bulgarians and one arm rows are two of my go-to exercises

[@spyrosdafereras5110]

I have been dealing with imbalances all over my body. I have switched to unilateral movements in triceps,biceps,shoulders and legs. Right now im dealing with imbalance on my chest but i feel bad giving up bench press. I have an imbalance on my lats too but i cant do something about it.

[@erikthomasfitness]

Bench press is overrated - It’s a powerlifting movement. In bodybuilding, dumbbell pressing is more beneficial. Barbell bench press is an extremely problematic movement for many people. If it’s causing you problems, try switching to dumbbell. I recommend incline dumbbell press. I don’t do any flat pressing besides machine chest press.

[@sunnythind8574]

is it good to completely eliminate training the stronger side and working on just the weaker side to make it balanced?

[@erikthomasfitness]

I would not recommend this. Continue to work on your mind-muscle connection on BOTH sides. Working one side of your body will strengthen the other side through neurological connections. There’s a word for it but I can’t remember it off the top of my head. Plus, why would you want to lose muscle mass? Maintain it and continue to build the other side by pushing it till it fatigues, then match the same amount of reps on the other side (your stronger side won’t be 100% fatigued but that’s okay). You want your weaker side to catch up and eventually you can do more weight/reps on your weaker side

[@RobbieMartin745]

Thaks man, got a holiday in 5 months, but i gotta tell ya... im bent like a pretzel. The pain on its own is demoralising, but ive been terrified of doing extra damage. Unilateral is not something i thought of doing but i definitely will now! Honestly i cant thank you enough

[@RobbieMartin745]

My freinds are all super athletic as well, my mind is with them but I body just can match. I'm working with a (46 degree) bend which has been getting worse. I'm 6,4 and have always wanted to get into great shape

[@lucascarter6979]

I have scoliosis and muscle imbalance, i am going to try unilateral training! How can i get a good training program? im very new to lifting. Thanks

[@toast9969]

It really depends on your goals maybe ask a trainer in your gym

[@kcmman9323]

What if the nervous system just works your right side differently than your left, aka right side erector will burn more when doing hinging, even if i do one side at a time, the feelings of overworked muscles/ underworked are totally swapped basically.

[@eagle5818]

I got scoliosis but i also got rib flare and pectus excavatum. It’s like no matter what i do i will look like shit with these combinations and honestly it makes me suicidal at days. I dont even know where to start.

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@eagle5818 Hey, I know how it feels to think that things will never get better… but they will. I promise. I’ve been through the mental battles you’re currently facing. Join a few Facebook groups and connect with people, there’s so much help out there and so many ways to feel connected to people who are going through similar situations. Don’t ever give up on yourself. There will be a day somewhere down the road where you can look back on all of this and say, “I made it”. It took me 10 years of trial and error to fix myself. I wrote a book on it, you can download it for free on my website. It will definitely help. Try out the muscle releases - they’re a life-changer!

[@eagle5818]

@@erikthomasfitness I've tried some of that but its just... yeah, i'm worried even when i get a girlfriend that she'll look at me and just be dissapointed because of my upper body genetics. But i won't give up. I'll go for as long as possible.

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@eagle5818 the right girl will love you for who you are, not how you look. You can always change the way you look. I was all messed up a few years ago and I’ve built the body I’ve always dreamed of. Look at the transformation on my instagram page. I was all sorts of imbalanced with my scapula winging like crazy. It can be fixed! It takes work, but you can absolutely change the way you look. You’re thinking very short term - think long term. Invest in yourself, put in the work, and make yourself proud. You got this 💪🏻

[@eagle5818]

@@erikthomasfitness Thank you man... you're a good guy. I'll schedule an appointment with my doctor tomorrow.

[@aksheeshhh]

Hello eagle bro i got the same issue with asymmetrical face and legs...

[@SoyamSharma2004]

How to perform a unilateral deadlift kind of thing for lower back and glutes , bcz my main problem is this muscle for unilaterals, are there any unilateral exercise to compensate conventional deadlift?

[@erikthomasfitness]

None that I can recommend from personal experience. I built my body and have enough mind-muscle connection to do regular conventional deadlifts… maybe someone else can answer this one for you?

