Symmetrical Training
Train the less-developed region to create a more balanced silhouette
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 91%
Symmetrical Training uses relative proportions, rather than isolated muscle size, to guide exercise emphasis. Start by assessing which region already dominates your physique and which region receives less work because it feels harder or less natural. Keep training all major muscle groups, but place deliberate emphasis on the comparatively underdeveloped region. In the episode, the practical example is a woman with a stronger lower body adding more upper-body work: broader shoulders can make the overall silhouette appear more balanced and create a V-shaped taper. The mechanism is visual and structural balance, not spot reduction. Progress therefore comes from sustained strength development in the neglected area, followed by periodic reassessment, rather than repeatedly training the body part that is already easiest to develop.
Origin
Jennifer Cohen presents symmetrical training as a practical response to women favouring lower-body exercises while neglecting upper-body strength. Liron Kayvan agrees that everyone should still train all muscle groups.
Core principles
- 01Balanced development matters more than repeatedly training the easiest area
- 02Relative proportions influence how the whole physique appears
- 03Every major muscle group still needs strength work
- 04Programming should account for the individual's existing proportions
How to run it
- 1
Assess your proportions
Identify the body region that already carries more muscle or visually dominates your physique.
Pro tip Judge relative balance rather than labelling any individual body part good or bad.
- 2
Find the neglected counterpart
Notice which major region you avoid because it is harder or less familiar. Treat that avoidance as a programming clue.
Watch out Do not assume your favourite exercises address your most useful training need.
- 3
Shift the emphasis
Add deliberate strength work for the less-developed region while continuing to train the whole body.
Pro tip For a lower-body-dominant physique, prioritise consistent upper-body work rather than adding still more lower-body volume.
Watch out Emphasis does not mean abandoning the rest of the body.
- 4
Reassess after a block
Allow enough time for strength and muscle adaptations, then review whether the overall proportions look and perform more balanced.
Pro tip Use comparable photos or training records instead of day-to-day impressions.
In the wild
Cohen describes having a larger lower body and therefore training her shoulders more. Developing the upper body broadens the shoulder line and makes the full physique appear more proportionate rather than trying to shrink one isolated area.
→ The physique develops a more balanced silhouette and stronger upper body.
A recreational lifter who repeatedly trains chest and arms notices that the upper body dominates while leg strength lags. Applying the same rule, the lifter maintains whole-body work but gives the lower body deliberate emphasis for the next training block.
→ Training volume better addresses the lifter's actual imbalance.
Common mistakes
Training only what feels easy
Natural strength can pull training toward the region that already dominates, reinforcing the imbalance.
Confusing balance with spot reduction
The method changes relative muscular development; it does not promise targeted fat loss from one body part.
Abandoning whole-body training
Extra emphasis on one region should sit inside a programme that still trains every major muscle group.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for lifters with aesthetic goals who naturally favour their stronger or easier muscle groups.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when rehabilitation, pain, or sport-specific performance requires a clinician-led or specialised programme.
From the transcript
“you will look symmetrically way better”
“if you have broader shoulders your lower body looks way smaller and you get that V”
“everyone is going to train all their muscle groups everyone is going to lift weights”
From the episode
Episode 340: Men vs Women: Training Styles, Cardio, Muscle, and More with Liron Kayvan.
Men vs Women