Human muscles: what are they made of and what work do they do? How do muscles work? In short everything about human muscles

Probably most of us, leading an active image, will find it useful and interesting to learn about our muscles, about the anatomy of our body. Moreover, you have already understood that running alone is clearly not enough to maintain health, especially to achieve certain results.

If you have already finally decided to go to the gym, then it would be nice to acquire knowledge of elementary human anatomy and the functional purpose of the main muscles, to find out the composition of muscle groups. This is necessary in order to compose training sessions and perform the correct technique in the exercises. So how are muscles and. what can you train there?

human anatomy

A very understandable and interesting video about human anatomy, I think it will be clear and interesting to everyone.

To get started, here are ten of the most interesting facts about muscles, find out why muscle training at an older age is even more necessary than at a young age.

Muscle characteristics

Muscle or muscle- organs of the human body (animals), consisting of muscle tissue capable of contracting under the influence of nerve impulses, in other words, muscles can change their size and moreover quickly.

Therefore, the main property of muscles is to be excited and contract, receiving signals from the nervous system in the form action potentials... The more often nerve impulses pass, the more often we stimulate the muscle, the more often the muscle contracts.

For example, you can raise your hand slowly, or you can quickly. We can control our muscles. But there is a limit to everything, and therefore if the signals come to the muscle too often, then the muscle does not have time to relax. An example of this is the exercise in Raising an arm with a load, I force the arm to be in one kind of tense position. The impulses go very quickly and the muscle does not have time to relax.

The nervous system, in turn, provides a connection between the brain and spinal cord and muscles. Not only your appearance, but also the correct functioning of individual systems, organs and the body as a whole depends on the correct and well-coordinated operation of the chain "brain - nervous system - muscles".

Muscles are designed to perform various actions: body movements, contraction of the vocal cords, breathing. Muscles are made up of tough, resilient muscle tissue, which in turn is made up of cells myocytes(muscle cells). Muscles are characterized by fatigue, which manifests itself with intense work or exertion. For example, when running for a long time. Therefore, in order to achieve some results, you must first train your muscles. For a runner, for example, these are the leg muscles.

The muscle mass of an adult is approximately 42%. In newborns - a little more than 20%. With age, muscle mass decreases by up to 30%, and fat becomes more.

There are 640 muscles in the human body (depending on the method of calculating differentiated muscle groups, their total number is determined from 639 to 850). The smallest ones are attached to the smallest bones in the ear. The largest are the gluteus maximus muscles, they set the legs in motion.

The strongest muscles are the gastrocnemius and chewing muscles.

Calf muscle.

Chewing muscle

The longest human muscle - the tailor's one - starts from the anterior superior spine of the wing of the ilium (antero-upper parts of the pelvic bone), spirals over the front of the thigh in a spiral manner and is attached by a tendon to the tuberosity of the tibia (upper parts of the leg).

Muscles are very diverse in shape. The most common are fusiform muscles, characteristic of the limbs, and broad muscles - they form the walls of the body. If the muscles have a common tendon, and there are two or more heads, then they are called two-, three- or four-headed.

Muscles and skeleton determine the shape of the human body. An active lifestyle, a balanced diet and exercise will help develop muscles and reduce the amount of adipose tissue. Leading weightlifters have muscle mass of 55-57% of body weight.

Muscle types

Depending on the structural features of a person's muscles, they are divided into 3 types or groups:

The first muscle group - skeletal, or striated muscles... Each of us has more than 600 skeletal muscles. Muscles of this type are able to contract voluntarily, at the request of a person, and together with the skeleton form the musculoskeletal system.

The total mass of these muscles is about 40% of body weight, and in people actively developing their muscles, it can be even more. With the help of special exercises, the size of muscle cells can be increased until they grow in mass and volume and become embossed.

By contracting, the muscle shortens, thickens and moves relative to adjacent muscles. The shortening of the muscle is accompanied by the convergence of its ends and the bones to which it attaches. Each movement involves the muscles, both making it and opposing it (agonists and antagonists, respectively), which gives the movement accuracy and smoothness.

The second type of muscle, which is part of the cells of internal organs, blood vessels and skin, is smooth muscle tissue composed of characteristic muscle cells (myocytes). The short spindle-shaped cells of smooth muscles form plates. They contract slowly and rhythmically, obeying the signals of the autonomic nervous system. Their slow and prolonged contractions occur involuntarily, that is, regardless of the person's desire.

Smooth muscles, or muscles of involuntary movement, are found mainly in the walls of hollow internal organs, such as the esophagus or bladder. They play an important role in processes that do not depend on our consciousness, for example, in the movement of food through the digestive tract.

