A Basic Anatomy Lesson

When discussing fitness it is absolutely crucial to understand what is being talked about, because let's face it, no one likes to be confused. So, before I proceed further with this blog, and before I release the first innovative workout in the series, I want to discuss basic muscle anatomy. At this point, I do not want to delve into the microscopic elements, or processes that occur within a muscle. I would just like to highlight various muscle groups and their location in the body, as well as their predominant function.

Today we will address the Legs

Calves - The calf muscles are actually two major muscles of the lower leg that are crucial for our ability to jump, run, and generally "spring" off of our toes. The two major muscles of the calf are the gastrocnemius and the soleus.These muscles act together to perform what is known as "plantar flexion" or the extension of the ankle/foot joint. The gastrocnemius is easily targeted in the gym with movements such as standing calf raises, while the soleus is targeted with toes-out seated calf-raises.

Another muscle of note in the lower leg: tibialis anterior. This muscle is the muscle that allows our toes to point upwards. If one attempts to point their toes towards their knees they will fill the undoubted pull on this muscle. While this muscle will never develop aesthetically it is crucial to put emphasis on letting your heels sink below the toe-block during calf raises to target this muscle.

Upper Leg- The upper leg is made up of two large muscle groups, the quadriceps and the hamstrings. The quads are responsible for extension movements, while the hamstrings are responsible for flexion (bringing to the body). Training these muscles is crucial for the development of full leg capacity, strength, power, and aesthetics.

The quadriceps are a group of four muscles on the front of the leg: vastus medius (inside), vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis (outside), and the sartorius. Exercises that target these muscles include squats, leg presses, leg extensions, box-jumps, and stair steps. The quadriceps have inner, outer, and centralized muscles, so it is crucial to adjust one's toes to conform to quadriceps shape (i.e. point your toes outwards on the leg press to target the inner quads more specifically and vice versa).

The hamstrings are also a group of muscles: the semitendonous, semimembranous, and the biceps femoris. The biceps femoris is the most powerful of these muscles, but all are equally important in the contraction of the back of the thigh.
Exercises that target the hamstrings include deep squats, hacksquats (feet high on the block), leg curls (lying and seated), physio-ball roll-ins, as Romanian deadlifts. There is no predominant shaping of the hamstrings, although one can adjust the angle of their lower-leg on leg-curl pads in an effort to target inner or outer. NOTE: careful when adjusting this angle because it can potentially put unwanted pressure upon the knees.

These are all of the major muscles of the legs. Understanding this basic anatomy will assist you when planning that next leg workout, or reading the workout I will post later in the week.

Tomorrow I will be back to post about the core muscles, including the abdomen and obliques, as well as the ever-crucial muscles of the hip.


Know the Body, Train the Body, Stay Fit----Forever