Weights and bodybuilding question...

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I've got something weird that I've been noticing for the past few months, thought it was just my imagination but I'm realizing that something's going on here. I've been working out 3 days a week now on my roommate's bowflex, doing something between hypertrophy and strength training. The problem I'm having; yes, the bowflex has independent grips on a lot of the workouts, you aren't restrained so much by the weaker arm for symmetry, but I'd swear that I'm working both arms to the same extent and have done all that I can to keep it that way.

Strange enough at this point I'm thinking my left arm has about 3/4 to an nch advantage after a workout. For some reason I can put just as much exertion into both muscles but it seems like I'll work up a better burn in the muscles on my left arm but when my right arm tires out it feels less worked and more like I just couldn't get it into motion as easily.

Question is - what's the most likely cause? I'd like to think that I'm nailing form down just as well on both and sometimes I'm wondering if I either have a slight bend in joint development or maybe just neurology?

Can you use the machine on one arm only? If not, maybe you should get a set of barbells and do workouts on the weaker side alone - you're stronger arm may be helping the weaker one out a bit. I don't know how much weight you're using or what exercises you are doing, but you could try using a gallon milk jug or detergent bottle if you can do your exercises with them and don't want to spend the money on dumbbells til you know if they'll help. If you need cables (and when I was working out I could usually figure out a way to do the same movements for any exercise without cables) you could buy a rubber band gym and use a door holder. This link has a handbook for each plus a source for the tubing.

http://www.productivefitness.com/browse ... dbook.HTML

What I'm using I think will do the trick as is (you've probably seen ads for the bowflex a million times, may not be ringing any bells at the moment). What I'm really trying to sort out is whether it really is most likely a form issue and how to get around it. By my best guess this kind of thing will happen with free weights, fixed-range machines, etc. just as much. At least 2 or 3 of our other friends have bought Bowflex Ultimate gyms and they notice that they tend to have a dominant arm (or leg) in terms of their development.

I have been interested in getting a Bowflex.

By best advice - Craig's List. You definitely, at the least, want to get the first Ultimate gym. My friends all have the Ultimate I, it seems to get a better weight total (310 lb) than a lot of the others and I just bought the 100 lb extention pack; I've been stuck at 310 on the squats, on the sleds, and I'm almost there now with the leg extensions.

The Revolution I haven't used yet so I don't know a much from personal experience on the ergonomics but I do know that while it has no ability for add ons (its either locked at 210 or 310) it has a different gearing ratio for the leg exercises where you can get I think up to 700 lbs. The Revolution also supposedly has consistent inertia; ie. the traditional Bowflex starts off at a lighter inertia level, ends up toward the last maybe 33-25% is full force, the Revolution supposedly imitates free weights rather well with the same amount of pressure through the whole range of motion.

How much do these things cost, on average?

I believe the Ultimate Gym I is somewhere around $1,300 without the extra 100 lbs; of course I suggested Craig's list because you can get it even with the extra bows for $500-$600 dollars if your lucky, same with the Ultimate II (which runs about $1,500-$1700 new? Not sure). The Revolution may still be hovering around or over $2,000 and unfortunately I still have yet to try it, can't give it a yay or nay.