A separate (third) muscle group is cardiac striated(striated) muscle tissue (myocardium). It consists of cardiomyocytes. Contractions of the heart muscle are not under the control of a person's consciousness, it is innervated (innervation, this is the supply of organs and tissues with nerves) by the autonomic nervous system.

Skeletal muscle. Structure.

Skeletal muscles are attached to our bones. It is not the muscle itself that is attached to the bone, but what is called the tendon. The latter consists of dense connective tissue. In most cases, the tendon is located at both ends of the muscle. The tendon itself is not extensible and cannot contract. It is simply the connective tissue by which the muscle is attached to the bone. The tendon can be torn or pulled. it is all very painful and the treatment is usually long-term.

If you look at the muscle section. then it can be seen that the muscle consists of bundles. If we consider the structure of the bundles, it can be seen that they consist of muscle fibers. Muscle fibers are made up of individual cells.

So, once again - muscle cells are combined into muscle fibers. fibers are combined into muscle bundles, bundles are combined into a whole muscle.

Skeletal muscle is composed not only of striated muscle tissue, but also of various types of connective tissue, nervous tissue, endothelium and blood vessels. However, striated muscle tissue predominates, due to the contractility of which the muscles are the organs of contraction, making movements. The strength of a muscle depends on the number of muscle fibers included in its composition and is determined by the area of the physiological diameter. In other words, thicker and more massive muscle produces more strength.

Muscle cell. Fine structure.

Most of the cell is occupied by myofibrils. Myofibrils can be translated as muscle rope, rope, or thread. To whom it is more convenient and more understandable. In general, these myofibrils are contracting.

In the striated muscles, the cells are multinucleated. The picture shows a lot of cores. The nuclei are large, as they were formed in the process of fusion of many cells.

Muscles also have a lot of mitochondria, since muscles constantly need energy. It is produced by mitochondria in the form of ATP. Remember, the more mitochondria in the muscles, the more resilient a person is. They also say that he got in good shape. In untrained muscles, myofibrils are located, scattered, and in trained muscles they are grouped into bundles

Myofibril structure

Myofibrils are cylindrical filaments 1 - 2 microns thick, running along from one end of the muscle fiber to the other. An isolated myofibril is able to contract (in the presence of ATP), and it is this myofibril that is the contractile element of the muscle cell.

Myofibrils consist of alternating bundles of parallel thick and thin filaments, which ends overlapping each other. These threads are called sarcomeres. Thick filaments are twice as thick as thin ones, 15 and 7 nm, respectively.

Sarcomere- the basic contractile unit of striated muscles, which is a complex of several proteins, consisting of three different fiber systems. Myofibrils are composed of sarcomeres.

Thin and thick threads are formed by proteins. Thick filaments (microfilaments) are made up of protein myosin(blue threads in the picture). These proteins form a double helix with a globular (spherical) head at the end attached to a very long rod.

Thin threads are made of proteins actin, troponin and tropomyosin. The main protein in this case actin... (red threads in the picture).

The figure above shows a schematic diagram of a relaxed muscle. When actin slides along myosin, the distance between the actin filaments is reduced. This means that the muscle also contracts. Below in the figure is a contracted muscle.

There are a lot of such shrinking areas. The myofibril consists of such an actin-myosin system located along the entire length of the myofibril. With the help of actin protein and myosin protein, the myofibril is reduced.

Calcium is needed to reduce, naturally, all this happens with the expenditure of energy. Actin-myosin filaments cannot slide by themselves, they have to be dragged with energy expenditure. This requires ATP.

Magnesium is needed to relax the muscle. During a long run, for example a marathon, magnesium is washed out with sweat, which causes cramps in runners, for this you need to drink special drinks containing all the necessary substances .. For example, isotonic drinks. The simplest and most affordable remedy is rehedron.It contains all the necessary salts.

Muscle control or why do muscles contract?

We are talking about all the same skeletal muscles. All signals for any action come from our brain. This is a kind of control center. But the request comes from the spinal cord. The brain sends a signal or impulse to the motor neuron which is located in the spinal cord for muscle contraction.

NEURON (nerve cell), the basic structural and functional unit of the NERVOUS SYSTEM, carrying out the rapid transmission of NERVE IMPULSES between various organs.

Neuron

A motor neuron is discharged by an action potential that comes to the muscle, that is, it gives a signal to the muscle to contract or relax.

The branching at the end of a neuron is called an end plate, this end plate covers a piece of muscle and in this place it turns out synapse, that is, there must be a contact or connection between the nerve and the muscle cell.

Synapses (from the Greek sýnapsis - connection, connection), specialized functional contacts between excitable cells that serve to transmit and convert signals.

Nerves go to muscle fibers and control contractions.

The end of a nerve or neuron releases a transmitter. MEDIATORS nervous system (lat. mediator mediator; synonym: neurotransmitters, synaptic transmitters) - chemical transmitters of a nerve impulse from a nerve ending to cells of peripheral organs or to nerve cells.

