Did you know that there are some muscles in your body that you’re probably not training enough? These muscles, which are often overlooked or ignored, are of great importance to your health, performance, and aesthetics. However, many of them are not visible to the naked eye or are not frequently used in everyday activities, so we tend to forget about them.
In this article, I’m going to show you what the forgotten muscles are, why you should train them, and how to do it effectively. You’ll be amazed at how much they can improve your posture, balance, strength, endurance, and physical appearance. In addition, I will give you some tips to integrate forgotten muscle exercises into your regular routine, without taking much time or effort.
So, if you want to find out which muscles you neglect and how to train them well, keep reading our article. I assure you that you will not regret giving them the attention they deserve.
What Are Forgotten Muscles and Why Should You Train Them?
Forgotten muscles are those that you don’t see or don’t use often
When we think of the muscles we want to train, the most visible ones or the ones most involved in the usual movements most likely come to mind. For example, biceps, triceps, pecs, abs, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, etc. These muscles are the ones that usually receive the most attention and stimulation in the gym or at home, as they are the ones that help us the most to lift weights, run, jump, push, pull, etc.
However, there are other muscles that are not seen as much or that are not used as much, but that are also part of our body and that serve important functions. These muscles are what we call the forgotten muscles, and they are usually the ones that are most neglected or left for last. Some examples of these muscles are the lower trapezius, serratus anterior, transverse abdominis, pelvic floor, tibialis anterior, hip external rotators, etc.
These muscles, although not as obvious or in demand, play a key role in stability, mobility, coordination, injury prevention and improved posture. That’s why it’s important that you don’t forget them and that you train them properly.
Training forgotten muscles has benefits for your health, performance, and aesthetics
Training forgotten muscles is not only a matter of completing your workout, but it also has benefits for your health, performance, and aesthetics. Some of these benefits are as follows:
- Improve your posture: Forgotten muscles are often responsible for maintaining good alignment of your spine, pelvis, shoulders, and knees. By training them, you prevent them from weakening or shortening, and from causing imbalances or compensations that affect your posture. Thus, you can avoid back, neck, shoulder, knee pain, etc.
- Increase your strength: Forgotten muscles are also the ones that help you generate and transmit force from the center of your body to your extremities. By training them, you improve your ability to generate and transfer force, allowing you to lift heavier, push harder, pull faster, etc. In addition, by having greater stability, you also reduce the risk of injuries due to overload or poor techniques.
- Improve your performance: Forgotten muscles are also the ones that allow you to perform more complex, more varied, and more efficient movements. By training them, you improve your mobility, coordination, balance, agility, speed, endurance, etc. This way, you will be able to better cope with the physical challenges that come your way, whether in sports, at work or in everyday life.
- Improve your aesthetics: Forgotten muscles are also the ones that help you look better, as they help define your silhouette, highlight your curves, tone your problem areas, correct your flaws, etc. By training them, you will be able to achieve a more harmonious, more symmetrical, more proportionate and more attractive body.
As you can see, training forgotten muscles has many benefits that you shouldn’t ignore. That’s why, in the next section, I’m going to show you which are the forgotten muscles according to the area of the body and how to train them correctly.
Forgotten muscles according to the area of the body
Forgotten muscles of the upper area: lower trapezius, serratus anterior, rhomboids, etc.
The upper body is made up of the muscles from the neck to the waist. Among these muscles, there are some that tend to get more attention, such as the pectorals, deltoids, biceps, triceps, etc. However, there are others that tend to stay in the background, such as the lower trapezius, serratus anterior, rhomboids, etc.
These muscles have the function of stabilizing and mobilizing the scapula, which is the bone that joins the arm to the trunk. By training these muscles, you improve the position and movement of your scapula, allowing you to have better posture, greater range of motion, greater strength, and a lower chance of shoulder injuries.
Some exercises you can do to train these muscles are:
- Face pull: This exercise involves pulling a rope or elastic band towards your face, keeping your elbows high and your shoulder blades together. It is a very effective exercise to work the lower trapezius and the rhomboids, which are the ones that retract the scapula.
- Push up plus: This exercise consists of doing a push-up, but when you reach the top, you push the ground with your hands and separate your shoulder blades. It is a very effective exercise to work the serratus anterior, which is the one that brings the scapula.
