Everyone has that one muscle group that just doesn’t seem to grow as quickly as the others. Whether it’s the chest, shoulders, calves, or even the back, lagging muscle groups can be frustrating. However, with the right approach, you can adjust your workout program to specifically target and bring these areas up to par. In this article, we’ll discuss strategies to help you address lagging muscle groups and optimize your training for better gains.
1. Identify the Root Cause of the Lag
Before you can correct the issue, you first need to understand why certain muscles are lagging behind others. There could be multiple reasons why one muscle group isn’t developing as quickly as the rest. Common causes include:
-
Poor Mind-Muscle Connections: Sometimes, even if you’re doing the right exercises, you might not be engaging the target muscle effectively.
-
Muscle Imbalances: If your body naturally compensates with stronger muscle groups during a movement, the lagging muscles won’t get the full workload.
-
Training Volume & Frequency: If you’re not training the lagging muscle group as much as others, it might need more attention.
-
Genetics: Some muscle groups are harder to grow due to your genetic structure, but this doesn’t mean you can’t improve them with the right approach.
Once you’ve identified the possible cause, you can tailor your program to address these issues.
2. Focus on Form and Technique
One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to target a lagging muscle group is using improper form. Bad technique often leads to other muscles taking over the movement, leaving the target muscle undertrained. Here are a few key tips to improve your form:
-
Mind-Muscle Connection: When performing an exercise, actively think about the muscle you want to work. For instance, when doing bicep curls, focus on contracting the biceps rather than just moving the weight.
-
Control the Eccentric Phase: The eccentric phase (lowering the weight) is crucial for muscle growth. Slowing down during the descent will create more time under tension, leading to greater muscle activation.
-
Use Full Range of Motion: Ensure you are going through a full range of motion, especially with compound movements. For example, don’t cut short your squat depth if you’re working on your quads.
-
Avoid Excessive Weight: Don’t let ego lifting take over. Focus on using moderate weight with perfect form rather than going too heavy and compensating with bad technique.
When targeting lagging muscle groups, the key is to slow down and emphasize the muscle contraction and stretch.
3. Increase Training Volume for Lagging Muscles
One of the most effective ways to accelerate growth in a lagging muscle group is to increase the training volume. Volume refers to the total amount of work done, usually calculated by sets x reps x weight. For lagging muscles, you’ll want to give them more volume compared to your other muscle groups.
Here are some strategies for increasing training volume:
-
Additional Sets: For lagging muscle groups, consider adding 1-2 extra sets per exercise or adding an extra exercise to each workout. For instance, if you normally perform three sets for chest exercises, you could increase that to four or five.
-
Higher Frequency: If you’re only training a lagging muscle group once a week, consider increasing the frequency to twice or even three times per week. Just make sure you’re allowing enough recovery time between sessions.
-
Drop Sets and Supersets: Implementing advanced techniques like drop sets or supersets can boost your training volume without needing to add more time to your workout. Drop sets involve reducing the weight after reaching failure, while supersets involve doing two exercises back-to-back with no rest.
By increasing the overall volume, you can force the muscle to grow to keep up with your other muscles.
4. Incorporate Isolation Movements
Compound movements are great for building overall muscle mass, but when targeting a lagging muscle group, it can be helpful to incorporate more isolation exercises into your routine. Isolation exercises focus on one muscle at a time, allowing you to give it the attention it needs to grow.
For example:
-
Chest: If your chest is lagging, you can add more isolation movements like chest flyes or cable pec flyes. These will directly target the chest without much assistance from other muscles.
-
Shoulders: If your shoulders are behind, lateral raises or front raises can help isolate the deltoids.
-
Calves: To really bring up the calves, you might add seated calf raises, which isolate the soleus muscle, and standing calf raises to hit the gastrocnemius.
Isolation movements ensure that the lagging muscle group is being directly targeted and not bypassed by stronger muscle groups during compound lifts.
5. Prioritize Weak Muscles at the Start of Your Workout
If you consistently start your workout by targeting your lagging muscle groups first, you’ll be able to give them your best effort when you’re still fresh. This approach maximizes the intensity and focus you can put on the muscles that need it most.
-
Strategic Placement: Place exercises for lagging muscle groups at the beginning of your workout, when you’re the least fatigued. For example, if your shoulders are lagging, start with overhead presses or lateral raises before moving on to chest or back exercises.
-
Superset with Compound Movements: To further optimize your workout, you can superset your isolation exercises with compound lifts that still involve the lagging muscle group. For instance, pair a bench press with a set of chest flyes to target the chest more effectively.
By prioritizing lagging muscles early in the workout, you ensure that they receive maximum focus and intensity, giving them a better chance of growing.
Conclusion
Targeting lagging muscle groups requires more than just doing extra sets or adding a few more exercises. It’s about refining your approach to training by paying attention to form, increasing volume, adding isolation exercises, and strategically placing the exercises in your routine. With patience and consistency, your lagging muscle groups will start to catch up, and you’ll see more balanced and symmetrical development across your body. Keep experimenting with different techniques, and remember that growth takes time, so stay dedicated and give those muscles the attention they deserve!