Simply put, it is a chemical that will make a muscle do something. Mediator between a nerve ending or synapse and a muscle cell. This neurotransmitter binds to the muscle and opens channels in it. Channels are a kind of roads along which chemicals - ions - can move.

For example, in order for a neighboring nerve to receive a signal, sodium channels must open. For muscle contraction, calcium channels must open. Just a bunch of calcium enters the cell, moreover, the calcium stored inside the cell is used. All this calcium makes actin and myosin proteins slide relative to each other. The muscle contracts.

When the action potential disappears, the calcium returns to its reservoirs and the muscle relaxes.

Even from school, everyone knows that muscles occupy more than the entire mass of a person's body. In anatomy, it is customary to divide them according to their purpose, functions performed, fiber structure and subordination to the nervous system. They help us move in space, maintain normal physiological processes and, in general, all human activity.

The human skeleton consists of a skeleton and muscles, while the bones play the role of a supporting structure, and the muscles of the skeleton are attached to them with the help of connective tissue. Unlike bones, muscle fiber is very elastic and deformable. They are engaged in the fact that they contract and relax, while the person moves.

Skeletal muscles work like a system of levers. The tendon, which is the passive part of this structure, is attached in the most convenient place to perform all the necessary work. The other end is attached to the paired portion of the skeleton. In the place where the bones articulate, there is a joint, while making the connection mobile. The force that is transmitted through the tendon sets the bone in motion.

The human body is divided into segments, while the muscles are not a layer, but separate areas or sections. For their coordinated work, constant monitoring is necessary. The movement of the arm or leg occurs under the influence of not only contraction, but also the antagonist muscle, which relaxes during this period. In the opposite process, they change their roles to opposite ones.

The brain is responsible for all body movements. To some extent, a person can control this process, but not 100%. Although a person does not literally give all kinds of commands to the brain, nevertheless, thanks to the mere intention of a person, he is able to transform into a signal that is understandable for muscles.

There is another part over which a person has no power. It includes the muscles of the internal organs, and the heart muscle is generally a separate system. Nobody can influence its functioning, and under normal conditions it is not noticeable at all. The muscles of organs such as the stomach, bladder, intestines, and vascular walls function in a completely different way, but their main job is to maintain certain organs in tone and provide them with their direct responsibilities in the human body.

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Muscle types

It is customary to classify muscles based on certain factors. According to their purpose, they are divided by the following types of muscles:

skeletal;
internal organs.

The muscles of the internal organs are smooth, and those that are in voluntary subordination have a transverse structure.

Depending on the location of the muscle, there are:

heads;
torso;
lower and upper limbs.

They can also do different jobs. On this basis, there are extensors and flexors. The occupation divides them into:

that perform similar functions;
antagonists working in opposition.

The shape of a person's muscles is also different. For this reason, they are classified:

short and thick;
long and thin.

The latissimus muscle refers to the flat structures of the back, which are responsible for abduction of the arm and are involved in pulling the shoulder towards the neck.
The adductor is the muscle that is able to bring the limb closer to the body. If everything happens the other way around, then it is diverting.

Structure

Like everything in the body, muscles also consist of cells that are elongated in shape and have the ability to contract due to the presence of myofilaments in them. There is a relative classification according to which there are these types of fibers:

white;
red.

Muscle fiber structure

You can clearly understand why this is so by examining chicken meat, which is white on the breast and red on the leg. This fact is explained by the large number of blood vessels that feed the muscle, which is constantly at work and requires a large amount of nutrients.

The same pattern exists in humans. Studies have been conducted on which it is possible to assume that in an ordinary person, the ratio of red to white tissue is in the ratio of 4: 6. Athletes who are involved in athletics have a different picture. They are dominated by white muscles, which has been largely achieved through regular training. It is worth noting that not everyone who works out in the gym can achieve such results.

Skeletal muscle cells are large enough, have an elongated shape, many nuclei and differ in the speed of possible contractions. When viewed under a microscope, they appear as dark and light stripes that alternate and are called cross-striped. Smooth muscle cells contain only one nucleus, have a homogeneous structure and a less elongated shape.

The way the muscles are placed in relation to the axis of the spine differs in:

rectilinear muscles;
oblique;
transverse.

Since the muscles are located around the tendons, they are divided into the following types:

parallel;
circular.

The heart muscle is a special structure and is made up of cells called cardiomyocytes. These cells are spliced and intertwined with each other using the cytoplasm. A feature of this muscle is the ability to work without stopping or disrupting the rhythm.

