{"id":35522,"date":"2017-03-28T11:15:27","date_gmt":"2017-03-28T15:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=35522"},"modified":"2021-04-30T08:55:31","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T12:55:31","slug":"strength-training-for-women-neglected-muscles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/strength-training-for-women-neglected-muscles\/","title":{"rendered":"The 3 Muscles Women Neglect (and How to Strengthen Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Strength
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By now, you\u2019ve probably figured out that men\u2019s and women\u2019s bodies don\u2019t work quite the same way.<\/p>\n

Get your mind out of the gutter. We\u2019re talking about the weight room, here. Men and women have huge differences<\/a> in their body compositions, joint alignments and connective tissues, all of which affect their muscle strengths<\/a>, weaknesses, and susceptibility to injury, says exercise physiologist and trainer Marta Montenegro<\/a>, MS, CSCS.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>30 Reasons Women Should Strength Train<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the deal, ladies: If you aren\u2019t giving these areas some extra TLC, chances are they are majorly weak. \u201cWhen the muscles aren\u2019t at the \u2018same level\u2019 in terms of strength and flexibility, it both reduces the efficiency of every movement and increases risk of injury<\/a> to muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments,\u201d Montenegro says. \u201cIf something on this chain is off, something [else] will pay the price.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read on to find out which areas you need to focus on strengthening \u2014 and get tips on how to tone them up, fast.<\/p>\n

Strength Training for\u00a0Women: 3 Neglected Muscle Groups<\/h2>\n

1. Your Chest<\/h3>\n

One of the most common weight room stereotypes<\/a>: That pecs are a \u201cguy thing.\u201d Women naturally have a smaller ratio of muscle-to-fat in their chests compared with men. Unfortunately, this means that many women get frustrated with chest-strengthening exercises and either forgo them entirely or do them with improper form, according to Montenegro.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> How to Build Muscle Fast: Your Guide to Picking Weights<\/a><\/p>\n

Think about it: How many times have you collapsed mid push-up<\/a> and thought, \u201cI\u2019m strong! Why can\u2019t I do this?\u201d It\u2019s because most women actually have to train in order to do what, for men, may seem easy.<\/p>\n

\"Strength
Photo: Marta Montenegro\/Andrew Meade Photography<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Strengthen It:<\/strong> The Eccentric Bench Press and Push-Up<\/p>\n

To master this move, prepare to slow down and put the emphasis on the eccentric (downward) motion rather than the press upwards. (You can even have someone else raise the barbell for you.) This actually works your chest more intensely than a standard bench press, since your muscles get stronger moving eccentrically than concentrically. Plus, it trains your underlying core muscles<\/a> (more on that later), and your triceps, which are naturally small and tend to tucker out even before your larger chest muscles do.<\/p>\n

How to:<\/strong>\u00a0Lay flat on a bench, holding a barbell\u00a0just above\u00a0your chest, elbows positioned near the sides of your body.\u00a0Your\u00a0palms should be facing up, hands chest-width apart.\u00a0Press\u00a0the barbell directly upwards until arms are fully extended\u00a0(or have\u00a0a spotter\u00a0<\/b>help you lift it), and then slowly lower it back down to your chest\u00a0for a count of four to five seconds. Perform three to four sets of eight to 10 reps each week.<\/p>\n

For a bodyweight-only option,\u00a0push-ups<\/a>\u00a0are another complex movement that will hit the chest muscles (in addition to the shoulders, arms and core). Complete the\u00a0standard variation<\/a>, or try incline (hands elevated) and decline (feet elevated), Montenegro\u00a0suggests. That will help you train multiple areas within your pectoralis muscles. Once a week, complete three to four sets of as many reps as you can manage\u00a0with proper form.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 5 Exercises You Could Be Doing Better<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Your Hamstrings<\/h3>\n

Many women are all about leg extensions, squats, lunges \u2014\u00a0and, of course, spinning<\/a> \u2014 when they work out. And while those routines\u00a0can all help strengthen your lower body, they emphasize the quadriceps more than they do the hammies, Montenegro says. \u201cWomen\u2019s quadriceps actually tend to be about twice as strong as their hamstrings,\u201d she says. Add in high heels and things can get more uneven. Wearing pumps transfers your body weight forward, so your quadriceps work harder with every step.<\/p>\n

