Muscular anatomy

There are around 600 muscles in the human body. Muscles can be categorised into three types: cardiac muscle of the heart, smooth muscle of organs, and skeletal muscle.

skeletal muscle

Your body moves using skeletal muscles, which are attached via tendons to bones and joints, and effect movement through coordinated contractions. Studying muscles and how they move improves your mind-body connection, so you can visualize the muscles working and engage them correctly.

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Skeletal muscle fibres

Like other body tissues, skeletal muscle fibresare soft and fragile. Connective tissue supports and protects the fibres, enabling them to withstand the forces of muscular contraction.

SUPERFICIAL

Elbow flexors

Biceps brachii Brachialis (deep) Brachioradialis

Abdominals

Rectus abdominis
External abdominal obliques
Internal abdominal obliques (deep, not shown)
Transversus abdominis

DEEP

Pectorals

Pectoralis major
Pectoralis minor

Hip flexors

Iliopsoas (iliacus and psoas major)
Rectus femoris (see quadriceps)
Sartorius Adductors

Adductors

Adductor longus
Adductor brevis
Adductor magnus
Pectineus
Gracilis

Quadriceps

Rectus femoris
Vastus medialis
Vastus lateralis
Vastus intermedius (deep, not shown)

Ankle dorsiflexors

Tibialis anterior
Extensor digitorum longus
Extensor hallucis longus

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Tendons

Tendons attach each end of a muscle to bone. They are formed of highly organized connective tissue, resistant to high tensile forces such as those involved in rigorous HIIT movements.

DEEP

Cervical extensors

Splenius capitis
Splenius cervicis

Rhomboids

Rhomboid minor
Rhomboid major

Spinal extensors

Cervical extensors
Erector spinae
Transversospinales (small, deep muscles along spine)

SUPERFICIAL

Gluteals

Gluteus maximus
Gluteus medius
Gluteus minimus

Hip extensors

Gluteals
Adductor magnus
Hamstrings

Biceps femoris

Semitendinosus

Semimembranosus

Ankle plantar flexors

Tibialis posterior
Calf muscles

Gastrocnemius
Soleus