Muscles: Actions, Movements,

and Terminology

Overview
Muscle 101
Role of Skeletal Muscle
Muscle Terminology
Muscular Contractions
Concentric
Eccentric
Isometric

Muscle Movement Classification or Defining a

Muscles Role in Producing Movement
Agonist or Prime mover
Antagonist
Synergist
Stabilizer

Muscles
Three types of muscle in the human body
Skeletal
Voluntary

Cardiac (heart)
Smooth (internal organs)

Consists of contractile cells (muscle

fibers)
Muscles can only pull; they can not push
Tendons attach muscles to bone
ligaments attach bone to bone

Role of Skeletal Muscle

Gives form to the body

Provides heat
Produces skeletal movement
Assists in maintaining joint stability
Maintains posture
Maintains balance over center of gravity
55% of height in women
57% of height in men

Muscle Terminology
Uniarticulate

Biarticulate

A muscle that
A muscle that
crosses one joint crosses two
joints
Ex:
Brachioradialis Sartorius
crosses the
elbow joint

Triarticulate
A muscle that
can move
three joints
Ex: Wrist
Flexors

Muscle Terminology

Muscle Action:
Specific movement of the joint
Flexion, Extension, Ad/Abduction, etc.
Muscle Origin:
The end of the muscle attaching to the
relatively fixed (or least moveable) bone of its
joint.
The more proximal attachment site
Muscle Insertion:
The end of the muscle attaching to the freely
moving bone of its joint.
The more distal attachment site of the muscle.

Origin:
Anterior
Deltoid: Lateral
1/3 of clavicle
Middle Deltoid:
Acromion
Process of
Scapula
Posterior
Deltoid: Spine
of Scapula
Insertion:
Deltoid
tuberosity of
humerus

O:Medial
Epicondyle of
Humerus (2 heads
medial and
posterior)
I: Pisiform,
Hammate, and
Base of 5th
metacarpal

Muscle Terminology
Nerve Innervation: The segment of the
nervous system responsible for providing a
stimulus to muscle fibers.
Muscle Palpation: Examination by touch
Muscle length: The distance between bony
attachments

Muscular Contractions
Muscular Contractions
Isotonic (Movement with constant
external resistance-Bicep Curl)
Concentric
Eccentric

Isokinetic (Movement with varying

external resistance/control for velocityTubing?)
Isometric (no joint movement)

Concentric Muscle Contraction

Muscle shortens in length while
developing tension
Muscle tension is greater than the load
Examples:
The upward phase of a bicep curl
The upward phase of a bench press
The upward phase of an abdominal
crunch
The upward phase of a squat
The downward phase of a lat pull-down

Eccentric Muscle Contraction

Muscle lengthens under tension.
Resistance is greater than muscle
tension.
Examples:
The downward phase of a biceps
curl
The downward phase of a squat
The downward phase of a lunge
The upward phase of a lat pull-down
Eccentric muscle contractions are what
makes you sore
Most injuries occur in the eccentric
phase

Isometric Muscle Contraction

No movement
Tension equals the load.
Examples:
Wall Sit
Plank

Types of contraction
Isometric

Concentric
Deltoid holds arm in
________________

Eccentric

Deltoid shortens to
move arm into
________________

Deltoid lengthens to
lower arm into
________________

Muscle Movement Classification

A muscles role in producing movement
can be defined as that of the:
Agonist or Prime Mover
Antagonist
Synergist
Stabilizer

Agonist or Prime Mover

A muscle or group of muscles that causes a
motion
Muscle contracts concentrically or eccentrically

Examples:
Knee Extension
Quadriceps, through concentric
contraction, extend the knee
Elbow Flexion
Biceps work concentrically to bend arm

Antagonist
The Opposer
Resists the motion caused by the prime mover
Contracts to prevent, slow or control a motion
Helps protect the agonist
Examples:
Knee Extension
Hamstring muscles, through eccentric
contraction, help to slow the rate of knee
extension
Elbow Flexion
Triceps work eccentrically to slow the rate that
the arm is bent
Rotator Cuff Muscles

Synergist
Assists the movement of a prime
mover but is less effective
These muscles are considered to have a
functional relationship with the prime
mover
However, the assisting muscle cannot
perform the motion at a functional level.

Example: As a portion of the

quadriceps crosses the hip joint, it can
help produce hip flexion. However, it is
incapable of producing hip flexion
alone.

Stabilizer
Muscles contract (frequently by an isometric
contraction) to hold a body part immobile while
another body part is moving.
Your wrist while doing a dumbbell bench press
Core muscles
Proximal Stabilization: In most normal activities, the
proximal joint is stabilized while the distal joint
performs the action.
To perform isolated elbow flexion the proximal
shoulder joint must be stabilized by
flexors/extensors, abductors/adductors and
internal/external rotators.
The quadriceps may stabilize the knee in an
extended position to permit plantar flexion of the
ankle

Putting It Together

starting position

ending position

Putting It Together
Exercise
Standing Cable Triceps Extension
Agonist or Prime Mover:
Triceps Brachii
Triceps Brachii is a Biarticulate
Muscle
Muscle Origin
Scapula and Humerus
Muscle Insertion
Ulna
Muscle Action
Elbow and Shoulder Extension

Putting It Together
Synergist
Anconeus
Antagonist
Elbow Flexors (Biceps Brachii, Brachialis and
Brachioradialis)
Stabilizers:
Latissimus Dorsi
Teres Major
Pectoralis Major
Deltoid
Rotator Cuff Muscles
Erector Spinae
Rectus Abdominis
Obliques
Wrist Flexors

Putting It Together
Concentric Contraction
Down phase of exercise

Eccentric Contraction
Up phase of exercise

Breathing
Exhale during the working phase of a
movement
You are moving against the force of
resistance

Direction of
Movement

AgonistContraction

AntagonistContraction

Progravity

Eccentric

Concentric

Antigravity

Concentric

Eccentric

Gravity
Eliminated

Concentric

Eccentric

Take Home Points

Skeletal muscle plays many roles in the
body including producing skeletal
movement, heat and joint stability
Muscles can be uni, bi or triarticulate
Muscle action is the specific movement of
the joint
A muscles origin is proximal and relatively
fixed while the insertion is more movable
and distal

Take Home Points

There are three key types of muscular
contractions
Concentric, eccentric and isometric

A muscles role in producing

movement can be defined as that of
the:
Agonist/prime mover, antagonist,
synergist or stabilizer