Neglect is never a good word, especially in the gym. Often, people train into their strengths rather than their weaknesses. All this does is lead to more muscular imbalances and a lower desire to train up lagging body parts. On the other hand, some people neglect muscles because they feel they do not need them trained anymore. This can lead as well to muscular imbalance and also functional issues with the body.
There seems to be a general group of muscles that are overlooked in the gym these days. The “show muscles” are usually the focus because, well, they show. By training the body as a whole with the same amount of intensity (or more with the lagging parts), you will achieve more of a muscular balance.
These are the top 3 neglected body parts in the gym:
- Calves
It would be an easy thing to just say legs, but to be more specific, calves take this one. Many people will hop on a leg press or leg extension to get a pump in their quads, but most often the gastrocnemius is neglected. If trained, calves are usually saved until the end of the workout, if there is time of course. If you find yourself lagging in the calf department, train them first when you hit the gym. Using the “good energy” you have, beat them up to no end. Be as intense with them as you are your arms or chest.
- Rear delts
The shoulders make up and finish off a nice build. So often however, the focus is the lateral and front heads of the shoulders. The rear delts help out with so much in appearance and function. Having rear delts that are not on par with the rest of the shoulders can lead to a forward roll of the shoulders, giving the “gorilla-like” look and actually making the chest seem small. Start off every shoulder routine with a solid 3 or 4 sets of rear delt flies. This will also feed into the appearance of a strong back!
- Hamstrings
Hamstrings are so easily thought of being trained “good enough” when squatting or leg presses. They need their own attention. Hamstrings are huge muscles that tie into the glutes, and they are antagonistic to the quads. By only training the quads and never the hamstrings, you can develop some structural issues with the back because the quads make the body more “front heavy” and pull on the pelvic girdle area, straining the lower back.
