Targeting a muscle makes the workout more effective and so you see the results where you expected, not in surrounding muscles.
But some muscles are more challenging to target than others, this guide can help.
1. Maintain proper form
Proper form helps ensures you're performing the exercise with the right technique and body position to ensure the target muscle is being worked. This also helps reduce the chance of injury by reducing unnecessary strain on tendons, and joints.
2. Controlled Reps
Control the weight throughout the whole range of motion. Make sure your muscle is working while lifting the weight up, and on the way down. Don't let it weight free fall.
Slowing the tempo can help make it easier to force the target muscle to control the weight.
3. Range of motion
Utilize a full range of motion. Start from a full stretch and end when the muscle is flexed. Lifting the weight from the stretch can help ensure the target muscle is being activated.
Additionally, research shows most tension is on a muscle when lifting the weight from the stretch phase, so a deeper stretch can even result in more stimulation.
4. Exercise selection
Try a different exercise. Sometimes it's easier to target a muscle with one exercise vs another. If the goal is to target glutes but you feel it in your legs when doing a squat, try a hip thrust. Stick with what works for you to engage the muscle.
5. Mind-Muscle connection
Mind-muscle connection is the act of consciously focusing on a muscle when exercising it. It helps improve muscle activation and help isolate the target muscle.
This takes some practice to learn to do but it's an important part of weight training.
6. Focus
It can be hard to incorporate these tips while under the stress of the weight. Your mind can only really focus on 1 thing efficiently. Focus can help create a cue to the muscle helping you locate the muscle and letting you know where to focus your effort.