# Leg size and strength difference **URL:** \ **Category:** Medical Q&A \[Moderated\]\ **Created:** [September 8, 2018, 4:50am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/leg-size-and-strength-difference/3301 "2018-09-08T04:50:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RonT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/ront/32/791_2.png) [@RonT](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/RonT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 4:50am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/leg-size-and-strength-difference/3301/1 "2018-09-08T04:50:26Z")
I sent this message to the BB medicine email address and was asked to post it in the forums for discussion. Here’s the original message Hi Dr I’m 61. I started lifting as a teen, 1973, and at first I didn’t have access to a squat rack or instruction on how to do them correctly. At 20 I joined a gym owned at the time by Ed Corney. It was in San Bruno. It had a squat rack and I tried squatting and herniated a disk in my lumbar. I had been lifting for about 4 years at that point and the doctor, an older man, told me to not lift anymore. I took that bad advise and didn’t until I turned 55. At that point, because of that injury, I depended on my right leg and it became much larger and stronger than my left. Over the last few years I was able to put some size on that left leg but last year I hurt my left hip doing low box squats and that leg again atrophied back quite a bit. I don’t have a cloth measuring tape but there has to be close to a 2 - 3 inch difference at the top of my leg and the left quad is very underdeveloped as is my left glute. How would you approach bring that leg/hip back to some level of symmetry in both size and strength. Right now I squat then do some extra work just for my left leg on my leg press. Single leg presses and donkey kicks. I have a horizontal LP machine in my garage gym. Any insight would be great Ron ---
**Author:** ![Austin\_Baraki](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/austin_baraki/32/1095_2.png) [@Austin\_Baraki](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Austin_Baraki)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/leg-size-and-strength-difference/3301/2 "2018-09-08T14:08:25Z")
Are you currently able to squat? ---
**Author:** ![RonT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/ront/32/791_2.png) [@RonT](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/RonT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 2:31pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/leg-size-and-strength-difference/3301/3 "2018-09-08T14:31:28Z")
> [@Austin\_Baraki](#): > > Are you currently able to squat? Yes but not symmetrically. My left hip has less ROM than my right and I twist at the bottom due to the right hips ability to go lower. So I’ve been doing squats to an 18" bench because I can stay symmetrical to that point but once I break parallel it gets ugly. I ran the Juggernaut Training FAI program and that helped a lot while rehabbing. Now I am doing those higher bench/box squats with a shoulder width stance. I’m also doing SL RDL to work that left leg/hip along with 3 sets of single leg press and then 3 sets of donkey kicks. I can’t go over board on volume that leg will bark if I do more than 12 work sets in a session. ---
**Author:** ![Austin\_Baraki](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/austin_baraki/32/1095_2.png) [@Austin\_Baraki](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Austin_Baraki)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/leg-size-and-strength-difference/3301/4 "2018-09-11T13:36:28Z")
I think gradually reducing that box squat height over time is a good idea, combined with a lot of leg pressing, and patience. I personally probably wouldn’t do a ton of unilateral work here to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![RonT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/ront/32/791_2.png) [@RonT](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/RonT)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2018, 3:22pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/leg-size-and-strength-difference/3301/5 "2018-09-11T15:22:04Z")
I appreciate the insight I’ll need to find a adjustable box to get lower. I’m 6’1" with long legs so 18" is right at parallel for me. I need to find a 16" box. I have a 12" plyo but that will put me in the twist at the bottom of my squat and it was what I was using when I hurt my hip. I was also using a wide stance…westside style box squat. Not doing that know. I’m trying to put the emphasis on my quads in my squat.