10 Often Overlooked Muscles You’re Forgetting: Target Them for a Balanced Body

As a personal trainer with over 17 years of hands-on experience, I can attest that most muscle and strength imbalances aren’t because of genetics. In most cases, these disparities happen as people overlook training certain muscle groups.

Imbalances are bad news as they can hamper your physique aesthetics, hinder functionality, and increase the risk of injury.

Most conventional training programs ignore certain muscle groups that make muscle and strength imbalances inevitable.

The 10 Often-Overlooked Muscles

These are the most neglected muscle groups and how you should address them:

1. Transverse Abdominis

Unlike the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscle), you cannot see the transverse abdominis muscle. It wraps around your torso like a corset, stabilizes your core, and supports your spine. A strong transverse abdominis is essential for a good posture and preventing back pain.

Exercises For Transverse Abdominis:

1. Plank

Get into a low plank position with your forearms on the floor and your legs extended behind you. Your body should be in a straight line from head to toe. Brace your core and hold this position for as long as possible.

2. Bird Dog

Assume a tabletop position with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Extend one arm and the opposite leg so they are parallel to the floor. Hold for a brief period before returning to the starting position. Repeat for recommended reps.

3. Vacuum

This exercise requires a lot of practice. To perform it, exhale all the air in your lungs via your mouth and draw your belly button toward your spine. Hold for as long as possible.

2. Serratus Anterior

This is such a small muscle group that most lifters have no idea where it is located or what it does, but I digress. The serratus anterior is on the side of your rib cage and resembles the teeth of a saw.

This muscle group plays a key role in protracting the scapula and helps rotate it upward, which is crucial for overhead movement.

Exercises For Serratus Anterior:

1. Scapular Push-Ups

Get in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and legs extended behind you. While keeping your elbows fully extended, protract and retract your shoulder blades to target the serratus anterior.

2. Overhead Carries

Stand erect with a dumbbell in your right arm held overhead with a straight arm. While maintaining a steady torso and square shoulders, walk for a set distance or time.

3. Dumbbell Pullovers

Arnold Schwarzenegger swore by the dumbbell pullover to target the upper body, including the serratus anterior. It involves lying diagonally on a flat bench with a dumbbell held over the chest with both hands. Then, slowly lower the dumbbell toward the floor behind your head while focusing on a deep chest and serratus stretch.

3. Erector Spinae

These muscles run along your spine, extending from the neck to the lower back. They are crucial for standing upright and stability during bending and twisting movements.

Exercises For Erector Spinae:

1. Hyperextension

Position your hips against a hyperextension bench’s pads and place your hands behind your head. Slowly lower your shoulders toward the floor. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. Avoid overextending at the top to prevent lower back strain.

2. Good Morning

Stand with a barbell across your upper back. While maintaining a slight knee flexion, hinge at the hips to lower your torso toward the floor. Push your hips backward during the eccentric phase for maximal target muscle fiber recruitment.

3. Superman

Lie supine on the floor with your arms extended overhead. Take a deep breath and raise your arms and legs off the floor. Hold for as long as possible.

4. Tibialis Anterior

While many have started paying attention to their calves, the muscles at the front of the shin (tibialis anterior) haven’t started getting the same love yet. The tibialis anterior is crucial for dorsiflexing the foot (lifting the toes upward), which is essential for daily functions like walking, running, and maintaining balance.

Exercises For Tibialis Anterior:

1. Toe Raises

Stand on the floor with your back against a wall. Raise your toes as high toward the roof as possible. Pause in the fully shortened position. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat for reps.

2. Walking on Heels

This will require a decent amount of balance. Stand upright and lift your toes off the floor; start walking. Use your arms to balance your body. I recommend wearing shoes with good heel stability for this exercise for balance.

3. Dorsiflexion with Resistance Band

Tie one end of a resistance band around a sturdy object and the other around your foot. Sit at a distance from the anchor point so the band is taut in the starting position. Slowly pull your toes toward your shin.

5. Forearm Muscles

The forearm consists of several muscles, which require attention for optimal development. The brachioradialis (outer forearm), wrist flexors (palm side), and wrist extensors (back of the forearm) should be at the top of your priority list.

These muscles are responsible for hand and wrist movement, which are crucial for performing everyday tasks like gripping and lifting.

Exercises For Forearm Muscles:

1. Wrist Curls

Grab a pair of dumbbells and place your forearms diagonally on a flat bench so your palms are facing the ceiling. Curl your wrists and pause in the fully shortened position. Slowly lower the weights toward the floor for a deep forearm stretch.

2. Reverse Wrist Curls

Here, your palms will face the floor while everything else will remain the same as in the previous exercise.

3. Farmer’s Walk

Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells or a trap bar and stand upright with your shoulder blades pulled back and down. Walk for a pre-set time or distance.

6. Adductors (Inner Thigh Muscles)

The inner thigh muscles comprise several muscles — adductor longus, brevis, magnus, and gracilis. They help bring your leg toward your body and stabilize the pelvis while walking and other lower-body movements. Strong adductors can improve hip stability, balance, and overall lower body strength.

Exercises For Adductors:

1. Adductor Machine

Adjust the adductor machine to prioritize a full ROM. Sit on the machine and bring your legs together. Pause in the fully shortened and lengthened positions, and avoid using your hands for support.

