How to Improve Lagging Muscle - Tips for fixing your Physique

How to bring up a Laggy Body Part

Got one side that is bigger than the other? Got a bicep bigger than the other? Or perhaps it's the legs or lats or shoulders or whatever it is - you're going to learn how to fix this issue.

Tips for Fixing Your Lagging Muscles

Laggy body parts (or muscles) means that you aren't training that muscle as hard as the other muscle(s). SO, for example, if you're right arm dominate, most likely, that arm is going to be bigger than your left arm. Simply because you have more control and power in your right arm to train more intensely. 

If you're training your right side more intensely, it'll grow more compared to your left. With this being said, you must focus and prioritize the laggy muscles first. First off, don't train your right arm first (for example), train your weak lagging body part first. This will ensure that you're using all of your power and control on the lagging muscle to bring it up because if you were to train the lagging muscle, at last, it won't be as effective to bring it up because you didn't train it intensely compared to training your dominate arm first.

Always train your lagging muscle first. No matter what you're doing - always train it first. Train it until failure (not every time), but prioritize the strength and damage to that lagging muscle - to bring it up. It needs more attention than the other side of your body.

Try to avoid compound exercises because compound requires or involves many different muscles in order to execute the movement. We're not trying to focus on multiple muscle groups. Only one muscle to bring up the lagging muscle. Focus on Unilateral movements. Meaning you're focusing on ONE SIDE of your body only. Not involving any other muscles besides the muscle you're training to bring up mass/size/definition.

It will take time to match one side to the other - to make it symmetrical. We're not 100% symmetrical, so it's okay to see yourself off-balanced a bit. If it's dramatic - then I would try to bring up the lagging muscles.

Also, form and technique are important when it comes to bodybuilding and making your muscles balanced and symmetrical. If you're weightlifting with improper form and/or technique, you may be utilizing one side of your body more than the other, so therefore, one side of your body will grow more. We don't want that to happen. So by focusing on form, both sides of your body and muscles will be executing at the same time, with the same control and strength and power output which results in the same progression rather than having one side being used more than the other.

Let's say if your left bicep is much smaller than your right. Do an extra +5 reps on the left arm and save +5 reps in the tank on the right arm. The goal is to exhaust and Damage the left arm more than the right arm. We're not trying to build muscle on the right, only on the left. So, we cannot do much damage to the right arm, so don't train till failure on the right - only the left. That is prioritizing the muscle. 

Using supplements and sports gear can help. Such as occlusion bands or blood flow restriction bands to help bring up lagging bicep(s). SO, if your left bicep is smaller - using an occlusion band to create more damage is ideal to use when it comes to bringing up a lagging bicep. You can also utilize this method for your shoulders, calves and hamstrings, and quads.

Not to mention, mobility and range of motion matter. Let's say, your left side is tighter/constricted than your right side. Which side is going to perform better? The right side, yes. Because the right side of your body has better functionality. Meaning, your range of motion is better, with better blood flow and strength of your muscles whereas your left side is tight, restricted, and decreased blood flow and strength. So, your power output will be low therefore, as a consequence, you cannot train as hard or as intense and won't be damaging the muscle to its fullest, AND you are vulnerable. When you're restricted like that - you can become easily injured due to the decreased range of motion. Decreased range of motion can lead to tears, sprains, and so forth.

Getting massages, foam rolling, stretching, deep tissue work, etc are very effective and helpful for relieving stress, tension, restrictions, and allowing your body to become health(ier). When you're relieved from tension and stress, your muscles are now relaxed which improves blood flow and the overall functionality of your muscles. You have improved your range of motion which helps in the gym, for better workouts and gains; you're delivering nutrients for proper nourishment and your strength will be improved.

Last but not least - Mind to muscle connection.

I find this very important when it comes to bodybuilding or building muscle. Sometimes, we don't focus on that. And many of you probably have no idea what that means. Essentially, mind to muscle connection or MMC, means that you can feel the muscle - you are the muscle - you can feel the muscle contract and stretch - and feeling the burn [sensation] When you have this establishment, this typically means that you're Utilizing that muscle 100%; you're training in the right fashion. Thus style of training will give you better pumps, strength, and results (for building muscle) because you are effectively targeting that muscle to cause damage. Damage is what causes muscle growth. SO, if you never focus on MMC, try it. See the difference. Feel the lagging muscle - be the lagging muscle - feel it stretch, contract, and burn.

Conclusion:

- Unilateral exercises to focus on lagging muscles

- Focus and prioritize on lagging muscles first

- Stretch, foam roll, massages, etc, to help with relieving stress and muscle tension and knots to improve blood flow and strength and to avoid injuries.

- Using sports gear such as occlusion bands is helpful to create more damage to the muscle (for lagging muscles).

- Mind to muscle connection to effectively train the lagging muscle(s). Comment Below your opinions, questions, etc.