Functioning

Even in an almost inactive state, the muscles are capable of starting an immediate contraction at any moment. This characteristic is called. Every second an impulse is transmitted from the brain to the muscle fiber along the nerves. Although during relaxation, their number becomes much smaller, but this is quite enough for the exchange of various information. This continuous monitoring is essential to maintain the skeleton in a stable upright position.

The main source of valuable energy for all processes is adenosine triphosphoric acid, which is formed during the breakdown of glycogen. The blood flow allows the required amount of nutrients to flow smoothly to the muscle fiber. To achieve this, all important muscles must be surrounded by a large number of blood vessels of varying diameters.

The muscles cannot be in constant work, rest is also very important for them. If this rule is neglected, the conductivity of the impulse and the response to stimulation will be disrupted. When loads become excessively intense, metabolic products accumulate in the muscle fiber, so the impulse is distributed unevenly.

The human corset has bilateral symmetry. For this reason, all important muscles are 2 pieces or they consist of two identical parts.

Role

If the muscles are not maintained in proper shape, they can. It is worth noting that even minimal loads can help cells to renew themselves, and playing sports provokes the acceleration of this process.

Muscles are often strained under heavy loads. At the same time, the body tries to recover on its own and grow new cells, due to which muscle growth occurs. This gives extra volume and mass.

The main tasks of the muscle corset:

cardiac activity;
ensuring the correct position in space;
maintaining the skeleton in a certain shape;
assistance in movement.

Along with the main tasks, a number of other, equally important functions appear in front of the muscles of a person:

conversation (the muscles of the tongue and larynx are involved);
the ability to breathe (the diaphragm works);
digestion of food (the esophagus, stomach, as well as the large and small intestines are involved);
the ability to remove waste products (this happens with the help of the bladder and the sphincter located in the rectum).

Muscle

Each muscle in the human body has a specific role and task. Let's take a closer look at which muscle is doing what.

Shoulder girdle

Shoulder muscles

The musculature of the shoulder girdle consists of the following muscles:

The sternocleidomastoid muscle, which is used to rotate the head tilt in the desired direction.
Deltoid. It has three divisions: clavicular, shoulder, scapular and is needed to take the arm forward, to the side and up, turn inward and rotate outward.
In order to rotate the shoulder and leads the arm, the small round muscle of the shoulder is used.
The large round muscle is involved in the movement of the shoulder in different directions.
The biceps, which consists of two heads and a tail, helps to flex the shoulder and arm at the elbow.
A distinctive feature of triceps is the presence of 3 heads, which are fixed at one point on the olecranon of the ulna. This muscle is involved in the extension of the forearm.

Also, the muscles of the forearm are distinguished:

muscles of the anterior group (take part in bending the hand and fingers into a fist, rotate the forearm, bend the arm at the elbow);
muscles of the posterior group (unbend the hands and fingers, unbend the forearm).

Breast

The chest is also well supplied with muscle mass. On the surface is the pectoralis major muscle, which most resembles a triangle. She takes part in the movement of the hand to the body and internal rotation of the upper limb. In the depths there is a small pectoral muscle, the shape of which resembles a fan. By contracting, it helps the scapula to be pulled forward as well as down.

Back

Conventionally, all back muscles can be divided into 3 groups:

The trapezius muscles are located in the upper back. With their help, the blade moves in the required direction.
Latissimus muscle. It is closer to the side and helps to pull the arm back and rotate it inward. It also helps to move the lower angle of the scapula to the chest.
Deep muscles. This group is located near the spine itself and stretches along it. These muscles are used by a person to lift the body from a bend.

Stomach

Consider the important muscle structures of the abdomen:

From the level of the eight lower ribs, the external oblique muscle of the torso begins, which, like a wide layer, runs from top to bottom. Below and in front of the muscle is a tendon, which is called "aponeurosis". With the help of these structures, the torso bends in different directions.

It is worth noting that the involuntary musculature is beyond the control of a person, while the voluntary musculature lends itself to training. As you know, leading a healthy lifestyle, being in great shape - these are the first rules of great health, both physical and mental.

How muscles work (video)

In this article, we will look at several important aspects regarding muscle growth in athletes. It is extremely important to understand what a muscle is, why it grows, what it needs to grow.

Any professional bodybuilder will tell you: in order to build muscle mass, you need to understand the process itself, in its nature! Only then can positive results be achieved in the future.

Muscle is the most "economical" part of our body. She tries to lose the substances she needs as little as possible and, accordingly, gain as much as possible.

Also in the human body there is an ideal weight mechanism. Your body itself determines for itself the peak at which to stop when gaining mass, so as not to create problems for itself. If you are not satisfied with this peak, then you need to arrange a "fight" with it in order to change the situation.

Every person has genetics from birth with a certain amount of fibers, the amount of which you cannot increase, but the quality is no problem. Muscle grows by increasing the thickness of the fiber structure. So all you have to do is make it (the fiber) grow.

