The two most neglected muscles and how to fix them for good

Like the weakest link of a chain, these two areas are a constant threat to health and proper function of your body, but the biggest obstacle with fixing the issue is the lack of equipment at your local gym. Therefore, you have to be creative and include specific exercises in your program to target these two commonly weak areas or your chances of injury will be much greater.

Rear delts (back of shoulders)

The most common weakness I see with new clients is the back of the shoulders or rear deltoids. This is a serious issue, because an unbalanced shoulder causes clients to slump and put unnecessary tension on the joint and connective tissue, which greatly increases the chance of pain and injury. In fact, I believe the majority of shoulder surgeries could be prevented by adding specific exercises to strengthen the back of the shoulders and balance the joint, but to do this you must start with simple exercises you can perform correctly and then progress to more challenging workouts.

Beginner - Figure eight band face pulls

The rear delts are very small muscles and difficult to isolate, but a great way to strengthen them is to use a figure eight band. These bands are shaped like the number eight and have independent handles on both sides. To perform band face pulls, grip the band in front of your chest with your elbows bent and parallel to the floor. Pull the band toward your face while keeping your elbows up until the band stretches all the way across your chest and your elbows point backward. Slowly allow your shoulders to move forward and the band to return to the starting position while keeping it tight and tense. Repeat for the desired amount of reps, but once you can do 20 or more it’s time to move up to a different color and thicker band. Once you have graduated from using bands, you’re now ready to add some low-level free weight exercises to target the weak area.

Advanced - Throat rows

To perform throat rows, attach a rope or handle to a cable pulley system with weight and adjust it to chest level. While extending your arms and holding your elbows up parallel to the floor, pull the handle to your face until your elbows reach 90 degrees. Hold for a split second, feeling the tension in the back of the shoulders, and return to the starting position and repeat for the desired amount of repetitions. It’s important to remember to keep your shoulders back, your chest out and your knees slightly bent to get the benefit of this exercise, but with a little practice it will become second nature.

Spinal erectors (lower back)

The second most common weakness we see is the lower back or spinal erector muscles. This is mainly because most people are willing to work their abs but never think to target the back. You can fix this by mastering the right exercises and making them part of your regular routine.

Beginner - bird dogs

Bird dogs are one of my favorite exercises to strengthen the lower back because they are very challenging when performed correctly and are very low impact, so most people with lower back injuries can do them successfully without pain. To get started, simply get on all fours with your hands and knees at shoulders’ width and extend your opposite arm and opposite leg like a pointing bird dog away from your body. Once you are fully extended pause for a split second and descend back to the starting position. Don’t allow your body to lean to one side and you’ll get a great lower back workout. When you finish, switch sides and repeat with the other arm and leg.

Advanced - Modified bird dogs

To make the traditional bird dog more difficult, get into a push-up position with your feet spread shoulders’ width and your hands on the floor directly under your shoulders. Instead of doing a push-up pick your right leg up and bring your knee toward the front of your body until it’s about 4 inches from your right elbow, pause for a split second holding your leg off the ground and then return your foot back to the starting position and then pick up your left leg bringing your knee up toward your head until it stops about 4 inches from your left elbow, pause and then return the leg to the starting position and repeat for the desired amount of reps.

Once you realize you have a weakness, you must target the muscles that need the most work if you want to make improvements. Try using the above exercises starting with beginner and working up to the advanced, and turn your weaknesses into strengths.