What’s holding you back?

Stop looking in the mirror – it’s the muscles you can’t see that you need to focus on. Muscles in the back of your body are crucial for stabilising you during workouts. Neglecting them, as many men do, leaves you open to injury, says strength coach Dan John. Test yourself with these three challenges and then fix your weak spots.

TEST 1

20 SWISS-BALL LEG CURLS
Lie face-up on the floor and place your calves and heels on the ball. Your arms should be stretched out at 45º angles from your torso, palms facing up. Lift your hips and pull your heels towards you, rolling the ball close to your bum. Pause for one second, and then roll the ball back and lower your hips. That’s one rep.

If you can’t do it, your hamstrings are weak. They’re the three muscles that make up the back of your thigh, and allow you to flex and rotate your leg and extend your thigh. Weak hamstrings throw your body off balance, which can lead to knee, hip and lower-back injuries.

The fix Add Romanian deadlifts to one of your weekly workouts, for three sets of eight reps, says strength and conditioning specialist Craig Ballantyne. Then add three sets of as many reps as you can of the Swiss-ball leg curls.

TEST 2

FIVE SECONDS OF HOLDING A BAT-WING
Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells (each one should weigh about 25 per cent of your body weight) and lie facedown on a bench. Pull the weights up towards your rib cage so that your thumbs are near your armpits. Squeeze your shoulderblades together for five seconds at the top of the lift, and then lower the weights back down.

If you can’t do it, your rhomboids are weak. These are the muscles that attach to your shoulderblades and spine, and are necessary for keeping good form in arm and chest lifts.

The fix Start with a much lighter weight and hold it up for only one second at a time, explains John. Do a weekly round of three sets of eight reps until you’re strong enough for more weight.

TEST 3

FIVE PULL-UPS
Hang from a chin-up bar with your palms facing away from you. Keep your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees bent and ankles crossed. Then pull your chest up to the bar.

If you can’t do it, you need to strengthen your lats, the pair of triangular muscles that run along your spine and hips and out to your upper arms. They’re important for good posture.

The fix Count how many pull-ups you can do without stopping. Then subtract one from that number and do three sets, says Ballantyne. If you can’t do any, do two or three sets of 3-5 reps of negative pull-ups. (Ask for a boost to the top of the bar – or use the pull-up machine – and then take 3-5 seconds to lower yourself.) Add three sets of dumbbell rows, for eight reps each.

Passed these tests? Push yourself even further:

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