I lift two times a week, aiming for a full body session each time. I do lat pulldown, incline chest press on a machine, horizontal leg press on a machine, hanging leg raises and then once a week I deadlift as well. What's missing from this?
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Your current routine covers several major muscle groups, but there are a few aspects you might consider adding for a more balanced full-body workout. According to the experts at Mind Pump, here are a few suggestions:
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Compound Movements: Including exercises like squats and barbell rows can enhance overall strength and ensure you're hitting all major muscle groups. Squats, in particular, are highly effective for engaging core and lower body muscles more broadly than the horizontal leg press 1.
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Variety and Prioritization: To maximize effectiveness, it's essential to regularly switch the order and selection of exercises. This approach can help prioritize specific muscle groups you want to develop further 2.
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Frequency and Recovery: Mind Pump highlights the value of full-body workouts in distributing exercise volume across the week, which can help maintain intensity and recovery. Hitting each muscle group about three times per week is generally more effective for muscle growth and strength gains 3 4.
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Form and Skill: Treat your exercises as skills to improve, focusing on performing them with proper form and control. This mindset can enhance your effectiveness and reduce injury risks, particularly for complex lifts like deadlifts 5.
By incorporating these principles, you can optimize your routine to target all major muscle groups more effectively and ensure balanced development.
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