Train These Muscle Groups Every Day
One of the first things that people learn when they join a gym is that they shouldn’t train the same muscle group every day. While this statement holds true for the most part, there are some exceptions to it, so we’ve compiled a list of 5 muscles you can train every day.
When you workout a muscle group, you are breaking the muscle down so it can grow back bigger and stronger. That being said, it is common knowledge that you should not train the same muscle group every day because your muscles need the time to recover and grow bigger after your workouts.
While bigger muscle groups like your back and chest, as well as legs, and even your shoulders, might need relatively more time to recover in between training sessions, smaller muscle groups can be ready for action within 24 hours of a training session.
We also want to state that this does not mean that “arm day everyday” is a statement to follow. Your biceps and triceps need time to recover as well, considering you really need them rested and ready to go when it comes to training chest, back, or shoulders.
Instead, the muscle groups that made this list are some that you may completely neglect and forget about. They also may not be the most fun muscle groups to train, but if they lack then your physique will not look complete.
Let’s dive in!
Calves
Calves are one of the most stubborn muscles and can be the weakest link for many people’s physiques. The calves are a small muscle group and recovery quickly because they are used to taking a lot of beating. Think about it, you are probably walking around every day, and every step you take is utilizing the calves. They are under constant stress, so you really need to beat them down in the gym to force them to grow. This is one of the rare times that overtraining may be a necessity, and that is a reason they are on the list for 5 muscles you can train every day.
The rule of thumb for training calves is that if they aren’t sore, feel free to train them. With all the standing, walking, and running you do throughout your day, your calves can take on much more than a few sets of 10-15 reps. Calf exercises are something that may be in your best interest to take to failure while training, they can handle it.
Forearms
The forearms are one of the most overlooked muscles and only a few people include them in their workout programs, they are kind of like the calves of the upper body. Having symmetrical forearms, biceps and triceps can make your arms look bigger and stronger. You would not want big biceps and triceps accompanied by tiny little forearms, would you?
Bigger forearms have a lot to offer for your physique from an aesthetic standpoint, as well as a strength standpoint. Forearms strength transfers over to other lifts, especially ones that involve pulling movements, like the deadlift.
If you have thin, weak forearms, you should consider doing overhand and underhand wrist curls at the end of your workouts. Performing three, maybe four sets of 15-20 reps should be enough to get you Popeye forearms.
Neck
Let’s be honest here, how often do you train your neck? Don’t be shy about your answer as the majority of people will have the same answer to this question – not a lot. Honestly maybe you never even trained your neck, it happens to slip a lot of peoples minds when they are deciding which muscle group to hit for the day. So, why did it make the list of 5 muscles you can train every day?
A muscular upper body with a toothpick neck is one of the most unpleasing sights. The best thing about training your neck is that you can get great results with little effort. You don’t have to do the typical three sets of five exercises in your neck training. Performing a couple of exercises at the end of your workout can turn your toothpick in a wood log.
A stronger neck also has a load of benefits such as reducing stiffness, improving balance and posture, and improving signals from the brain to body. So, training neck is not just something that will improve your physique!
Abs
Abs are probably the most obvious entry on the list of 5 muscles you can train every day, but you would be surprised at how many people skip out on them, or only hit them once every so often. However, there could be a chance that you are already training your abs every day, and if you train your abdominal muscles every day, you should target them by dividing them into sections like upper, lower, middle abs and obliques.
Training a different section every day will give the other sections time to recover from your workouts. Keep in mind, when you are completing other exercises like the squat or deadlift, there is a lot of core activation throughout the movement, so you would essentially want a strong core to translate over to some other lifts. That is another reason that performing core strengthening exercises like the planks is a good thing to do, because it can help in building overall strength for compound exercises.
Band Work
Performing exercises with resistance bands is a great way to improve your mobility, warm-up before your workouts and get rid of the lactic acids after you finish training, which can help the recovery process take place. Band work is great as there is minimal-to-no muscle damage, and it can benefit you with performing other lifts.
Band exercises can also help with improving mind-muscle connection, achieving better pumps and help in fixing weak points. The band pull-apart, banded triceps press downs, banded biceps curl, banded leg curl, and banded pull-through are a few examples of the many different exercises you can do with resistance bands.
Muscle Groups to Train Everyday Wrap Up
Overall, the 5 muscles that you train every day may not be the most enjoyable ones to workout, and that is more than okay. The benefits these muscle groups have for not only aesthetic purposes, but also for transferring to other lifts is impeccable. If you do not train these muscle groups that often or at all, you are leaving gains on the table and only hurting your progress.
Do you train any muscle group every day? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