[@dennisdonnelly1022]

Before you started doing one at a time did you have problems with one side of your bodys muscles all developing much more and looking and feeling uneven? When i do push ups or pull ups one side gets way more of a pump than the other etc. Its driving me nuts

[@erikthomasfitness]

Yes my left side would get a pump much faster than my right. It was also my weaker side. Now that I can look back on it, my “pump” was really just inflammation from overuse and improper form that I kind of ignored. I tried to push through pain and I should’ve just listened to my body. I recommend training your weaker side first - letting the muscle fully fatigue between 12-15 reps per set - and then matching that on your stronger side. I definitely looked off. My muscle imbalance was very noticeable in my arms and shoulders. And you could tell my rib cage wasn’t aligned with my hips. I also had an extremely tight upper pec and front felt - that drove me crazy. It felt like it was tight 24/7. I have videos of the muscle spasms. I fixed it by correcting my sleeping position and releasing muscles with a lacrosse ball

[@dennisdonnelly1022]

@@erikthomasfitness ugh it's so frustrating to have to do all these special things just to be normal lol but yeah my curve goes to the right and everything on my right side is bigger and more built from my leg to my pecs, shoulders, arm etc. but it's actually weaker idk if that's why the muscles are getting more of a workout but even when I do chest press with dumbbells my left side seems to not get much of a workout or results like the right. And yeah my left side feels like things are tighter the shoulder the pec. It's almost like my left arm seems like it's really attached to my body and the right arm seems like the shoulder kind of comes off my body the shoulder blade seems out of place and everything. I have read about scoliosis that whatever side the curve is on those muscles will be longer and stretched out and the other side will be sure and tell you and that sounds about right with what's going on with me too. I've been to physical therapists and chiropractors and they don't really help much they almost act like I'm nuts. Are there any specific doctors that are good for this kind of stuff? And thank you for your response I appreciate it

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@dennisdonnelly1022 I did a training called functional patterns which helped out a bit but I didn’t love that type of training. I had trainers telling me I should never lift a weight again, so I decided to figure everything out myself. I wrote a book on what I did to solve 10 years of recurring scoliosis-induced injuries. If you’re interested, shoot me a DM on insta @erikthomasfitness

[@TheSuperiorSpidey]

Also how do you build your chest up if you cant do bilateral movements like bench presses or the incline dumbell press?

[@erikthomasfitness]

Over the past 12-15 months I’ve been doing bilateral movements. I’ve gained enough mind-muscle connection to know what’s firing and what is not. Now I do incline dumbbell chest press to start off my chest days, followed by machine pec flyes. I just stay away from bars - bars cause me problems

[@TheSuperiorSpidey]

@@erikthomasfitness Got it, thanks Erik! Weightlifting and scoliosis are not talked about much so I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to respond

[@ummabdallah3322]

Which side is weaker, concave or convex? I have mild thoracic scoliosis and concave on the left side.

[@erikthomasfitness]

The weaker side is convex. This is where your muscles are elongated or lengthened.

[@daylortiz9077]

I do weight lifting as well inspite of having oscolioses.my body is imbalance.the left is much wider than the right side special at the back.i hope I can get some ideas to do in working out.

[@erikthomasfitness]

Focus on unilateral movements and working the weaker side first on every set. It will take a few months to balance out a bit but it works. I’ve been able to reincorporate bilateral movements because of the unilateral “rehab”

[@daylortiz9077]

@@erikthomasfitness what is confusing me is that i got frozen shoulder on left which is hard for me to left like doing side raise but it is the one that build more muscle than the one that has no injury.my right side arm is smaller than the left and same with my back

[@hownwen]

How do you build muscle in the glutes separately? No hip thrusts?😢 My scoliosis is getting worse with age

[@erikthomasfitness]

Shoot me a DM on Instagram. I’d like to hear more about your situation to see if I can help out

[@CarnoMatero]

So once my weak side has the same mass muscle/strenght as the other, can i train both at time?

[@erikthomasfitness]

Yes you can. I train with a mix of unilateral and bilateral movements now. As long as everything feels good and you have no pain you should be good to go.

