Consistent training allows athletes to produce muscle and strength transformations. Many individuals might grapple with one or more lagging muscles that seem resistant to growth. How can one effectively address those areas?
On Sept. 18, 2024, two-time Figure Olympia champ Erin Stern outlined five steps to target and enhance lagging muscle groups.
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Erin Stern’s 5 Tips To Bring Up Lagging Muscles
The two-time Figure Olympia champion explains that lagging muscle groups can occur for several reasons. Genetics plays a role in our ability to naturally develop specific muscle groups, although this may not apply universally across all muscles. Unfocused training leads us to overlook certain muscle groups. Here are Erin Stern’s five tips to correct lagging muscle groups.
- Prioritize
- Exercise Selection
- Exercise Frequency
- Exercise Volume
- Exercise Progression
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Prioritize & Exercise Selection
Prioritizing lagging muscle groups at the start of a workout routine is Stern’s suggestion for biggest improvements.
When prioritize muscles by paying attention to them after our warm-up when we’re most fresh.
Stern says if the goal is to bring up the calves, don’t wait until the end of the workout as fatigue will hinder growth potential.
If you don’t like the exercise, that’s typically the exercise you want to do.
The more one dislikes an activity, determine if that is because it’s challenging. If a movement is proven to be effective for a particular muscle group and doesn’t cause pain to perform, it is likely that learning proper form and practicing it could improve that muscle group.
Exercise Frequency
Stern recommends performing targeted exercises two to three times per week to address underdeveloped muscles. She notes that hamstrings generally require more time to recover.
Exercise Volume
Stern explains that “volume” refers to the number of weekly sets completed. Training a muscle with multiple sets and repetitions once per week might be ineffective, as it risks mental and physical disengagement, leading to “junk volume.”
Stern recommends distributing volume across two or three sessions throughout the week to enhance focus, consistency, and commitment.
She suggests that the optimal volume range for exercise is between ten and twenty sets per week. However, it’s advisable for those just starting their muscle-building journey to avoid jumping straight to this range. Instead, beginners should focus on progression by utilizing the minimum effective volume for their targeted muscle group.
Exercise Progression
Progression involves weekly increases within one’s training block, which can vary in duration. It can consist of a weekly increase of five to 10% in either volume or weight. This percentage increase in load aims to challenge lagging muscles.
Muscle Fiber and Correcting Lagging Muscles
Stern stresses understanding muscle types, specifically fast and slow twitch muscle fibers. Attention to these fibers is helpful when addressing underdeveloped muscles.
Fast-twitch muscle fibers are utilized in explosive activities like sprinting and heavy weightlifting. Training them typically involves heavy loading with low repetitions or fast-paced movements.
Conversely, slow-twitch muscle fibers are associated with endurance and respond best to higher repetitions and lighter weights. Stern recommends incorporating supersets or compound sets toward the end of workouts to maximize results.
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Featured image: @2x_ms_olympia on Instagram
