BASIC ANATOMY & BIOMECHANICS

About Muscle
Connect to bones via tendons Each muscle is made of many fibers There are different types of fibers Type I slow twitch (lower force) Type II fast twitch (higher force) Type IIa intermediate

Type I fibers activated first

Type II fibers activated only as needed Everyone and each muscle group has a different

proportion of each fiber type Fiber types dont really change (type IIa can go either way)

Upper Body Muscles

Lower Body Muscles

Basic Biomechanics
Muscles ONLY pull, not push Each movement has 1-3 prime movers Bench press: pectorals, triceps Every movement also has secondary or stabilizing musculature Squat: the core musculature stabilizes the trunk and torso Torque is greater when the load is farther away from the

muscle group generating force Changing grip width, foot placement, joint/body angle, etc., can change how the exercise works the muscle Moving against the pull of gravity is harder than moving perpendicular to it (or at an angle).
Squat vs. leg press

Not all weight machines are created equal Different pulley systems create different amounts of resistance

Muscle Actions Upper body

Pectoralis major
Pulls the arm forward and across the body; rotates the upper arm inwardly.

Serratus anterior
Moves the scapula laterally, and rolls its inferior angle upward to raise the arm above the shoulder.

Latissimus dorsi
Extends the shoulder - pulls upper arm downward towards the torso and behind the back.

Deltoid
Raises the arm at the shoulder.

Rhomboids
Draws the scapula toward the spine, and rotates its inferior angle medially.

Trapezius
The upper third raises the scapula; with the scapula fixed, it draws the head upright, backward, toward

the shoulder, and rotates the face to the opposite side. The middle third draws the scapula towards the spine; the lower third draws it downward. Both sides together extend the head.
Biceps
Bends the arm at the elbow and turns the forearm palm-up

Triceps
Extends arm at elbow.

Rectus abdominis
Bends ribcage forward toward hips, and vice-versa.

Muscle Actions Lower Body

Gluteus maximus Straightens the thigh at the hip and draws it backwards.

Gluteus medius Lifts the thigh to the side. Its anterior and posterior portions rotate it medially and laterally respectively.
Vastus medialis, intermedius, and lateralis Straightens the leg at the knee. Rectus femoris Straightens the leg at the knee, and bends it at the hip. Hamstrings (semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps

femoris)
Pulls the thigh backwards and bends the leg at the knee.

Gastrocnemius and soleus Straightens the ankle joint

Exercise Variation
Regular curls Emphasize the Biceps Brachii Reverse curls Emphasize the Brachialis Hammer Curls Emphasize the Brachioradialis

Regular (forward) curls

Reverse curls

Hammer curls

Exercise Variation
Flat bench press Uses both heads of the Pectoralis Major Incline bench press Emphasizes the clavicular head Decline bench press Emphasizes the sternal head

Clavicular Head

Sternal Head

The Spine
Consists of: 7 Cervical (neck) 12 Thoracic (ribs) 5 Lumbar (low back) 5 sacral and 4 Coccygeal Intervertebral discs 85% of adults will

experience back pain at some point in their life! Always maintain a neutral spine when lifting!

The Shoulder
Rotator cuff (SITS) maintains

humeral head in glenoid cavity Scapula glides along the ribcage

Poor t-spine mobility/position can

cause scapular movement dysfunction

If you press a lot, you need to

pull a lot!

Question: Why the big concern over upper back mobility in regard to building healthy shoulders? Answer: Poor mobility of the thoracic spine (upper back) is often associated with a slouched, or more specifically, a kyphotic posture. This altered spinal alignment prevents the scapulae (the shoulder blades) from tilting backward as you raise your arms. This lack of tilt narrows the space in the shoulder joint that the rotator cuff runs through (the subacromial space) and makes it more likely that your rotator cuff will get pinched, called impingement. Over time, if you impinge frequently, youll most likely end up with some form of rotator cuff injury. The mobility of the thoracic spine also directly affects the strength of the lower trapezius which is an upward rotator of the scapulae. If the thoracic spine lacks mobility the lower trapezius will test weak, thus limiting upward rotation. A lack of scapular upward rotation also narrows the subacromial space making impingement more likely. http://www.billhartman.net/blog/the-thoracic-spine-and-shoulder-health/

The Knee
Increased Q angle and

Valgus stress
Can led to knee pain, ACL tears,

ITB syndrome Strengthen the outer hip muscles!

Hamstrings cross knee and

hip joint
Extends hip and flexes knee Provides posterior pull on tibia

with knee flexion

Squatting deep allows for

greater activation of the hamstrings

Helps prevent knee pain
http://bretcontreras.com/knee-valgus-valgus-collapse-glute-medius-strengthening-band-hip-abduction-exercises-and-ankle-dorsiflexion-drills/

Questions?