Bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest still has a firm grasp on training and dieting at 52 years old, having left behind a one-of-a-kind tenure in the sport. In his latest venture, presented via YouTube on September 10, 2024, he dived into how to achieve muscle separation and discussed his approach to lagging body parts.
Lee Priest, despite a short stature, defied the odds as an aspiring IFBB Pro in the Men’s Open division. His compact muscle density, vascular and dry condition led to him winning an array of impressive bodybuilding titles. Beyond that, he continues to give back to the sport in retirement, regularly offering insight, wisdom, and tips on exercise.
This has led to him breaking down how to best sculpt muscle, specifically separation. And considering he boasted some of the freakiest arms the bodybuilding world has seen, taking his advice is always a good idea. Discover how he achieved muscle separation and approached weaker body parts below:
Lee Priest Talks Growing Lagging Body Parts, Explains How to Achieve Muscle Separation Through Dieting and Cardio
While it may not be the most complicated solution, Priest credits dieting for achieving deep muscle separation.
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“Diet, it’s true. If you’re dieting, when you’re really bulked up your shoulder and arm will just blend into one and the more you diet down, this around here gets deeper so it just gives the illusion that your shoulder comes out more.
You have a more rounded shoulder as that gets deeper. And then the joints here and there get smaller, it makes the bicep look bigger.”
Priest also believes dieting and cardio are essential to chest growth, adding ‘you can’t be so specific’ when targeting the body part.
“It’s just dieting, dieting and cardio or you can just put synthol in your arms and really pump them up,” jokes Priest. “You can’t be so specific on, ‘Oh I just want to work the inner part of my chest.’ How are you going to do that and not work the outer part? Your chest is all going to move together when you move it.”
Overall, Priest suspects that everybody suffers from lagging body parts. Although ‘something is always going to be a little bit behind, he says ‘don’t worry about it.’
“I know sometimes people say this lags so I train it more…or I do it more often but training it more is not going to make it grow more.
I think generally, everybody will have a lagging body part, some your chest might grow quicker or biceps, arms, legs, something is always going to be a little bit behind, but don’t worry about it.”
Priest isn’t the only top-tier bodybuilder to discuss solutions for bringing up lagging body parts. The timeless icon and former three-time Mr. Olympia champion Frank Zane has also tackled the long-asked question. Zane imparted three tips:
- Work weak points first in workouts
- Perform additional sets with heavier weights
- Work unresponsive body parts two days consecutively
In addition, six-time Olympia winner Dorian Yates has answered questions about lagging body parts. However, he asserts that extra sets and reps aren’t the solution, similar to Priest’s point of view.
“The answer is not to train it more frequently or do more exercises, more sets of more reps! It is to do it with more focus. So do it first in your workout rather than later on.”
We as fans and bodybuilders have a wealth of resources at our fingertips to build our physiques thanks to contributions from legends who once ruled the sport. Whether it’s extra focus, heavier weights, or strict dieting, muscle separation and fixing lagging body parts can be achieved in a myriad of ways.
RELATED: Bodybuilder Nick Walker Explains How To Significantly Improve Weaker Body Parts
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