- Scapular shrug: This exercise consists of hanging from a bar with your arms straight and raising and lowering your shoulders, without bending your elbows. It is a very effective exercise to work the lower trapezius, which is the one that depresses the scapula.
Forgotten muscles of the midsection: transverse abdominis, pelvic floor, internal obliques, etc.
The middle of the body is made up of the muscles around the abdomen and pelvis. Among these muscles, there are some that tend to receive more attention, such as the rectus abdominis, external obliques, erectors spinae, etc. However, there are others that tend to take a back seat, such as the transverse abdominis, pelvic floor, internal obliques, etc.
These muscles have the function of stabilizing and mobilizing the abdomen and pelvis, which allows you to have better posture, greater protection of the internal organs, greater strength and a lower chance of injuries to the lower back.
Some exercises you can do to train these muscles are:
- Plank: This exercise consists of resting your forearms and the balls of your feet on the floor, keeping your body straight and aligned. It is a very effective exercise to work the transverse abdominis, which is the one that compresses the abdomen and acts as a natural girdle.
- Kegel: This exercise involves contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, which support the bladder, uterus, rectum, and prostate. It is a very effective exercise to work the pelvic floor, which is the one that prevents incontinence, prolapse and sexual dysfunction.
- Woodchop: This exercise involves holding a dumbbell, rope, or elastic band with both hands and bringing it from one top corner to the opposite bottom corner, twisting the trunk. It is a very effective exercise to work the internal obliques, which are the ones that rotate the trunk and help with lateral flexion.
Forgotten muscles of the lower area: tibialis anterior, external rotators of the hip, adductors, etc.
The lower body is made up of the muscles from the waist to the feet. Among these muscles, there are some that tend to get more attention, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, etc. However, there are others that tend to take a back seat, such as tibialis anterior, hip external rotators, adductors, etc.
These muscles have the function of stabilizing and mobilizing your knees, hips, and ankles, allowing you to have better posture, a greater range of motion, greater strength, and a lower chance of injury to your lower joints.
Some exercises you can do to train these muscles are:
- Ankle dorsiflexion: This exercise involves raising the ball of the foot toward the shin, using an elastic band, a weight, or the resistance of the ground. It is a very effective exercise to work the tibialis anterior, which is the one that flexes the ankle and prevents the foot from falling when walking or running.
- Clamshell: This exercise consists of lying on your side, with your legs bent and an elastic band around your knees, and separating your upper knee from your lower knee, keeping your feet together. It is a very effective exercise to work the external rotators of the hip, which are the ones that open the hip and prevent the knees from coming together or deviating.
- Leg opening: This exercise consists of sitting on the floor, with your legs straight and apart, and bringing your trunk forward, trying to touch the ground with your hands or chest. It is a very effective exercise to work the adductors, which are the ones that close the hips and prevent the legs from opening or moving.
How to Train Forgotten Muscles: Exercises, Frequency, and Intensity
Specific exercises to activate and strengthen forgotten muscles
I’ve already shown you some examples of exercises you can do to train the forgotten muscles in each area of the body. However, there are many more exercises you can do, depending on your level, your goal, and your availability. The important thing is that you choose exercises that suit your needs and that allow you to activate and strengthen forgotten muscles properly.
To do this, I recommend that you follow these tips:
- Choose exercises that involve movement or stabilization of the joint where the forgotten muscle is inserted: For example, if you want to train the lower trapezius, choose exercises that involve movement or stabilization of the scapula, such as the face pull, scapular shrug, or rowing. If you want to train the transverse abdominis, choose exercises that involve movement or stabilization of the abdomen, such as plank, hollow hold, or dead bug.
- Choose exercises that allow you to isolate the forgotten muscle or that involve it as a priority: For example, if you want to train the serratus anterior, choose exercises that allow you to isolate it or that involve it as a priority, such as the push up plus, the serratus punch or the wall slide. If you want to train the tibialis anterior, choose exercises that allow you to isolate it or that involve it as a priority, such as ankle dorsiflexion, toe tap, or heel walk.
- Choose exercises that allow you to control load, speed, and range of motion: For example, if you want to train your hip external rotators, choose exercises that allow you to control load, speed, and range of motion, such as the clamshell, fire hydrant, or lateral band walk. If you want to train your adductors, choose exercises that allow you to control load, speed, and range of motion, such as the leg opener, sumo squat, or lateral lunge.
