No physique is perfectly balanced. Here’s how to identify and correct weaknesses.
No matter how well developed you think you are, there are muscles on your body that can use some catching up. For example, those who have spent years trying to build bigger pecs often end up suffering from lagging back development, the result of simply training most what is seen most often. Not only does this lead to visual imbalances but it can create postural or strength disparities that can produce serious injury.
So what is the proper process for this issue? Here are a few ideas and it all starts in the mirror.
1. Be Honest with Yourself
Take a look in the mirror, or have someone take well-lit pics of you. What do you see? Are certain muscle groups out of whack? Do you have big front delts but barely-there rear delts? Hefty lower pecs but no upper chest mass? Meaty triceps but small biceps? You may think that you’re doing everything you can but different muscle groups react differently to training programs so if you’re doing the same amount of volume and intensity for similar muscles, you may still have some imbalances that need to be addressed. What is the mirror telling you?
2. Add New Variations
If you have tried growing biceps by simply doing more barbell curls and it’s not working, try different arm angles. Preacher curls, high-pulley cable curls, hammer curls, incline curls – all of these moves target the biceps slightly differently and one of them may hold the secret to new growth.
3. Train More Frequently
Most lifters subscribe to a “once a week” approach when it comes to individual bodypart training. But if your delts, for example, are lagging then you may need to add extra sessions. Try starting with one extra session, allowing 3-4 days of recovery between workouts. Continuing the delts example, if you train them with back on Tuesday, try a delts-only session on Friday or Saturday to instigate new growth.
