Voluntary muscles involved in human movement
Some of the primary muscles involved in human movement are shown here.
Function | Example in sport | |
Sternocleidomastoid | Help with the breathing process | All sporting activities but particularly endurance events |
Deltoid | Abduction of the shoulder (moving the arm outwards and away from the body) | Outward arm action in a jumping jack |
Rotator cuffs | A group of stabilising muscles of the shoulder which helps to prevent dislocation and allows the shoulder to rotate the humerus around its own axis | A throwing action such as a javelin throw |
Pectorals | Adduction of the shoulder (moving the arm towards the body); Shoulder horizontal flexion (moving the arms forwards in front of the body) | Upwards phase of a press up |
Intercostals | Assist with the breathing process | All sporting activities but particularly endurance events |
Triceps | Extend the elbow (straightening the arm) | Shooting in netball |
Biceps | Flex the elbow (bending the arm) | Drawing a bow in archery |
Abdominals | Flex the trunk across the stomach (sitting upwards) | Performing a sit up |
Latissimus dorsi | Shoulder adduction (moving the arm towards the body); Shoulder horizontal extension | Butterfly stroke in swimming |
Quadriceps | Extend the knee (straightening the leg) | Kicking a ball |
Hamstrings | Flex the knee (bending the leg) | Performing a hamstring curl on a weights machine |
Gastrocnemius | Plantar flexion of the ankle (pointing the toes downwards) | Standing on tiptoe to mark a goal shoot in netball |
Tibialis anterior | Dorsiflexion of the ankle (bringing the toes up towards the shin) | Foot making contact with a football |
Sternocleidomastoid | |
---|---|
Function | Help with the breathing process |
Example in sport | All sporting activities but particularly endurance events |
Deltoid | |
---|---|
Function | Abduction of the shoulder (moving the arm outwards and away from the body) |
Example in sport | Outward arm action in a jumping jack |
Rotator cuffs | |
---|---|
Function | A group of stabilising muscles of the shoulder which helps to prevent dislocation and allows the shoulder to rotate the humerus around its own axis |
Example in sport | A throwing action such as a javelin throw |
Pectorals | |
---|---|
Function | Adduction of the shoulder (moving the arm towards the body); Shoulder horizontal flexion (moving the arms forwards in front of the body) |
Example in sport | Upwards phase of a press up |
Intercostals | |
---|---|
Function | Assist with the breathing process |
Example in sport | All sporting activities but particularly endurance events |
Triceps | |
---|---|
Function | Extend the elbow (straightening the arm) |
Example in sport | Shooting in netball |
Biceps | |
---|---|
Function | Flex the elbow (bending the arm) |
Example in sport | Drawing a bow in archery |
Abdominals | |
---|---|
Function | Flex the trunk across the stomach (sitting upwards) |
Example in sport | Performing a sit up |
Latissimus dorsi | |
---|---|
Function | Shoulder adduction (moving the arm towards the body); Shoulder horizontal extension |
Example in sport | Butterfly stroke in swimming |
Quadriceps | |
---|---|
Function | Extend the knee (straightening the leg) |
Example in sport | Kicking a ball |
Hamstrings | |
---|---|
Function | Flex the knee (bending the leg) |
Example in sport | Performing a hamstring curl on a weights machine |
Gastrocnemius | |
---|---|
Function | Plantar flexion of the ankle (pointing the toes downwards) |
Example in sport | Standing on tiptoe to mark a goal shoot in netball |
Tibialis anterior | |
---|---|
Function | Dorsiflexion of the ankle (bringing the toes up towards the shin) |
Example in sport | Foot making contact with a football |