Optimal Frequency and Intensity for Training Forgotten Muscles
Once you’ve chosen the exercises you’re going to do to train your forgotten muscles, the next step is to determine how often and how hard you’re going to do them. These two factors are very important to achieve the results you are looking for, without falling into overtraining or stagnation.
To do this, I recommend that you follow these tips:
- Train forgotten muscles at least twice a week: Forgotten muscles need frequent stimulation to improve their activation and strength. That’s why I recommend that you train them at least twice a week, preferably on alternate days, to give them time to recover. You can dedicate a specific session to forgotten muscles, or include them in your regular routine, as part of the warm-up, cool-down or complementary exercises.
- Train Forgotten Muscles at Moderate to High Intensity: Forgotten muscles need intense stimulation to improve their hypertrophy and endurance. That’s why I recommend that you train them with a moderate to high intensity, that is, with a load, speed or range of motion that challenges you, but allows you to maintain good technique. You can use different methods to increase the intensity, such as increasing the weight, the number of repetitions, the time under tension, the range of motion, etc.
Tips for Integrating Forgotten Muscle Exercises into Your Routine
Finally, the last step is to integrate forgotten muscle exercises into your routine effectively and efficiently. This will allow you to make the most of your time and energy, and achieve the best possible results.
To do this, I recommend that you follow these tips:
- Prioritize the forgotten muscle exercises you need most: Not all forgotten muscles have the same importance or need for training. Some may be weaker, shorter, more unbalanced, or more invested in your goal than others. That’s why I recommend that you prioritize the exercises for the forgotten muscles that you need the most, according to your personal assessment, your professional diagnosis or your training plan.
- Combine forgotten muscle exercises with major muscle exercises: One way to integrate forgotten muscle exercises into your routine is to combine them with major muscle exercises, i.e., those that work the largest or most visible muscle groups. This way, you can save time, increase the intensity and improve the synergy between the muscles. For example, you can combine the face pull with the bench press, the plank with the bicep curl, or the clamshell with the squat.
- Vary forgotten muscle exercises from time to time: Another way to integrate forgotten muscle exercises into your routine is to vary them from time to time, to avoid boredom, stagnation, and adaptations. This way, you can stimulate forgotten muscles in a different way, try new challenges and discover new benefits. For example, you can swap the push up plus for the serratus punch, the ankle dorsiflexion for the toe tap, or the leg opening for the sumo squat.
Conclusion
In this article, I’ve shown you what the forgotten muscles are, why you should train them, and how to do it effectively. I’ve explained the benefits of training forgotten muscles for your health, performance and aesthetics. I have shown you the forgotten muscles according to the area of the body and the exercises you can do to work them. And I’ve given you some tips for integrating forgotten muscle exercises into your routine.
I hope this article has been helpful to you and that it has motivated you to pay more attention to the muscles you neglect. I assure you that if you train them well, you will notice the difference in your body and in your well-being. So, don’t hesitate any longer and start training your forgotten muscles today.
And if you liked this article, don’t forget to share it with your friends, family or acquaintances who also want to improve their training and physique. I’m sure they’ll thank you.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I don’t train forgotten muscles?
If you don’t train your forgotten muscles, you can suffer the consequences of weak, shortened, unbalanced, or inactive muscles. Some of these consequences are: poor posture, reduced range of motion, reduced strength, increased likelihood of injury, poorer performance, and poorer aesthetics.
How do I know if I’m training my forgotten muscles well?
To know if you are training the forgotten muscles well, you can use some indicators, such as: the sensation of activation or working of the muscle, the improvement of the technique or the execution of the exercise, the increase in the load, the number of repetitions or the time under tension, the improvement of posture, movement, strength or endurance, A decrease in pain, tension or fatigue, etc.
What other factors influence the development of forgotten muscles?
In addition to training, there are other factors that influence the development of forgotten muscles, such as: diet, hydration, rest, stress, genetics, lifestyle, etc. Therefore, it is important that you take care of all these aspects, to promote the growth, recovery and functioning of forgotten muscles.
Where can I find more information about forgotten muscles?
If you want to find more information about forgotten muscles, you can consult some reliable sources, such as: books, magazines, blogs, podcasts, videos, etc. from sports, health or physical education professionals. You can also consult a personal trainer, a physiotherapist, a doctor or a nut