Muscular System
Learning Goals:
-Know major muscles and their
functions
- understand movement terminology
Major Muscles of the Body
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Good interactive site: http://www.exrx.net/
Refer to handout/anatomical diagram and chart
for muscles you should know.
Movement Terms
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Flexion – bending the joint to reduce the angle
Extension – straightening the joint (increasing the joint
angle)
Abduction – movement away from the midline
Adduction – movement toward the midline
Supination – lateral rotation of forearm
Pronation – medial rotation of forearm
Plantarflexion – increasing angle b/n foot & leg
Dorsiflexion – decreasing angle b/n foot & leg
Elevation – raising up to a more superior position
Depression – pulling down/lowering to an inferior pos.
What Muscle Does It Work?
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Complete chart…consider weight training
and/or body weight exercises.
Use of Muscles
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Agonist: the muscle that is primarily responsible
for the movement (e.g. pec. Major in a push up)
Antagonist: the muscle opposing the prime
mover (e.g. lat. Dorsi acts as an antagonist to
pecs in push ups)
Synergist: assists the prime mover; helps
stabilize the joint
Muscle Actions
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Three main types:
Concentric contraction: shortening of muscle
fibre
Eccentric contraction: lengthening of muscle
fibre
Isometric contraction: contraction of muscle
fibres occurs but there is no joint movement
(e.g. wall sit or flexed arm hang)
Terminology
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Hypertrophy – increase in muscle size
Atrophy – decrease in muscle size
Isolation – singling out a particular muscle group
Motor unit – part of muscle stimulated by brain
Superset – doing 2 or 3 exercises together (no rest)
Circuit training – a rotation of multiple exercises with
little or no rest between
Partial rep – not completing the full range of motion