It’s not unusual to have a body part we prefer to train over another body part, for whatever the reason. Inconsistency with the gym may see you choosing to train the same body parts more than others. Whether you are making the effort to train all areas of your body, some parts just never seem to develop they way you hope. Here are some useful tips on how to bring those body parts up.
Tip 1– Train it first
Whether it’s your arms, legs, shoulders, chest or back that you want to improve, these are the body parts you need to hit first in your gym session when your energy is high and you can put your effort in, not at the end of your session when energy is low and you can’t give your all.
Tip 2 – Train it by itself
Train the lagging body part by itself in a session if time permits. Much more volume can be used and it also allows your body to only have to worry about repairing that one muscle.
Tip 3 – Train it more often
Train the stubborn area more than once a week. The more we can hit a muscle and allow it adequate time between sessions the faster it will grow. Try 2 to 3 times a week, dropping back on the amount of work you do on your better developed dominant muscle groups. Bring the lagging body parts up to par with the rest of your body and then you can go back to training evenly.
Tip 4 – Isolate it and back the weight off
Use isolation exercises over compound movements (bench presses deadlifts and squats). I have found that certain areas don’t grow because we haven’t taught our bodies how to engage and contract with correct tension in a single muscle. Focus on the muscle your’re working and establish a mindmuscle connection. Really squeeze and cramp up that muscle with a good slow controlled tempo. Going too heavy and using multi-joint movements won’t allow you to do this until you have really learnt to contract a muscle in an isolated movement.
Tip 5 – Variety
Using plenty of variety in your choice of exercises as well as sets and reps structure, this will keep the targeted area stimulated.
Tip 6 – Individualise your program
Write yourself a program according to where your body is currently at and what you would like to achieve. Prioritise the lagging areas in your program and record everything.
Tip 7 – Rest times
Be strict and allow only 45 to 60 seconds between sets. We want as much blood to be pushed into the area as possible. You want the blood to stay in the muscle so don’t wait too long before doing another set. Begin your next set even when you’re not fully recovered and ready.
Tip 8 – Carbs are your friend
Consume more carbs around the time you train a stubborn body part. If you are having a re-feed or cheat meal each week the best time to have this is after you have trained the lagging body part.