6 Muscles Women Tend to Ignore

Pectoralis Major

A lot of women elect to skip the bench press partially in thanks to that stereotypical image of a top heavy, male, bulking bodybuilder. But it’s a fear unwarranted: on average, females don’t produce the testosterone required to bulk up quite that much. And working your chest can help ‘perk up’ what you already have! What’s not to love?

Okay, How do I use it?

Dumbbell bench press with properly proportioned weights for you – you should be able to maintain form from each press, but with minor difficulty. You want to be pushing your muscles.

Erector Spinae

This muscle is located in your lower back and helps keep your spine straight. Squats and planks rely a lot on lower back strength, especially to produce results.

Okay, how do I use it?

Lots and lots of practice of the bird dog. Another alternative is the waiter’s bow: resting your hands on the small of your back, bow at the waist like a waiter until you achieve 90 degrees. Bend slowly back up, and repeat. You should feel it stretching your hamstrings a little bit.

Hamstrings

A lot of women avoid working their hamstrings because they don’t want to make their thighs thicker. But such a large muscle is pretty important to avoiding knee injuries, avoiding needless ache when running and so many other basic exercises.

Okay, so how do I work it?

There are a lot of ways to work your hamstrings, but a good choice is by doing straight-legged donkey kicks. A lot of good ways to work them will involve moves that are straight-legged and bring your leg in line with or just behind your butt.

Transverse Abdominis

If you’re feeling the burn during an ab workout in your ab flexors, it could be your transverse abdominis that’s the sore culprit. This muscle is wrapped around your spine and plays a role in your core strength and stability.

Okay, how do I use it?

Just practice some planks or the pelvic tilt exercise. Laying face-up on the floor with your knees bent, tense your core and bend your pelvis slightly up, holding for ten seconds.

Triceps Brachii

Of the three parts of the tricep, one is commonly overlooked. Known as the “Long head”, this is the part of your triceps that run under your armpit and to your shoulder.

Okay, how do I use it?

The straight-arm triceps kickback is a good go-to. Working one arm at a time, get your dumbbell and let it hang from your hand. Keeping your arm straight, raise your hand until it’s just behind your torso. Pause, lower, repeat. You should feel it.

The Middle + Lower Trapezius

While the upper trapezius is more commonly involved in a woman’s workout, the other two parts of the upper back muscle are often ignored. These other two bands of muscle act differently from the upper in that they help to bring your arms down and back.

Okay, so how do I work it?

Preform Y and T lifts, pay attention and don’t shrug your shoulders.

Do you ignore any of these muscles?