Download The muscles of the upper back, shoulders, chest and arms.

Upper Body Muscles
The muscles of the upper back, shoulders, chest and arms. Where they are, what they do…
Upper Back Muscles
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Trapezius-This is a large triangular shaped muscle that runs from the centre of your back up to the neck, running across your
shoulder blade. Working the trapezius will help to sculpt the back of your shoulders. As a bonus, strengthening this muscle will also
help to ward off back and neck pain - the sort of dull ache you get from sitting at a desk or computer all day.
Rhomboids-These are small muscles in the centre of your back, running up to just below the base of your neck. Working the
rhomboids will help to hold your shoulders back and maintain good posture.
Shoulder Muscles
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Deltoids-These muscles wrap right around the top of your shoulders. They are split into three areas - the front/anterior deltoid, the
side/lateral deltoid, and the rear/posterior deltoid. It is these muscles that give your shoulders their versatility and great range of
movement. Toning these will help to give a more defined silhouette; less rounded and sloping and a little more sharp a shape.
Rotator Cuff (Rotators)-Four small muscles beneath your shoulder that help to hold your arm in place. Firming and strengthening
here helps to pull in your underarm.
Chest Muscles
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Pectorals-These are two large, flat muscles that run across the surface of your chest. These muscles generally come into play when
pushing something or hugging someone. The benefit of working the pectorals is somewhat different for men and women. For men,
exercising these muscles will increase chest size and definition. For women, these are the muscles underlying and providing support
for the bust, so toning them will help to lift the bust.
Arm Muscles
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Biceps -The muscles are at the front of your upper arm. You use these when you bend your arm or pick things up. These are the
ones you flex when showing someone how big (or small) the muscles in your arms are. Toning these will give shape and definition
to your upper arm.
Triceps-These are situated at the back of your upper arms. They oppose the biceps, and come into play when you straighten your
arm or push something. Toning your triceps will help to get rid of the flabby bit that hangs down when you hold your arm out.
Forearm Muscles-These are the muscles that run from your wrist to your elbow, and there are quite a lot of them lurking under
there! Working and building these will not only help that overall toned look on your arms (which is what we're going for) but will
also help with/ward off conditions such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other wrist complaints.
Lower Body Muscles
This is where you'll find the big, strong muscles that allow us to get around. The main muscles found below the waist are as follows:
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Quadriceps femoris - this is a group of four muscles found at the front of the thigh. These are the vastus lateralis on the outside, the
vastus medialis on the inside, the vastus intermedius between them, and the rectus femoris above them. The role of these muscles is
to extend the leg from a bent position.
Hamstrings - these are found to the rear of the leg and consist of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. The
hamstrings are used to flex the knee in the act of pulling the heel towards the buttocks.
Gluteals - these make up the buttocks and consist of the gluteus maximus covering the hip joint and the gluteus medius and minimus
on the outside of the hip. The gluteus maximus facilitates hip extension while the other two lift the leg to the side in an action called
hip abduction.
Hip flexors - these are found opposite the glutes on the front of the pelvis. Consisting of the psoas major and iliacus they raise the
leg to the front.
Calves - these consist of the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Their role is to extend the foot at the ankle.
Abdominal Muscles -The abdominal muscles are located between the ribs and the pelvis on the front of the body. The four abdominal
muscle groups combine to completely cover the internal organs. The abdominal muscles are more important than many believe and they most
importantly support the upper torso, allow movement of the upper body and hold organs in position by regulating internal abdominal
pressure. The four main abdominal muscles are:
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Transversus abdominus - This is the deepest muscle layer. Its main roles are to stabilize the trunk and maintain internal abdominal
pressure. It also compresses the abdomen.
Rectus abdominus - Slung between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. This muscle has the characteristic bumps
or bulges, when contracting, that are commonly called 'the six pack'. The main function of the rectus abdominus is to move the body
between the ribcage and the pelvis.
External oblique muscles - The external oblique is situated on the lateral and anterior parts of the abdomen. The external oblique
muscles allow the trunk to twist, but to the opposite side of whichever external oblique is contracting. For example, the right external
oblique contracts to turn the body to the left. It also functions to compress the abdominal cavity, which increases the intra-abdominal
pressure.
Internal oblique muscles - The internal oblique muscle is the intermediate muscle of the abdomen, lying just underneath the
external oblique and just above the transverse abdominal muscle. These flank the rectus abdominus, and are located just inside the
hip-bones. They operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles. For example, twisting the trunk to the left requires the
left hand side internal oblique and the right hand side external oblique to contract together.
One final thing we must understand is the function of the abs. You may think the only benefit of firmer abs is that you will be presenting a
more toned body image but more importantly however, firm abs have strong links to preventing back pain and back injury. The abdominal
muscles are key components to providing strength and support to keep the body upright and for movement.