2. Copenhagen Plank

This exercise is more challenging than it looks. Lie on your side with your forearm on the ground and your top leg resting on a flat bench. The lower leg should touch the bottom of the pad. Lift your hips off the floor and hold this position for as long as possible.

3. Cable Hip Adduction

Set a cable pulley at the lowest setting and wear the ankle strap. Place your feet beside the cable pulley and hold onto something sturdy for balance. Brace your core and lift the leg closer to the pulley across your body and as high to the side as possible. Pause at the top before returning to the starting position.

7. Neck Muscles

The neck is one of the most crucial yet overlooked muscles. These muscles control head movement, help maintain posture, and provide stability. A strong neck can lower the risk of neck pain.

Exercises For Neck Muscles:

1. Neck Flexion (Chin Tucks)

Lie supine on the floor. Gently tuck your chin into your upper chest while feeling a stretch in the back of your neck.

2. Neck Extension (Lying Face Down)

Lie on your belly with your forehead resting on the ground. Lift your head toward the ceiling while keeping your neck straight. You can also use added resistance in this exercise to further challenge the neck muscles.

3. Lateral Neck Flexion (Side Bends)

Sit upright while looking straight ahead. Slowly tilt your head to one side, feeling a stretch on the opposite side. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

8. Rotator Cuff

I’m just appalled by the number of people who overlook training the rotator cuffs, even when they are involved in almost every pushing and pulling exercise. The rotator cuffs are located within the shoulder joint and comprise four muscles and their tendons — supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.

This muscle group helps stabilize the shoulder joint, enabling smooth and controlled arm movement. Rotator cuffs play a crucial role in several daily activities, like lifting things, reaching overhead, and throwing a ball.

Exercises For Rotator Cuff:

1. External Rotations

Stand upright and bend your right elbow at 90 degrees. While holding a dumbbell with a neutral grip, slowly rotate your forearm outward while keeping your elbow tight to the side. You could also perform this exercise with a resistance band or cable machine.

2. Internal Rotations

This is the mirror opposite of the external rotations. Instead of driving your forearm outward, you should pull it toward your torso.

3. Lateral Raises with a Pause

I have some clients who can only spare 20 to 30 minutes for a resistance workout. For them, I program a lateral raise with a pause at the beginning to maximize rotator cuff recruitment. Remember, you cannot lift as heavy on this exercise as the conventional lateral raises, so pick the weights accordingly.

Although the rotator cuffs are a small muscle group, they are indispensable to ensure optimal shoulder health and functionality.

9. Gluteus Medius and Minimus

Most lower-body workouts are focused on the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and quads. However, strong gluteus medius and minimus muscles are just as important for aesthetics and overall functionality.

The gluteus medius and minimus muscles are located on the side of your hip under their bigger sibling — the gluteus maximus. These muscles are crucial for stability while walking and running.

Studies show that weak gluteus medius and minimus can cause knee pain and lower body issues. (1)

Exercises For Gluteus Medius and Minimus:

1. Side Lying Clams

Lie on the floor on your side with your knees bent and stacked. While keeping your feet on top of each other, lift your upper knee as high toward the ceiling as possible. Pause in the fully shortened position for a brief time before returning to the starting position.

2. Banded Hip Abductions

Wrap a loop resistance band just below or above your knees. You can perform this exercise seated or standing with your back against a wall. Place your feet wide enough so the band is taut in the starting position. Drive your knees as far out as possible without moving your feet.

3. Single-Leg Deadlifts

Stand straight while holding a light dumbbell in each hand. Lift your left foot off the floor and position it slightly behind the right leg. Hinge at the hips to lower the dumbbells toward the floor. Simultaneously, lift your rear leg as high toward the ceiling as possible. Return to the starting position.

10. Posterior Deltoids

These are the smallest of the three shoulder heads. Since they are located on your back, it is usually hard to develop a mind-muscle connection, hindering optimal muscle fiber recruitment and growth.

The rear delts help externally rotate the shoulders and are crucial for pulling movements and maintaining shoulder balance.

Exercises For Posterior Deltoids:

1. Face Pulls

Pin a cable pulley at face level and add a rope attachment. Grab the ropes with an overhand grip. Drive your elbows wide and to your sides so your hands are at ear level in the fully shortened position. Slowly return to the starting position.

2. Reverse Flyes 

You can perform this exercise on the cable machine, pec deck flye machine, or with dumbbells. It involves maintaining a slight elbow flexion and pulling your hands behind the midline at the top of your ROM.

3. Bent-Over Rows

Grab a barbell with a shoulder-wide grip and bend over so your torso is parallel to the floor. Pull the bar to your chest while flaring your elbows for maximum rear delt activation. Use a slow, deliberate ROM for optimal stimulation.

Conclusion

I’ve listed the 10 most overlooked muscles and three exercises each for addressing the weaknesses. Remember, all the muscle groups listed in this article are relatively small, and you don’t need to dedicate full workouts to training them.

Perform one or two of these exercises at the end of your regular training routine to bring up these lagging muscle groups.

If you have any questions about these 10 often overlooked muscles, post them in the comments below, and I’d be happy to help!

References:

1. Kameda M, Tanimae H, Kihara A, Matsumoto F. Does low back pain or leg pain in gluteus medius syndrome contribute to lumbar degenerative disease and hip osteoarthritis and vice versa? A literature review. J Phys Ther Sci. 2020;32(2):173-191. doi:10.1589/jpts.32.173

---