Top Muscle Groups Often Neglected during Cross Training
During a CrossFit workout, there is a tendency to exercise some muscle groups more than others. The ones particularly focused on are those that look great under your t-shirt. While it is true that the biceps, chest, shoulder, and abdominal muscles make huge contributions to your strength, other muscles are equally important and as such should not be neglected entirely.
When you ignore certain muscle groups during training, you may suffer from muscle imbalances which if not checked can undermine your performance and predispose you to injury. The following are the four muscle groups you should intentionally exercise even as you concentrate on working out the whole body as a unit.
The Glutes
Strength training is usually inclined in working out the upper body resulting into flat butts and huge chests. To make it worse, some athletes skip leg day and this further sidelines any attempts to strengthen your glutes and other lower body muscles. The gluteal muscles are one of the largest muscle groups in your system and as such ignoring them can come at a very high price. Not working your glutes can lead to loss of power and strength during sprinting and squatting as well as muscle imbalances. People with weak glutes often complain of conditions such as hip stiffness and lower back pain.
The Adductors
One of the reasons why adductor-focused exercises are ignored is that they tone the inner thighs which many people feel it gives them a feminine reputation. Your body requires strong adductors which in turn helps your thighs to move laterally and give you space to do any leg movement within and outside the CrossFit gym.
When doing exercises such as running, climbing stairs, squatting, and plopping down your couch, your thighs get engaged as they move forward and backward as well as side to side. When you work out your adductors, they will help protect and stabilize the knees. Experts recommend lateral lunges as one of the workout types for strengthening your adductors.
The Upper Back
Texting, typing, and sitting take a toll on your upper back. A weak back can easily give you a hunched posture which in turn makes your pecs appear smaller than they are because they fall in on each other. Strengthening the back gives you a more upright posture and exposes your chest.
It is recommended that upper back CrossFit training should be done almost on a daily basis through pulling and pushing CrossFit exercises.
The Calves
A majority of beginner CrossFit athletes suffer from underdeveloped leg muscles. Since people particularly men are super visual, they tend to work out only the muscles they can see and ignore the rest. Calves often fall in the ignored category.
Calves are functional muscles and the weaker they are, the lesser the volume of work they can handle. Additionally, calve muscles also play a key role in strengthening your ankles. If you are an athlete in a sport that needs quick pivoting or explosive sprinting and change of direction, you need to invest in your calves for higher performance.
