We all have our structural downfalls when it comes to defining physique perfection. Even the greatest champions in our sport have been guilty of possessing less than stellar development somewhere on their physique. Some of these structural integrity issues are genetic, and some are due to lack of area-specific training. Another reason is simply being lazy and not putting in the hard work required for optimal muscle growth. But a big contributing factor is because these particular muscle groups have been left to the end of the training session when energy levels are at their lowest, and relative intensity levels have plummeted.
Aside from putting an emphasis on training lagging body parts first in your workout when energy levels are at their highest (which is a common practice) perhaps we should be looking at preparing ourselves for a workout. You want energy and intensity levels for the duration of your training so that regardless of where you train a particular muscle group within your workout, it receives the same form of attack that the muscles that preceded it did.
Here are a few strategies you can employ to accomplish this feat.
Extra Rest
It has been written about more times than I can even count. It has been backed up by scientific and anecdotal evidence and has proven to be true so often that to discount the fact that rest plays a significant role in optimal energy levels would be foolish. To take this a step further, and for increasing energy levels while training, extra rest added within your day could be the missing factor in your approach. Sleep and muscle growth go hand in hand.
There was a time in my life when I would have a 20-minute “power nap” about an hour before heading off to the gym. I used this strategy all the way through my contest preparation. I felt that with already having low energy levels from the decreased calorie consumption and added cardio I was performing if I didn’t take the opportunity to rest right before a workout I wouldn’t be able to give it my all in the gym. This strategy proved to be very effective, and it allowed me to see my workouts right through to the end never neglecting any body parts in the process and also allowing me to give extra attention to certain body parts I was trying to bring up. With this strategy, muscle growth was possible even while dieting.
Carb Loading
I am a firm believer in the fact that you should be giving each and every training session everything that you have regardless of whether or not the muscle groups you are training that day are ones that respond very easily to the training stimulus and are considered your strong points. I am also a firm believer in preparing yourself nutritionally by adding in extra food to your diet the day before training a lagging body part.
On the days I’m training a lagging body part, I feel like sometimes I go extra hard in the gym, and when I do that, I want there to be lots of gas in the tank. This is why I will carb load the day before training a lagging muscle group. I won’t go too crazy here, but I won’t be afraid to add in an extra cup of rice for a couple of meals or change from eating sweet potatoes to white potatoes. I may even throw in a “cheat” meal the night before that’s high in carbs so that when needed the next day, my body has that energy in reserve to help propel me through a grueling workout.
Circadian Rhythm Timing
Perhaps in the whole process of trying to bring up a lagging body part, you decided to split up your training into two sessions a day. One session earlier in the day would focus on one of your stronger body parts and the other session on your weaker muscle groups. This would make perfect sense as you could concentrate on one task at a time and potentially improve on that weak muscle group very quickly. While this may sound great, for it to be great, you’ll have to pay close attention to your circadian rhythms to maximize your energy levels during that second workout.
Generally , we experience energy peaks a couple of times a day. One is mid-morning which would be a good time to hit that first workout and then the second spike of energy comes in the early evening hours. Now if a lagging body part is on your agenda for that second workout, you’re going to want to ensure you are training during that second peak of energy. Otherwise, you may find that the intensity levels you displayed during that first workout of the day are nowhere to be found during the second. So if two a day workouts are on your list of things to do, be sure to keep your circadian rhythm in mind when planning out your day and train when your body is best prepared.
Maximize your Supplementation for Intensity and Muscle Growth
Simply put, there are two phenomenal products I rely upon for amping up my energy levels so that I have enough in reserve to trash any and all body parts. Whether I’m training those lagging body parts first or last in my workout, it doesn’t matter because I’m utilizing both DGC and Dymetadrine Xtreme in my supplement protocol. The Dymetadrine Xtreme gives me that nice mental boost for improving intensity levels and increasing clarity and focus, and the DGC keeps muscle glycogen levels high so that I’ve got the energy and power to pound my lagging body parts into submission and make them grow even if they don’t want to. I’ll take a serving of the Dymetadrine Xtreme about 45 minutes to an hour before going to the gym, and I’ll do the same with the DGC, but I’ll also add it to my intra-workout shake to ensure I have all the energy I need when I need it.
Lagging muscle groups is a part of life, and I have yet to see anyone with a flawless physique; there have been some who were close but not quite perfect. There’s always going to be work to do when it comes to our development otherwise we’d get to a point where we’d just have to maintain, and I don’t know of anyone in this game who is in it to maintain. Keep working hard to even out your physique, do the things you need to do to optimize energy levels for bringing up lagging body parts but also be happy with what you’ve accomplished. You may never reach perfect proportions, but you’ll at least have the energy to try.
