BASIC ANATOMY & BIOMECHANICS

About Muscle
Connect to bones via tendons
Each muscle is made of many fibers There are different types of fibers Type I slow twitch (lower force) Type II fast twitch (higher force) Type IIa intermediate Type I fibers activated first Type II fibers activated only as needed

Everyone and each muscle group has a different

proportion of each fiber type Fiber types dont really change (type IIa can go either way)

Upper Body Muscles

Lower Body Muscles

Basic Biomechanics
Muscles ONLY pull, not push
Each movement has 1-3 prime movers Bench press: pectorals, triceps Every movement also has secondary or stabilizing musculature Squat: the core musculature stabilizes the trunk and torso Torque is greater when the load is farther away from the

muscle group generating force Changing grip width, foot placement, joint/body angle, etc., can change how the exercise works the muscle Moving against the pull of gravity is harder than moving perpendicular to it (or at an angle).
Squat vs. leg press

Not all weight machines are created equal Different pulley systems create different amounts of resistance

The Spine
Consists of: 7 Cervical (neck) 12 Thoracic (ribs) 5 Lumbar (low back) 5 sacral and 4 Coccygeal Intervertebral discs Always maintain a

neutral spine when lifting!

The Shoulder
Rotator cuff (SITS) maintains

humeral head in glenoid cavity Scapula glides along the Question: Why the big concern over upper back mobility in regard to building healthy shoulders? ribcage
Answer: Poor mobility of the thoracic spine (upper back) is often associated with a slouched, or more Poor t-spine mobility/position can specifically, a kyphotic posture. This altered spinal alignment prevents the scapulae (the shoulder cause scapular movement blades) from tilting backward as you raise your arms. This lack of tilt narrows the space in the shoulder joint that the rotator cuff runs through (the subacromial space) and makes it more likely that your rotator dysfunction cuff will get pinched, called impingement. Over time, if you impinge frequently, youll most likely end up Ifsome youform press a lot, you need to with of rotator cuff injury.

pull a lot!
The mobility of the thoracic spine also directly affects the strength of the lower trapezius which is an upward rotator of the scapulae. If the thoracic spine lacks mobility the lower trapezius will test weak, thus limiting upward rotation. A lack of scapular upward rotation also narrows the subacromial space making impingement more likely. http://www.billhartman.net/blog/the-thoracic-spine-and-shoulder-health/

The Knee
Hamstrings cross knee

and hip joint

Extends hip and flexes

knee Provides posterior pull on tibia with knee flexion

Squatting deep allows

for greater activation of the hamstrings

Helps prevent knee pain

Squatting Biomechanics
Feet Approx. 30 degree angle Push through heels Knees Shove knees out, in line with feet No more than approx. 1 past toes Hips Sit BACK, not down Low back Neutral Spine! Upper back and shoulders Shoulders tight Place bar on shelf Elbows not flared out in line with back Wrists should not be overly flexed Hands should be in a comfortable position,

enough to keep upper back tight Head should be pointed forward or slightly down Bar
Should be over mid-foot the whole lift Path should be a straight line!

Squat technique videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTTfvU8Af3c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsCEUhBnf_Q

Common Squat mistakes

Not shoving knees out
Rounded or over

arched back Not hitting depth Not sitting back on heels (bar goes past feet)

Instructional videos
Squat http://train.elitefts.com/instructional/so-you-think-you-can-squatparts-1-5/
Bench Press http://train.elitefts.com/instructional/so-you-think-you-can-benchparts1-7/ Deadlift http://train.elitefts.com/instructional/teaching-the-deadlift/