# Should I try to "balance" my muscular developments?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-try-to-balance-my-muscular-developments/368308>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 11, 2006, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-try-to-balance-my-muscular-developments/368308 "2006-08-11T17:17:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-try-to-balance-my-muscular-developments/368308/1 "2006-08-11T17:17:32Z")

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I’ve recently started working out, and I’m fairly new to the gym scene, but observing the others there for the last few weeks I note that for any exercise there seems to be a normal ditribution for the weights involved; ie most of the people in my gym seem to be benching about 175lbs, plus or minus, with a few much higher, and a few much lower. Now for some muscle groups, say, arms, I am smack in the middle of the curve that I see, while for some others, such as chest muscles, I am on the low side. Should I concentrate on my weaker muscle groups and pay less attention to the stonger ones? Or should I work them all in the hope that they will all even out in the end? Or maybe I am imaging this whole thing and I really don’t have any problem.

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**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-try-to-balance-my-muscular-developments/368308/2 "2006-08-11T17:42:48Z")

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It depends on how you feel about it but most would advise that in the beginning you simply focus on conditioning and full body workouts. Once you’ve achieved a decent level of fitness and tone, if you’re going for strength, then stay with core exercises and lift as heavy as you can. Your weaker parts will be the limiting and factor and will balance out pretty much automatically. If you’re more into bodybuilding, then giving your weak areas extra training can make sense. I train legs twice a week for that reason.

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-try-to-balance-my-muscular-developments/368308/3 "2006-08-11T18:21:57Z")

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You need to balance your training in the sense that you shouldn’t neglect the body parts that you can’t see in the mirror.

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**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-try-to-balance-my-muscular-developments/368308/4 "2006-08-11T18:34:50Z")

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…and it is also important to exercise opposing muscles equally. For example, what you do for your biceps you should also do for the triceps, quads vs hamstrings, etc.