Finding and Fixing Weak Points in Your Lifts and Physique

0 to Elite course · Lesson 70 of 100 · Level 4: Advanced

By now your lifts and physique have their own strengths and weaknesses. Maybe your bench always stalls just off the chest, or your back never seems to grow. Weak points are the parts that hold the rest back. This lesson teaches you to diagnose them and build a plan to fix them.

What are weak points?

A weak point is a muscle, position or skill that limits your progress. There are two types:

• Strength weak points: a specific part of a lift where you fail, or a muscle that cannot keep up with the rest.
• Physique weak points: a muscle group that is behind in size or shape compared with the rest of your body.

In lesson 65 on strength plateaus you looked at general reasons progress stalls. This lesson goes one level deeper: the specific link in the chain.

How to diagnose a lift

Film your heavy sets from the side, then watch where the bar slows down or where your position changes.

• Squat: stuck just out of the bottom often points to quads or position. If your hips shoot up first and your chest drops, your quads or upper back may be lagging.
• Bench press: slow off the chest usually means chest strength or a poor set-up. Stuck near lockout often points to triceps.
• Deadlift: slow off the floor often means quads, leg drive or start position. Stuck at the knees or lockout often means the hips, glutes or upper back.

Use your training log too. If your bench always stalls at the same weight while your overhead press keeps climbing, that tells you something about which muscles are carrying the lift. Also check technique first. Lessons 54 on the squat and 56 on the bench press cover the basics. A lot of “weak muscles” turn out to be a set-up problem, such as a loose upper back on the bench or feet in the wrong place on the deadlift. Fix the set-up, re-film, and only then decide which muscle needs extra work.

How to assess your physique

1. Take photos every 4 weeks in the same light, same poses: front, side and back, relaxed and flexed.
2. Compare left and right, upper and lower body, front and back.
3. Ask one honest, knowledgeable person for their view. Our eyes are biased towards the muscles we like training.
4. Measure a few areas with a tape, such as upper arms, thighs and calves, on both sides. Numbers help confirm what the photos suggest.

Common lagging areas include the upper back, rear delts, hamstrings, calves and upper chest. For the bigger picture on shape and proportion, read the full guide to physique coaching.

How to fix a weak point

• Prioritise it. Train the weak muscle or lift first in the session, when you are fresh.
• Add frequency. Hit it 2 to 3 times a week instead of once.
• Add a few sets, take some away elsewhere. Add 2 to 4 weekly sets for the weak area and trim volume on strong areas so total fatigue stays manageable, as you learned in lesson 49 on training volume.
• Use targeted variations. Paused squats for the bottom position, close-grip or board presses for lockout, deficit deadlifts for speed off the floor. These are the accessory exercises from lesson 60, now chosen with a specific purpose.
• Be patient. Give a weak-point plan at least 8 to 12 weeks before judging it.
• Work on one or two at a time. Trying to fix five weak points at once spreads your recovery too thin and nothing improves much. Once one improves, move on to the next.

Safety: sometimes a “weak point” is really pain or an old injury limiting a position. If one side always feels different, a joint aches in a certain range, or you notice numbness or tingling, see a physio or your GP before loading it harder. Our injury-safe personal training page explains how we work around this 1-to-1.

Your action steps

1. Film one heavy set of each main lift from the side and write down exactly where each one slows down.
2. Take a set of front, side and back photos and list your two weakest muscle groups.
3. Pick one strength weak point and one physique weak point to focus on for the next 12 weeks.
4. Move those exercises to the start of the session, add 2 to 4 weekly sets, and trim volume elsewhere.
5. Re-film and re-photograph after 12 weeks and compare.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my weak points in the gym?

Film your heavy lifts and see where the bar slows or your position changes, and take regular physique photos to compare muscle groups. An experienced coach can also give an honest outside view.

How do you bring up a lagging muscle?

Train it first in the session, two to three times a week, add a few weekly sets for it and reduce volume elsewhere so recovery stays manageable. Give it at least 8 to 12 weeks.

Why is my bench press weak at lockout?

Lockout problems often point to triceps strength, though bar path and set-up can play a part. Close-grip bench and board presses are common accessory choices, after checking your technique.

Keep going

Previous: Lesson 69: Drop Sets, Rest-Pause and Myo-Reps: When to Use Intensity Techniques

Next: Lesson 71: The Best Exercises for Hypertrophy: How to Choose Your Own

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Want Artem to coach you through it? SYP Fitness is a private 1-to-1 personal training studio at 2-4 Navigator Square, Archway, London N19 3UB. Rated 5.0 from 106 Google reviews. Book a free consultation or WhatsApp Artem on 07301 512215.