Operating principle

During training, your fibers are partially destroyed (torn), and rest - the muscle is restored and tends to exceed the limit that was originally set. This process also got its name - "super compensation".

The process of fiber thickening is accompanied by the synthesis of myofibrils (protein filaments). They absorb nutrients that you consume with food.

The more you exercise, the more protein filaments there will be, the better - the blood supply to the muscles. It follows from this that if you do not supply your body with the necessary substances (proteins, calories, minerals, vitamins and much more), then there can be no question of development. Muscles cannot get bigger, and it becomes clear that training without proper nutrition leads to zero effect.

What is muscle fiber hypertrophy?

During exercise, your muscle is filled with blood, which leads to its increase, as noted above. This process in bodybuilding is defined by the term "pumping" - pumping.

Hypertrophy, in fact, is a disease of your muscle, its non-standard and unusual state. The fiber increases in size due to the increase in the number of myofibrils. Protein levels increase in muscle.

The role of protein synthesis in gaining muscle mass

Each cell in the human body has only 1 nucleus in its composition, while muscles have a large number, which allows them to synthesize new, high-quality proteins, which consist of a certain amount of amino acids. The nuclei of muscle cells signal the ribosomes to synthesize the required type of protein.

If you don't supply your muscles with the necessary building materials, they simply cannot grow. Again, as you can see, it's all about nutrition.

Muscle tension, its effect on muscles

The tension created by the muscle during exercise is another critical element. It is responsible for starting the mechanism of protein synthesis, signaling the muscle cells to feed the "affected" fibers.

Thanks to this, new tissues appear, an increase in muscle mass and volume occurs. Receptors in cells are very sensitive to maximum stress and high stress. That is why all professional bodybuilders advise to exercise while strength permits.

It is necessary to cross the pain threshold in order to start the process of protein synthesis and supercompensation.

The role of hormones in the training process

Muscle growth is based on 3 "whales":

Testosterone
Insulin
A growth hormone

Each of these hormones has a profound effect on muscle cells. Insulin speeds up the process of delivering protein to muscles. The sodium-potassium pump carries out the process of transferring amino acids into muscle tissue. The other two hormones, on the contrary, acting on muscle fibers, cause them to disintegrate. This whole process is possible only with powerful loads.

Role of amino acids

An amino acid is a particle of protein. The essential protein is built from them. 1 type of protein contains several types of amino acids. Your weight gain results depend entirely on how much protein you consume with food.

The required amount of protein is determined by the level of intensity of the training process. Also, in addition to protein, calories play an important role, which supply the necessary energy for difficult physical exercises.

Muscle Growth and Loss Cycles

In bodybuilding, any bodybuilder must remember 2 important processes:

Anabolic cycle (constant muscle growth if all training conditions are met + proper nutrition)
Catabolic cycle (inadequate nutrition resulting in decreased muscle growth and fatigue)

Necessary conditions for muscle growth

If you decide to build muscle mass, then you need to follow 3 main components:

Powerful loads and a well-structured training process.
Correct and regular nutrition, which will supply your muscles with all the necessary substances.
Full rest.

It is important

It must be remembered that our body is "smart", it gets used to a certain load, which is repeated for a long time. You should "surprise" him with new exercises, varying loads, training duration and many other tricks.

For full muscle growth, it is optimal for you to develop not only fast fibers, but also slow ones. That is, sometimes alternating loads (on strength and on mass). Proportional growth depends on this.

What affects muscle volume?

The thickening and thickening of muscle fibers are influenced by factors such as:

Fiber thickness
Number of blood vessels
Sarcoplasm
Fiber count
What are the developed fibers
Fasciae

In this article, we have covered the most important points regarding muscle building. Remember, you need to learn this process to build quality mass.

Of course, there are prerequisites that every bodybuilder must comply with, but everyone has their own exercises for building muscles, and the program should also be individually suited to you. If you have the opportunity to consult with a specialist, then do not miss it.

Try to put together a few programs and see how they affect you. And what about nutrition, everything is simple here: there will be no full-fledged intake of all the necessary substances - there will be no mass.

Watch a video on how muscle grows and how you can influence muscle growth.

And the second video how to accelerate the growth of muscle fibers

Good luck! It all depends on you.

Human musculature

For bodybuilding and powerlifting, knowledge of human anatomy and all muscle groups is required. Knowledge of muscle structure and function is also required. All this allows you to correctly develop training programs and correctly perform certain sets of exercises.

What are muscles and why are they needed

Muscles are formed by muscle tissue and are involved in all movements of the human body parts. Muscles contain strength, so a person who decides to increase his strength indicators should know that he is faced with the task of training certain muscle groups. There are several muscle groups in the human body, each of them performs a specific function and special exercises are needed to develop its strength indicators.

