Modifying Programming Principles for lagging body parts

[OldManLogan]

As I learn more about different lifting splits and approaches, I find it a bit hard to understand how to fine tune programming to address lagging areas versus balancing total volume.

Would you share your approaches or principles (within the context of your own training split or programming?).

In essence, I’m doing some basic PPL volume training, and I would like to fine tune the training to a little less legs (I’m happy with how they are compared to the rest of my physique) versus where I lag- in order, arms, delts, lats maybe chest.

Do you simply drop sets from legs and add sets to those areas? If so, how/ how many? And how would you determine what’s “just enough”..? Again, looking for principles and guidelines that you have found useful.

Thanks guys. Can’t wait to hit off season to start growing.

 

[hawkmoon]

I train MWF with an AB split.
Lagging or body parts where I want emphasis get a little extra volume added to the tail end of the "other" workout.

Nothing complicated. Three sets of an exercise of choice is all I do. I am always seeking the simplest, most optimal way to get things done. I'm sure there are other ways.

Works well enough.

 

[traininsane11]

As I learn more about different lifting splits and approaches, I find it a bit hard to understand how to fine tune programming to address lagging areas versus balancing total volume.

Would you share your approaches or principles (within the context of your own training split or programming?).

In essence, I’m doing some basic PPL volume training, and I would like to fine tune the training to a little less legs (I’m happy with how they are compared to the rest of my physique) versus where I lag- in order, arms, delts, lats maybe chest.

Do you simply drop sets from legs and add sets to those areas? If so, how/ how many? And how would you determine what’s “just enough”..? Again, looking for principles and guidelines that you have found useful.

Thanks guys. Can’t wait to hit off season to start growing.

In my experience for the most part once a person has reached a size where they can realistically say they aren’t just small and need to bring everything up (this could take 10 years) then it’s going to just come down to genetics more than anything

If you’ve reached that level your training must already be decent unless you’re a genetic freak but let’s say somehow it’s not

If you increase the volume you may just be doing more of what doesn’t work (not truly targeting the muscle intended)

So I’d really focus on your training quality first and then IF needed increase volume/frequency assuming all other factors are in check

For reference I competed at 250lbs at 5ft11 and I don’t consider myself to be at a stage where I overly need to focus on bringing an area up just bigger in general.

Add 20lbs of legit muscle then see if that doesn’t fix it

 

[kscowboy]

Im 54 years old and have been in the game for over 30 years. I have done every split, rep range, light, heavy, low volume, high volume that you can immagine. I don't think any is better than the rest. Basically lift based on what you feel is best for you. It like if you dont feel a certain exercise or machine in the targeted muscle, dont do it. If you love something and it really hits the targeted muscle then do it. I have never liked dumbell pullovers as I really cant tell if it hits my lats or my chest. So I dont do them. There is no wrong or right way if it works for YOU.

With that being said, this past year I was watching some of Nick's workouts and I went back to some old school way of thinking and really slowed down my negatives to 3-5 seconds and it has made a world of difference. Earlier in the year i was doing 15-20 rep sets but kept the slow negative and it worked greatly. I am now liking some heavier weights with lower reps (6-10 with 10 being max) and I seem to be responding better to that AT THE MOMENT (Still 3-5 second negative).

But no matter what you do, you need to feel the reps in the targeted muscle. You need to have mind and muscle connection. I watch a lot of young kids do dumbell bench and they are working every muscle in their bodies EXCEPT chest. You can actually do dumbell press and not hit your chest at all. Its all shoulders and triceps. But if you focus on your chest doing the work, and you squeeze at the top, it will blow your chest up.

Current split for me is:
M=Push
T=Pull
W=Off
Th=Legs
F=Shoulders
S&S=Off

Abs, claves and forearms are normally 2-3 times a week

Normally 4 exercises per body part, 6-8 reps, 4-5 sets per exercises.

Thats what works for ME

 

[bbxtreme]

As Milos once told me- “the best way to bring up a lagging body part is to bring up everything.”

I still think that holds true overall for most people. Can you throw a little more frequency at a lagging group such as legs, sure. But I really do think most guys over complicate it.

 

[GeekGenetics]

i think theres a few things that goes into bringing up lagging body parts. i will list them in what i personally think might be the more important order of importance
1. execution - self explanatory, if you arent doing the movements with full proper focus, intent, and form then your simply leaving gains on the table. this is most important imo. an exercise is only good if you can do it well
2. priority - people with lagging parts that you mention tend to tack them on later in the workout, or only receive priority once a week. if your legs are huge, and your only doing legs on those days, thats a missed opportunity for priority for example. for someone whos set up training in this fashion, check out how john jewett has recently set up his training for this off season
3. volume - imo probably one of the least important factors shockingly enough. if you arent putting enough into the first 2, chucking volume at something just wont be enough and probably hurting more than helping. muscles grow from recovering from the training. i found consistently that actually moving to lower volume and more rest and focusing on the other 2 things helped me grow a SIGNIFICANT amount more than just chucking volume at things

 

[Mufasa123]

Prioritization and then reallocate expenditure from legs (goes to maintenance not neglect) to others via increased frequency and volume. Be smart about it as shoulder/arms are also key to chest/back most stimulative compound lifts.