[@CarnoMatero]

@@erikthomasfitness Hi man, I aave a problem and it's my back. The back has pretty much muscles and I don't know how to target all with only 3 excercises. I'm doing a push pull 4 days split

[@bm4867]

Hi I’m a woman with scoliosis and my doctor told me not to weight lift :( I don’t know what to do , I don’t want to be really musclely just defined

[@erikthomasfitness]

I had people tell me the same thing… and that’s what drove me to figure it out. As long as you’re not in pain, I don’t see how it could hurt. Weight lifting (correctly) has cured my pain and made me feel better than ever. If you’re interested, check out my book on my website Erikthomasfitness.com !

[@fatihgulduroglu4654]

When I told my orthopedician that i felt stronger and bigger on one said he immediately said it was genetic. I was seeing him because I knew I had a shorter leg. After being sure about it with an x-ray, I got shoe lifts but that didnt solve how i perceived that side as weaker. Will check if I have sklosis, pretty sure I have it. But how in the world my orthopedician didnt come up with it? especially when i also was complaining that my right neck muscles were contracted all the time (shoulder pulling down because of scoliosis)

[@erikthomasfitness]

I believe we place too much trust in our doctors. I’ve seen many different practitioners about the pains and problems I was having and none of them seemed to know how to help me. It took me 9 years of trial and error before I figured everything out for myself. I wrote a book about my journey. I’m no longer on pain and feel more “balanced” than ever. Check out my website if you’re interested! There’s a table of contents that highlights the topics I discuss in my book, Health Awareness: Survival of the Fittest.

[@tarlancharkasov1048]

Problem is when I do some exercises(mainly shoulder related) I cant feel my left side of my shoulder

[@allthingsfitness3957]

Thanks so much man, I’ve been wondering why I can’t get stronger or make much muscle progress by using barbell a lot. Can you still do pull ups with scoliosis?

[@erikthomasfitness]

I normally don’t do them because I feel “off” while performing them. If anything, I do assisted pull-ups so I can REALLY focus on the contraction and try to balance myself out while performing the rep.

[@allthingsfitness3957]

@@erikthomasfitness okay thanks for the advice bro

[@loopymomy2532]

@@erikthomasfitness assisted pull ups?

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@loopymomy2532 yes it’s a machine that you kneel on and it helps push you up if you don’t have the strength to do a full pull-up. With less of a load and the “assist”… you can focus on the contraction more and figure out how you’re compensating

[@loopymomy2532]

@@erikthomasfitness thanks!

[@dmt3295]

Can someone please explain to me what I need to do when it comes to pushups and pull-ups.should I try to correct the muscle imbalance by doing more reps on the weaker side when using dumbbells😅.

[@erikthomasfitness]

If your muscles aren’t firing correctly and you don’t know how to perform the reps with proper mind-muscle connection… I wouldn’t be doing pushups or pull-ups. Use unilateral exercises to improved your mind-muscle connection and make sure your muscles are firing properly first.

[@dmt3295]

Thx

[@mickey4714]

If i fix my mild scoliosis then my legs will again gonna equal length

[@minhhoang4092]

How can I train chest one side at a time cause I got uneven chests probably caused by Scoliosis.

[@erikthomasfitness]

I posted a unilateral chest workout a few days ago. Check out my page!

[@adriannoriega2237]

Depending on which curve you have if you lift with your ear tilted the other way of the curve you can balance it out i have scoliosis my right side is higher but if i put my right ear on my right shoulder I achieve balance

[@erikthomasfitness]

It’s crazy how you mentioned that. When I workout hard, I lose hearing and it sounds like water is in my ear. Definitely affects my balance

[@postelb8046]

Did it help with the scoliosis itself? Or even did not fix the posture by itself (not accounting for muscle shape) Ik I'm late

[@postelb8046]

just going to start

[@erikthomasfitness]

@@postelb8046 absolutely. I trained unilaterally for 2 years to correct my compensations, reduce muscle imbalance, and build muscle. My pain disappeared and I’m feeling the best I’ve ever felt. I train with a mix of unilateral movement and bilateral movements now