We all know the stereotypical meathead with a massive upper body and an unimpressive lower physique, which we attribute to him/her avoiding leg day like the plague. While neglecting an entire part of your body is bad, so many of us assume we are getting everything when we are not, and typically just as guilty. I like many others, have a philosophy that one should focus on training movement patterns over specific muscles/muscle groups, particularly for performance and or function (bodybuilders are a different story) however, some key areas of the body can be easily overlooked if not targeted directly. Just because your program covers the whole body from a macro perspective (Chest, Back, Shoulder, Legs, etc.) does not mean you’re covering all your bases.

The Important Stuff

In general, there are areas of our body commonly neglected and uncommonly included in most programs. Each of us is unique and will likely have different needs based on our current fitness levels, injury history, and training experience, but I’d be willing to bet at least one of these body areas could use a tune-up for most people.

1.) Tibialis Anterior: If you’re unfamiliar with the tibialis anterior it’s the thick and fleshy muscle that runs down your shin and is responsible for dorsiflexion of your foot (moving your toes towards your shin). It’s extremely easy to train but is rarely considered. Interestingly, many individuals who take up running or play sports growing up and suffer from “shin splints” know what this muscle is because it gets very sore. To decrease the chances of getting said shin splints, two critical things would help, 1 – Add or increase training volume slowly, and 2 – Build up tibialis anterior strength before engaging in activity. “Tib Raises” are my favorite exercise for training this body part and can be adapted in many ways. Ben Patrick (Knees Over Toes Guy) has also popularized the zero-cost version of tib raises where he stands against a wall with his leg outstretched and elevates his toes for several reps. This can be done anywhere, anytime. I could write an entire book on the tibialis anterior but to spare you the time I’ll bluntly tell you that you must train this body part no matter who you are.

2.) Adductors: Your adductor muscles are a group of four muscles including the adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, and gracillis but for simplicity, we will stick with adductors. These muscles are responsible for bringing the lower extremity toward the midline of the body (i.e., adduction) and are undervalued because one typically doesn’t think much of them until they’re injured, and walking, running, sitting, squatting, etc. all become difficult. Most people who I see “training” these muscles are on this machine in the gym and either doing it for the gram or looking on their phone. It’s important to train this movement with focus and a little bit of intensity because groin strains are common, especially for those who partake in athletic activities. My favorite movements for training the adductors are Copenhagen Planks and any lateral lunge/Cossack. Squat variation.

3.) Rotator Cuff Muscles: The rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder can be easily remembered by the acronym SITS which is supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. Much like the adductors, rotator cuff is a simpler catch-all term. These muscles help stabilize and assist the shoulder in its many planes of motion including flexion, extension, external rotation, and internal rotation. Most people do a few lazy reps with a band or on a cable machine with their elbow at their side and externally rotate their shoulder thinking they are somehow magically bulletproofing their shoulders. While I applaud the effort, this won’t get the job done. The rotator cuff is so commonly injured because we don’t strengthen anything posteriorly to the chest, we have horrible posture, we don’t have overhead strength, and mobility/stability/or both sucks. I could again write an entire novel on this muscle group but a few of my favorite things to try are the kettlebell arm bar, chest-supported scarecrows, and band pull aparts.

4.) Transverse Abdominus: The transverse abdominus is a “core muscle” that essentially serves as your own personal weight belt and stabilizes your trunk, spine, and lower back. It sits underneath the rectus abdominus and obliques which are the show muscles that are often associated with a strong core i.e., six-pack abs. What most don’t realize is that a weak transverse abdominus is often linked to low back pain and a host of other issues. If you train with heavy resistance on exercises like squats, deadlifts, etc. you are most certainly engaging and strengthening this area, but some targeted work is still essential particularly if you are not doing what I previously mentioned already. A few of my favorites are bird dogs and dead bugs, both working on anti-rotation and anti-extension. Make sure to target this area and check out Dr. Stuart McGill’s work to get in-depth on this if you’re interested.

While it’s to overlook many areas of the body it’s important to take an inventory every once in a while of what you may be lacking. Injuries are a common part of athletics and activity, but we can greatly reduce their likelihood if we prepare our bodies ahead of time. Staying on top of your training and doing these types of movements don’t have to be super time-consuming and cumbersome, they be sprinkled into a program periodically and thought of as something like brushing your teeth. Being proactive will help ensure you don’t get cavities or in this case get injured. Lastly, it’s your choice with these as well, do them now while it’s a choice, or do them as part of your rehab God forbid you ever sustain an injury. Give them a shot, stay healthy, and stay happy!