Title: Overcoming Weak Points
Author: Frank Zane
Year: 2021
Publisher: Zananda
Review
Regular readers of Keep Fit Kingdom will have seen our previous reviews of bodybuilding books by 3 times Mr. Olympia Frank Zane.
All have been educational and enjoyable to read. Overcoming Weak Points looks at the common issue of lagging muscle groups and it is the sixth book by Frank to feature in our website’s review section.
Check Over Your Weak Spots
No matter how many years you’ve been pumping iron it’s likely you’ll have one or two (or more) body parts that are weak in comparison to the rest of your body. Maybe it’s due to neglect, bad training technique, or your weaker muscles simply being unresponsive. Taking an honest look at your own physique and acknowledging its weak spots is crucial if you’re striving to build the best body that you can.
In Frank Zane’s decades long history in the sport of bodybuilding he’s observed that typical weak spots are the back, hamstrings and calves.
Maybe these are weak spots for you too. So how do you tackle the problem of weak body parts? Extra training sessions for your weaker muscle is a logical approach to give the muscle extra workload and the attention it requires.
Prioritizing Less-Developed Areas
Putting that muscle group first in your workout while you are fresh and energetic is an excellent recommendation by Zane. Technique becomes more important when you’re
trying to bring the muscle up to standard – no other muscles should take over in the exercise.
Interestingly, an approach that Frank would use was to wear ear buds in the gym to avoid distractions and focus his energy into building his muscle. Little changes can bring big results. As you may have seen in our reviews of Frank Zane’s other books, he is a huge advocate of using photography to record and monitor your own progress.
It is unquestionably an excellent way to see the strengths and weaknesses in your physique. Unlike looking at yourself in the mirror, you’ll get a better picture of how other people see you. Some useful tips are shared by Frank to get the most out of your bodybuilding photography sessions to help you improve your physique.
Overcoming Weak Points Features 50 Exercises
Overcoming Weak Points features around about 50 exercises and a series of stretches to put you on the path to making gains. Don’t expect any secret exercises to miraculously fix your weak areas – it’s very much about using the basics and the way you perform them.
Strict technique, controlling the negative, and feeling the muscle swell up with blood are all of paramount importance for building those lagging muscles. Several exercises for each muscle group are described and demonstrated in this book, from staple exercises like bench presses and squats to the underutilised (but highly effective) pullover.
Using the exercises that are explained demonstrated in the book, there is a varied selection of supersets for you to try when specialising on your weak points. The quadriceps, for instance, have a challenging superset of leg extensions and leg presses to shock them into growing.
For the calves – typically a weak spot for many bodybuilders – a superset of standing calf raises and seated calf raises will turn your calves into cows.
If abs are one of your weak points, read about Frank’s ab supersets and the 1000-rep workouts he often did. That will surely bring them up to scratch and ready for your next photo shoot or competition.
Summary
Overcoming Weak Points is another informative and well-constructed book by one of bodybuilding’s greatest legends. I admire the way that it’s kept straightforward without any unnecessarily complicated methods; hard training combined with some smart thinking will be enough to stimulate muscle growth.
If you’ve got some stubborn body parts that are reluctant to grow, reading this book could give you the knowledge you need to get a step closer to your ideal physique.
Favourite Quotes
“You don’t want any one part to stand out and take the eye away from the rest of your body. You want people’s eyes to see a cohesion among your body-parts.”
“Only focusing on your strong points is not a winning strategy.”