Strong muscles are necessary for a person so that he can cope with high physical exertion, as well as to increase the general tone of the body. Elementary physical education allows you to maintain muscle tone, however, to increase strength indicators, intensive training in the gym is necessary.

Major muscle groups

There are several muscle groups in each part of the body, some of the large muscles in the human body need to be considered separately. A muscle group is a series of interconnected muscles that perform the same function. So, there are several muscle groups in the human body:

arm muscles (biceps, triceps, quadriceps);
back and chest muscles;
muscles of the abdomen and legs.

Muscles are formed by muscle tissue and are endowed with the ability to contract under the influence of nerve impulses. Muscle work is controlled by the brain and spinal cord. A person has more than 600 muscles, knowing the name of each muscle and function is optional, but knowing the function and location of muscle groups in parts of the body is required.

Back muscles consist of several layers, have different origins and structures. The top layer contains trapezoidal and latissimus, the latter raises the scapula. On the surface of the back are also big and small rhomboid muscles, upper and lower serratus... Back muscles are trained to increase strength and create a relief body. The advantage of training this muscle group is that they are large and can increase several times during intense training.

Pelvic muscles participate in the movement and are represented outward and internal muscle group. Large, middle and small gluteus muscles- These are sedentary muscles that play an important role in ensuring the ability to move. There is also a group of neck muscles, which are divided into superficial, median and deep. They participate in semicircular movements, their training is necessary to achieve the goal of increasing the total lean body mass.

Muscles of the chest are divided into superficial and deep, they are presented big and pectoralis minor, intercostal and hypochondrium. Shoulder muscles play the role of flexor-extensors and are formed biceps, shoulder muscle and posterior muscle group.

Thigh muscles have high strength and are large in size, presented anterior, posterior and medial muscle group... Thus, in the human body, there are over 600 muscles that are formed by groups that perform the same functions. Knowing muscle function can help you set goals for training specific muscle groups. For strength training, these are exercises with a group of pectoral muscles and muscles of the back, pelvis. To build up the total muscle mass of the body, first of all, exercises are performed to train the large median and superficial muscles.

To each beginner a bodybuilder, and just curious people, will find it useful to know the anatomy of human skeletal muscles in order to navigate power training programs, especially when it comes to, and also so that we understand each other when you ask questions about how you can build a particular muscle group.

In addition, knowledge of the musculature will help you better in the future. work out with the help of selected exercises all parts of the body, due to the fact that you will no longer have one-sided understanding devices of muscle groups.

For example, many athletes are still in pursuit of spherical shoulders, do not know that the deltas consist of the front, middle and back heads, so in order to pump up the shoulders like a ball, you need to do everything exercises that develop all three beams of deltas, and not just your favorite bar / dumbbell press up with an emphasis on the front and middle deltas.

In total, there are more than 600 skeletal muscle, and they all consist of fibers of different lengths (up to 13 cm), and thicknesses (from 40 to 80 microns), but we will consider only the main groups, since knowledge of the rest does not carry any practical benefits for bodybuilding.

The main muscle groups of a person

Anatomy and function of the main human skeletal muscles, as exemplified by a bodybuilder, with colorful drawing and the numbering of the muscles, for even greater clarity. And at the end, a single photo with the captions of muscle groups bodybuilder.

Neck

Neck connects the head to the body, main function- Ensuring balance and movement of the head, as well as assistance in swallowing and pronouncing sounds.

Scapular-hyoid muscle
Sternohyoid
Sternocleidomastoid
Trapezius muscle

Human neck muscles (side view and back view)

Breast

Pectoral muscles occupy a large part of the front of the body, they are attached to the humerus, collarbone, and ribs. Carry out rotating the arms inward, pulling up the torso while climbing, pulling the scapula forward and downward, and helping the diaphragm to breathe.

Pectoralis major muscle
Pectoralis minor
Serratus anterior muscle
Subclavian muscle
Intercostal muscles

Human pectoralis anatomy

Deltas

In shape they resemble triangle, greek letter delta. Participate in abduction of the arm to the sides, as well as extension and flexion of the shoulder. The front bundles of deltas pull the hand forward, and the rear bundles backward.

Front delta
Average delta
Rear delta

Human deltas (shoulders) anatomy

Biceps

Muscle biceps consist of a long and short head, joining together to form abdomen, which is attached to the tuberosity of the radius with a tendon.

Anatomy of the biceps (short and long head)

Function biceps - to provide flexion of the shoulder at the shoulder joint, and the forearm at the elbow.

Long head (on the outside of the arm)
Short head (on the inside of the arm)

Forearm

Muscle forearms- small muscle groups located between the elbow and the wrist, they are divided into a posterior front group, each of which has its own superficial and deep layers.

