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    Registered User r1010's Avatar
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    Common Muscle Imbalances (especially smaller muscles) question for trainers...

    I'm wondering if any experienced trainers can help answer this question...basically I'm wondering what are the most commonly underworked muscles that are accidentally left out of a weight / resistance program?

    I've been dealing with some neck, jaw and shoulder pain issues and started seeing a physical therapist, just today he did this test and realized that my rotator cuffs are really week (since I haven't done exercises for them)... anyways I am just wondering what other muscles, in your experience, may be like this as I'm trying to refine my workout program to make sure I'm correcting any imbalances I have.. thanks for any help
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  2. #2
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    Originally Posted by r1010 View Post
    I'm wondering if any experienced trainers can help answer this question...basically I'm wondering what are the most commonly underworked muscles that are accidentally left out of a weight / resistance program?

    I've been dealing with some neck, jaw and shoulder pain issues and started seeing a physical therapist, just today he did this test and realized that my rotator cuffs are really week (since I haven't done exercises for them)... anyways I am just wondering what other muscles, in your experience, may be like this as I'm trying to refine my workout program to make sure I'm correcting any imbalances I have.. thanks for any help
    rotators are the most commonly overlooked, lower back is often neglected. Transverse abdominus is on the list too

    Most of the imbalances I see are over tight hammies and over active hip flexors. but thats more a stretching/flex issue
    The body is lazy, unless you give it a reason to grow it won't

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  3. #3
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    It's good that you're aware of this issue. But the best way to tackle this is to not get too wrapped up in which muscles to stretch and which muscles to target. Just keep your routine revolving around compound, functional [standing press, pull ups, push ups, squats, olympic movements, etc]. Focus on proper form and good ROM.

    If you want to correct/prevent imbalances, I'd stay away from bodybuilder type work outs.
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    Originally Posted by Keltron View Post
    Just keep your routine revolving around compound, functional [standing press, pull ups, push ups, squats, olympic movements, etc]. Focus on proper form and good ROM.

    That's true to an extent, but if you have tight and lazy glutes from sitting in an office chair 12 hours a day, squatting isn't going to magically activate them. Squatting is good, but to wake the glutes up, specific activation/mobility exercises are going to need to be used beforehand, such as supine bridges, clamshells, and some work might need to be done such as rolling out the glutes with a tennis ball etc. Not to mention some working over the hip flexors.

    This doesn't mean you don't need to squat, quite the contrary but simply that there's more to it than getting people to just squat. Compound movements are dandy for the perfectly structurally balanced healthy individual, but I don't imagine many PTs dealing with a lot of those. If a muscle is weak, in a compound movement other muscles will compensate for it because the body wants to work as efficiently as possible. If you have dominant quads, squatting isn't going to change that imbalance. Just something to keep in mind.
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    ^^^exactly right!

    and it really just depends on the person profession and hobbies!

    genepool listed alot of the often seen but it just varies depending on activity type
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  6. #6
    O_o \m/ Keltron's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by popupwindow View Post
    That's true to an extent, but if you have tight and lazy glutes from sitting in an office chair 12 hours a day, squatting isn't going to magically activate them. Squatting is good, but to wake the glutes up, specific activation/mobility exercises are going to need to be used beforehand, such as supine bridges, clamshells, and some work might need to be done such as rolling out the glutes with a tennis ball etc. Not to mention some working over the hip flexors..
    yeah definitely. Myofascial release, joint mobility drills, pre-activation exercises are all useful if not crucial w/many clients. I was just talking about the meat and bones of the work out. I just meant that if your hammies were weak and forced your quads to do the work when sitting up, you'd be better off trying to perfect your weightless squat than going on the leg curl machine.
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    Originally Posted by Keltron View Post
    I was just talking about the meat and bones of the work out. I just meant that if your hammies were weak and forced your quads to do the work when sitting up, you'd be better off trying to perfect your weightless squat than going on the leg curl machine.

    I don't know if I'd try to perfect their weightless squat. They would still squat, but I might focus on unweighted box squats (PL style squat) to get them really activating and using their hams. I'd probably throw in some goblet squats too. Combined with some more activation stuff, more ham exercises (deadlift, GHR etc) try and fix the balance out. I 100% agree a quad dominant squatter should not be thrown on the leg curl machine.
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    Lightbulb

    Originally Posted by r1010 View Post
    I'm wondering if any experienced trainers can help answer this question...basically I'm wondering what are the most commonly underworked muscles that are accidentally left out of a weight / resistance program?

    I've been dealing with some neck, jaw and shoulder pain issues and started seeing a physical therapist, just today he did this test and realized that my rotator cuffs are really week (since I haven't done exercises for them)... anyways I am just wondering what other muscles, in your experience, may be like this as I'm trying to refine my workout program to make sure I'm correcting any imbalances I have.. thanks for any help
    The problems that you are having may start at your feet. Do you walk with your feet turned out?
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    Originally Posted by pph774 View Post
    The problems that you are having may start at your feet. Do you walk with your feet turned out?
    That's a pretty longshot. It might start at the feet, but it might start at the knee, hip, lumbar, thoracic, cervical spine. It might be referred pain from the shoulder.
    Generally the muscle imbalances involve:
    - scapula stabilising muscles (where there's a force imbalance) and rotator cuff,
    - Deep cervial flexors (lead to neck pain)
    - Lumbar multifidus and tranverse abdominus
    - Glut medius and minimus

    These are all 'local' or stabilising muscles and are often not activated properly which leads to the larger global muscles activating and doing all the work...
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    Front vs. rear delt. In the common gym goer, they only do bench press and military, and nothing for the rear. It creates an imbalance over time. That's why you hear about fathers, in their 40's, playing catch with their son's and tearing a rotator cuff.
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    I have to say the two imbalances I see the most are the following:

    1) Front to rear delt/traps. A lot of trainees start with rounded forward shoulders due to this imbalance.

    2) Lower back. People ignore the lower back constantly and every time they feel the muscle working they stop and go "I feel this in my lower back" as if it is some magical muscle you aren't supposed to work. People have a stigma about feeling anything in the lower back but in general they are unable to tell the difference between muscle tension and bad pain. It's hard to get people to understand that the lower back is a muscle just as any other and is in fact able to become sore without becoming dangerous.
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  12. #12
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    Originally Posted by SageFit View Post
    I People have a stigma about feeling anything in the lower back but in general they are unable to tell the difference between muscle tension and bad pain. It's hard to get people to understand that the lower back is a muscle just as any other and is in fact able to become sore without becoming dangerous.
    Totally!
    I always try to tell them theres a difference between feeling fatigue in the muscles of the lower back vs feeling pain or strain in the actual BONES of the lower back.

    A good way to "activate" the lower back is to have them squat while facing a wall.
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    Thanks guys for the great answers.. definitely some useful info that I will keep in mind
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    i have a problem with my left side of my body being larger,stronger and more flexible than the right side.. it is evident in the range of motion in barbell or compound exercises... how should i correct this?? and how long do u feel it will take?
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    Originally Posted by theanswer_24 View Post
    i have a problem with my left side of my body being larger,stronger and more flexible than the right side.. it is evident in the range of motion in barbell or compound exercises... how should i correct this?? and how long do u feel it will take?
    you should hire me.

    It could take anywhere from 2 months to half a year depending.
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    Originally Posted by nickmanzoni View Post
    you should hire me.

    It could take anywhere from 2 months to half a year depending.
    well what sorts of things should i do to correct it?
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    Originally Posted by theanswer_24 View Post
    well what sorts of things should i do to correct it?
    HIRE ME and I can help you.
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