Unsymmetrical
Yesterday I was stacking wood. Moving it from a pile on the ground, to the wheelbarrow, then inside. Somewhere in the middle of it, I caught myself doing something I know everyone at the gym asks about:
Why is one side so much harder than the other?
If the gym is where we go to “fix” imbalances, you’d think years of unilateral work would even everything out. But that’s never really been the case for me. What has happened is that my “bad side” has become more reliable. Stronger. More trustworthy. And honestly, that’s the point—it may never feel identical, but it can feel dependable.
Here’s the thing:
Our imbalances aren’t gym problems. They’re life problems. Patterns built into thousands of tiny decisions we repeat every day.
Yesterday alone, I got in and out of my truck six times. Always the same leg stepping in first. I’ve never used a kitchen knife with my left hand, so every time I chop something in the kitchen, I stand the same way. I scrub dishes with my right arm. I load the dishwasher with my right hand. I drive with the same foot. I open doors the same way. None of that is “wrong,” but it all adds up.
Back to loading wood:
I noticed that every time I scooped and rotated the logs into the wheelbarrow, I was turning right-to-left. Every time. When I tried switching sides, it felt awkward—unnatural, even. And of course it did. I’ve been rehearsing the opposite pattern forever.
When you add up these daily repetitions, it’s hard to argue that 3 sets of 8 split squats will magically erase the imbalances built over 30 something years. There’s just too much working against perfect symmetry.
But here’s what the gym can do:
Make you aware of these patterns
Build capacity on the weaker side
Give you enough strength and control that the imbalance stops being a liability
Teach you how to move with intention, not just convenience
You may never cure every asymmetry—and I don’t think you need to. The real win is becoming more aware of how you move, noticing your defaults, and giving yourself the tools to adjust when it matters.
—Justin Miner