Carry out extension and flexion of the hand and fingers, as well as the penetrating and supinating movement of the radius.

Radial extensor of the wrist
The long muscle abducting the thumb of the hand
Round pronator
Palmar muscle
Short radial extensor of the wrist
Short extensor of the thumb
Flexor of the hand
Brachioradialis muscle
Elbow wrist flexor

Forearm anatomy (brachialis, radialis, flexors)

Press

Abdominal Press rotates the body to the side (sideways, forward, backward), creates intra-abdominal pressure, protecting the internal organs from damage, forms posture, keeps the spine in a straightened position.

Human Abdominal Anatomy

Rectus abdominis muscle
External oblique muscle of the abdomen
Internal oblique muscle of the abdomen
Transverse abdominal muscle

Thigh muscles

Carry out abduction, extension and rotation of the hip outward, pulling the thigh to the body, extension of the lower leg at the knee and its rotation inward, and also hold the body in equilibrium and stretch the wide fascia of the thigh, thereby strengthening the knee joint.

Anterior thigh muscle group

Tailor
Quadriceps (quadriceps)
Straight
Lateral wide
Medial wide
Intermediate wide

Anatomy of the muscles of the front of the thigh

Posterior thigh muscle group

Biceps (hamstrings)
Common tendon
Semitendinosus
Semi-membranous

Anatomy of the muscles of the back of the thigh

Medial thigh muscle group

Thin
Comb
Long leading
Short leading
Large leading

Anatomy of the muscles of the medial part of the thigh

Shin and calves

Shin occupies part of the leg, from the knee to the heel, consists of the tibia and fibula. Main function extension of the foot and toes, as well as adduction and rotation of the turn of the foot outward.

Calf muscles refers to two-headed, consist of a medial and lateral head, thanks to them a person takes a stable position in space, keeps the body balance, balance, can rotate ankle joint, raise the heels, bend the feet.

Peroneus longus muscle
Medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle
Tibialis anterior muscle
Flounder muscle
Short peroneal muscle
Long finger extensor
Upper extensor retinaculum
Tibialis anterior tendon
Lower extensor retinaculum

Calf muscle anatomy (posterior and anterior group)

Back

Back muscles perform a supporting role for fixing the spine in a motionless state, by giving a stable position vertebrae, thanks to which it is possible to perform torso turns, flexion, extension and bending, and also support the natural bends (curvature) of the back and play the role of shock absorbers when performing movements that create vibration and concussion of the spine.

Small round muscle
Big round
Abdominal muscle
Rhomboid muscle
Trapezius muscle
Spine extensor
Latissimus dorsi
Thoracolumbar fascia
External oblique muscles

Human back muscles anatomy

Triceps

Anatomical structure of the human triceps

Triceps has three heads, so it is called three-headed muscle of the shoulder, attached to the olecranon of the ulna using a flat wide tendon.

Provides extension of the forearm, as well as bringing the hand to the body and moving the hand back.

Lateral (lateral) head
Long (back) head
Middle (medial) head

Buttocks

Rectangular large gluteal muscles are attached symmetrically to the bones of the spine, pelvis and femur. Carry out function extension of the hip in the hip joint, rotation of the hip outward, abduction to the side and bringing the hip to the center, and also help to straighten the trunk when securing the thigh and stabilize knee joint (due to the tension of the fascia lata of the thigh).

Gluteus maximus muscle
Gluteus medius muscle
Gluteus maximus muscle

Human gluteus anatomy

Proportionally harmonious, beautiful muscles are the goal of any bodybuilder, especially when it comes to competitive a level where proportion can decide whether an athlete will become a champion or not. That is why, below, we want to give a list of effective exercise, for each muscle group, with the help of which, you can "grind" your own muscle size, such as you want.

Bodybuilder (bodybuilder) body anatomy

Exercises for the development of skeletal muscles

All developmental exercises skeletal muscle can be conditionally divided into two types, insulating(involve one joint), and basic(use two or more joints). You should first of all focus on the basic training of a particular muscle group, because they are most effective. raise muscle mass.

Human skeletal muscle anatomy

Isolation exercises are good for separation, muscle relief, which is initial the level of training of a bodybuilder should not care at all.

Trapeze

Muscle trapezium refers to the upper back, are involved in raising and lowering the shoulders.

The best trapeze workout exercise -.

Exercises for the muscles of the trapezium

Latissimus dorsi

Attach triangular the shape of the back (especially when the waist is narrow), the wider the back, the more the broadest muscles.

The main function- adduction and extension of the shoulder, internal circular motion (rotation) of the shoulder, and also helps to lower the shoulder girdle.

The best back exercise is.

