I’ve been doing a fair amount of reading on this and I’m not really finding an good answer. Like a lot guys just starting out (or even guys who have been lifting for years for that matter) I have some specific weak points that I’d really like to address. I knew from what I see in the mirror as well as the comments of some friends that my arms needed work and I confirmed it with those handy online calculators that allow you to calculate your ideal measurements. When I started working out in January my arms, cold flexed, measured 15". After four months of working out they were 16" and looked much better. Now I’ve been cutting for about 8 weeks and they are 15 3/4" but I’ve lost 16-lbs so I figure that’s a fair trade off…10-lbs to go. Where I’d like them to be is 17". My lats and traps, while not as easily measured, are in the same boat. I think that is pretty typical when starting out. What’s confusing me is that most of the things that I’m reading online warn against focusing on a particular body part and instead recommend focusing on complex, multi-joint exercises like the bench press, overhead press, squat, and dead lift. Now those are all excellent exercises and I include them all in my routine but I don’t see how that’s going to fix the imbalance of my arms, lats, and traps. At any rate, here is my typical routine:
Tuesday, Saturday
- bench press
- overhead press
- dips
- pull-ups
- dumbbell rows
- shoulder shrugs with trap bar
- EZ-bar curls
- skull crushers
Wednesday, Sunday
- good mornings
- squats
- dead lifts with trap bar
- leg extensions
- leg curls
- leg press
- calf raises
Due to my back issues I keep the weight relatively light and the reps high (~12) for the squats and dead lifts and use the leg press for the heavy lifting. There are only so many hours in the day and I’m not sure how much I could add to what I’m already doing. Maybe the answer is “be patient” and if so, so be it, but any advice would be appreciated.