This imbalance can make women vulnerable to knee injuries<\/a> \u2014 especially because\u00a0their knees are already under a lot of pressure. What’s more: women\u2019s pelvises are naturally wider than men\u2019s, meaning that the femur, which attaches to the pelvis and knee, doesn\u2019t go straight up-and-down. Instead, it slants so that body forms an \u201cX\u201d shape, she explains. Add that to the fact that monthly spikes in your estrogen levels can make joints more flexible, and there\u2019s no option left but to strengthen your hammies in order to protect your knees.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 5 Ways to Test for Muscle Imbalances and Avoid Injury<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Strength
Photo: Marta Montenegro\/Andrew Meade Photography<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Strengthen It:<\/strong>\u00a0The Dumbbell Single-Leg Deadlift<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the best exercise to work the hamstrings is the dumbbell single-leg deadlift,\u201d Montenegro\u00a0says. As you progress, you can perform barbell deadlifts<\/a> to further train your hamstrings while also strengthening your lower back and glutes.<\/p>\n

How to:<\/strong>\u00a0Stand with feet together,\u00a0knees slightly bent, holding a dumbbell\u00a0in the right hand. Keeping your back flat,\u00a0begin to lean forward,\u00a0hinging at the hip.\u00a0Squeeze\u00a0your left glute and hamstring and extend\u00a0your right leg straight out behind you for balance. Your right arm will be perpendicular to your right leg. Return to starting position, switch sides. Shoot for three to four sets of eight reps on each side every week.<\/p>\n

3. Your Core<\/h3>\n

Women\u2019s bodies are built to be able to squeeze out a baby<\/a>, meaning that the ligaments and tendons in your hips are more elastic and loose than those of the average guy, Montenegro says. Plus, ladies have a larger lumbar (low back) curve. So, in order to maintain correct posture, you need a killer core.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, most women don\u2019t have the strong midsection they need. While there may be plenty of \u201ccore-sculpting\u201d of the (look at me!) abdominal muscles (often through crunch and crunch variations), these movements don\u2019t give their deep, stabilizing muscles the attention they need<\/a>, she says. Those internal muscles are what is going to keep you upright and help you power through everything from running<\/a> to kickboxing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Strength
Photo: Marta Montenegro\/Andrew Meade Photography<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Strengthen It:<\/strong>\u00a0The Plank<\/a> (left) and the Bird-Dog (right)<\/p>\n

Your core is so important, we’ve got two\u00a0<\/em>moves for you to try.\u00a0Plank it up with side and front variations of the core-strengthening exercise. Or try the bird-dog, which is awesome for your back, Montenegro says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 6 Core Exercises to Make You a Stronger, Faster Runner<\/a><\/p>\n

Plank\u00a0How-to:<\/strong> For the\u00a0plank, support yourself on your forearms, keeping your shoulders over your elbows, knees up, butt down and back flat. Want to hit all areas of your midsection? Add in the\u00a0side plank, where you’ll support\u00a0yourself on one forearm, body angled to the side and knees lifted. With your chest open, raise your other forearm straight above your body. Once per week, complete each plank variation three times, holding the position for 30 seconds and working up to 60.<\/p>\n

Bird-Dog How-to:<\/strong>\u00a0To do the bird-dog, start\u00a0on all fours, back flat. Raise your right arm straight out in front of you, while simultaneously lifting your left leg straight behind you. Repeat on the opposite side. Complete three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps on each side at least once per\u00a0week.<\/p>\n

Originally published December 2014. Updated March 2017.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ladies, is your strength training routine missing the mark? Find out which three muscles groups to stop overlooking, and how to get closer to the body you want. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":57230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,6,14],"tags":[289,281,345,377,99],"class_list":["post-35522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exercise","category-fitness","category-strength-training","tag-exercise","tag-strength-training","tag-tax1conditions","tag-tax2back-and-neck-pain","tag-weightlifting"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}