Exercise for the latissimus dorsi

Long back muscle

This muscle group is one of the strongest in the human body, located in the form of two " pillars"That stretch along the lumbar spine.

The main function- holds the muscle corset, and is also responsible for flexion and extension of the trunk.

If you have problems with the spine, or just a weak back, then you just need strengthen these muscles.

The best exercise to strengthen the "pillars" -.

Long back muscle hyperextension

Pectoral muscles

Pectoral muscles are involved in the process of inhalation, and also pulls the scapula forward, downward and inward and indirectly contributes to raising the ribs.

Basic pectoral exercise

Abdominal Press

Press- one of the most "capricious" muscles in the human body. To have a beautiful embossed press, it is necessary not only often train him but also watch out food(a layer of fat can corny hide embossed cubes). For anyone interested, you can read in detail about how to build a beautiful press.

The main function- stabilization of the abdominal muscles.

One of the most effective and proven exercise- at an angle downward and.

Gym abdominal exercise

Deltas or shoulders

Deltas are divided into three main beams anterior, middle and posterior.

Function in the body - raising, lowering, and rotating the arm.

If you want to have big, pumped ones shoulders do the barbell lift sitting / standing from behind the head and with free weights, as well as for additional, isolated loading of the rear deltas, use.

Basic exercise for deltas (shoulders)

Biceps

Biceps participates in bending the arm, consists from a long (outer) and short (inner) head.

One of the most effective exercise gym for building big and strong arms - (with a straight bar).

Exercise for the development of biceps

Triceps

Triceps performs the function of extending the arm, consists of 3-ex major bundles: internal, medial and lateral.

The best exercises for pumping the mass (volume) of the triceps - on a horizontal bench and push-ups on the uneven bars.

Basic Triceps Exercise

Forearms

Forearm is responsible for the movement of the fingers, rotates the hand and clenches the hand into a fist.

How stronger forearm, the more weight the athlete will be able to lift in a separate exercise, when the load is on the corresponding muscles, for example, in, and also with the help firm grip you can hang on the horizontal bar for a long time, which will greatly facilitate the process of pull-ups.

The best exercises to increase the strength of the forearm, there is no, since they need to be trained in a complex manner, in different directions and at different angles (as they do armwrestlers), concerning volume forearms, then the leading position is taken by the exercise and extension of the arms at the wrists.

Exercise to develop powerful triceps

Gluteal muscles

Buttocks- some of the largest muscles in the body, are involved in bending and straightening the trunk, and is also responsible for turning the hips in and out.

Consists of the gluteus maximus, medius and gluteus maximus muscle.

The best the exercise for pumping elastic buttocks - deep.

Basic exercise for the gluteus muscles

Hip biceps

Hip biceps participates in the rotation and flexion of the lower leg, as well as in the extension of the thigh and together with the gluteus maximus muscle of the trunk.

Biceps femoris, consists of two heads - long and short.

Isolated Hip Biceps Exercise

Quadriceps

Quadriceps comprises 4-ex heads - straight, medially wide, laterally broad, and intermediate broad thigh muscles, therefore it is called the quadriceps.

Four-headed the muscle participates in the extension of the lower leg in the knee joint and flexion of the hip.

Everything is the same as with the hamstrings - first you pump up the rough muscle mass of the legs by squatting with a barbell on your shoulders, and then start hone her.

The best isolation exercise for pumping large quads is considered.

Effective exercise for quadriceps relief

Caviar

Calf muscle the most enduring in our body, it is responsible for flexion and extension of the foot, as well as for stabilizing the body when walking and running.

It is quite difficult to enlarge it in size, because our body made it anatomically hardy... And as you know, hardy muscles are not famous for their volumes, therefore, in order to increase the calf muscles, it is necessary to load them with heavy weights, shock them with the load, this is the only way to stimulate the muscle growth of the lower leg.

Select a working weight on the machine in the range 15-20 repetitions in 3-4 approaches so that the last repetitions are difficult to complete.

The best exercise for pumping up your calves is in the machine.

Exercise for the calf muscles

These skeletal muscle exercises are some of the most effective of their kind, so they should definitely be included in your training program for bodybuilding.

The more muscle group, the more time it takes to recovery her after the training. That is why, we strongly recommend that you train in cyclical method, when trying to progress in heavy basic exercises (deadlift, squats with a barbell, bench press), that is, use light, medium and heavy training, or build workouts according to split system(suitable for advanced athletes).

Quantity repetitions in weight exercises, should be in the range 6-12 , in 3-4 approaches, with break 2-2.5 minutes. If your goal is to increase strength, then reduce the number of repetitions to 2-4 , and increase the rest time between sets to 3-5 minutes.

A clear understanding and understanding, training process, will bring you the best results in bodybuilding, your workouts will run more efficiently and safely.