Honestly it sounds like you are built with bigger/more responsive legs and smaller upper body. Overcoming this (it's genetics) is hard and may require both training/drugs to do it and even then for some it's not totally possible. Not everyone can have a perfectly built and proportioned body even with every substance and trick out there. Not trying to discourage you but this is reality or we'd have a lot more top BBers with elite genetics.

 

[OldManLogan]

Prioritization and then reallocate expenditure from legs (goes to maintenance not neglect) to others via increased frequency and volume. Be smart about it as shoulder/arms are also key to chest/back most stimulative compound lifts.

Honestly it sounds like you are built with bigger/more responsive legs and smaller upper body. Overcoming this (it's genetics) is hard and may require both training/drugs to do it and even then for some it's not totally possible. Not everyone can have a perfectly built and proportioned body even with every substance and trick out there. Not trying to discourage you but this is reality or we'd have a lot more top BBers with elite genetics.

Not discouraged at all- it’s about playing the genetic hand I’ve been dealt in the best way possible. I seem to have a decent back that responds, delts are ok- arms themselves are the real challenge.

It’s also about learning to fine tune the physique- next step in the learning process

 

[hawkmoon]

As Milos once told me- “the best way to bring up a lagging body part is to bring up everything.”

I still think that holds true overall for most people. Can you throw a little more frequency at a lagging group such as legs, sure. But I really do think most guys over complicate it.

Over complication.

I have three (small) young guys in front of me in the gym now doing every funky angle they can think of.

No basics at all...

There are no secret answers. Get the basics, the core mass sorted first, then specialize.

 

[tenny]

unless you are are 19 to 22yo. a lagging bodypart is going to be a LAGGING BODYPART.

if you have a lagging bodypart, figure what compound movement touches it. AND DO THAT.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

run a specialization cycle

 

[bigzzz]

Im 54 years old and have been in the game for over 30 years. I have done every split, rep range, light, heavy, low volume, high volume that you can immagine. I don't think any is better than the rest. Basically lift based on what you feel is best for you. It like if you dont feel a certain exercise or machine in the targeted muscle, dont do it. If you love something and it really hits the targeted muscle then do it. I have never liked dumbell pullovers as I really cant tell if it hits my lats or my chest. So I dont do them. There is no wrong or right way if it works for YOU.

With that being said, this past year I was watching some of Nick's workouts and I went back to some old school way of thinking and really slowed down my negatives to 3-5 seconds and it has made a world of difference. Earlier in the year i was doing 15-20 rep sets but kept the slow negative and it worked greatly. I am now liking some heavier weights with lower reps (6-10 with 10 being max) and I seem to be responding better to that AT THE MOMENT (Still 3-5 second negative).

But no matter what you do, you need to feel the reps in the targeted muscle. You need to have mind and muscle connection. I watch a lot of young kids do dumbell bench and they are working every muscle in their bodies EXCEPT chest. You can actually do dumbell press and not hit your chest at all. Its all shoulders and triceps. But if you focus on your chest doing the work, and you squeeze at the top, it will blow your chest up.

Current split for me is:
M=Push
T=Pull
W=Off
Th=Legs
F=Shoulders
S&S=Off

Abs, claves and forearms are normally 2-3 times a week

Normally 4 exercises per body part, 6-8 reps, 4-5 sets per exercises.

Thats what works for ME

All to failure?

Imo it's almost always execution and then frequency.

 

[kscowboy]

Not necessarily failure but I dont want to do another one. SOmetimes failure, yes. But most of the time I go by feel. Since I have been doing this so long, I know when to say when and when to do another. Make sense?

 

[PissedPajamas]

I think execution, exercise selection, and exercise order are the three most important aspects of bringing up a lagging bodypart. Ex: pressing with my back flat on a bench during a machine press and staying within the ROM for my chest (not going super deep) has really helped bring up my chest a lot. Putting this after a fly variation where I can pump blood into my chest prior to pressing was also key in getting the most out of lighter weights and feeling the contraction on pressing movements.

For hamstrings, really giving them their own day for a while helped build the MMC needed to make them grow, always starting with a leg curl variation that I really felt then moving onto some form of RDL that worked for my proportions. This meant moving away from barbell and dumbbell RDL‘s, and doing a pitshark variation where I can dig my feet into the ground and feel my hamstrings as soon as I bent at the waist and slightly bent my knees.

Every bodypart is different so I’d spend some time working on execution, and playing with just enough resistance so you feel the muscle being worked, really nailing a few sets with that weight and then progressively adding more weight over time but never sacrificing your MMC in pursuit of heavier poundages

Just my 2¢

 

[Truckman]

Outside of the box thought: Lower body wise; whatever these wellness females are doing for training splits and exercise selection, clearly is working for fast drastic lower body development. If the feedback from Judges was more legs, whatever they are doing could be a good starting point for an off-season push to balance out a physique.