It is easy to believe that gymnasts use every muscle in the body. They leap, spring, bound, flip and handstand. They not only use every muscle, but also use them in every way a muscle can be used.LegsThe many positions the body moves through during the back handspring are used on every apparatus. During the back handspring takeoff and landing, the quadriceps and gluteal muscles produce the most power. The quadriceps muscles are called vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris. The main buttocks pushing muscle is called the gluteus maximus. The muscles that squeeze the legs together through the upside-down phase are adductor longus, adductor magnus, gracilis, pectineus and adductor brevis. The main muscles of the lower legs that a gymnast uses constantly to point, flex and jump are gastrocnemius, soleus, peroneus longus, extensor digitorum longus, peroneus tertius, extensor digitorum longus, flexor digitorum longus, tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior.CoreAbdominal and pelvic muscles are used in every movement a gymnast does. In the back handspring, they contract to pull the legs and pelvis over the top. This abdominal contraction and hip flexion is also used throughout a gymnastics routine. The abdominal muscles are called the rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, external oblique and internal oblique. Other key pelvic muscles are psoas major and psoas minor, iliopsoas and iliacus. The opposite motion, which raises the torso up to standing, uses the muscles of the lumbar vertebrae, pelvis and legs. They are called erector spinae, gluteus maximus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris and semimembranosus. Some of these muscles have already been named. That is because some do multiple jobs.

Arms, Chest and BackThe muscles of the arms, chest and back work together to assist and oppose each other. They are all solicited in the back handspring to pass through handstand position and push off the floor. This motion is repeated throughout a gymnastics routine. Main muscles used in the mid and upper back are called trapezius, latissimus dorsi, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor and teres major, rhomboideus major and levator scapulae. The cooperating muscles of the chest and shoulders are called serratus anterior, pectoralis major and minor, and anterior, medial and posterior deltoids. The upper-arm muscles that reach and push through the upside-down and right-side-up back handspring motion are the triceps, biceps and coracobrachialis.OtherA gymnast's forearms and neck muscles play an important role, especially since the body follows the head, and the neck moves the head. A gymnast's forearms require significant strength for grasping and holding body weight. Muscles of the neck used in gymnastics are sternocleidomastoid, scalenus, splenius capitis and semispinalis capitis. The forearm muscles are supinator, pronator teres, brachioradialis, flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus, flexor carpi ulnaris, extensor carpi radialis longus, extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor digitorum, extensor carpi ulnaris and pronator quadratus.

1. Ball and Socket JointBall and socket joints provide the most movement and flexibility of all the joints in the human body. This type of joint has a ball-shaped bone fitted into a spherical socket and held in place with tendons and ligaments.The major ball and socket joints in the human body are the hips and the shoulders.The arms and legs require the most twisting and turning therefore a ball and socket joint is perfect for these extremities.2. Saddle JointThe saddle joint is what sets the primate species apart from the rest of the animal kingdom.The only saddle joint in the human body is found in the thumbs.This type of joint allows for the thumbs to cross over the palms of the hands giving them an infinite variety of uses.3. Hinge JointThe hinge joint is the most basic type of joint, meaning this joint only allows motion in only one direction. Hinge joints can be found in the elbows, fingers, toes, and knees. The knee joint is the body's largest joint, and can both swivel and rotate from side to side.4. Gliding JointsGliding joints allow for a fairly wide range of movement. Gliding joints are located at the top of the spine allowing for back and forth rotation of the head; the forearm for wrist movement; and in the ankle for increased foot mobility.The gliding joint is most similar to a swivel.Joint movementsNon-Movable: Synarthrosis Synarthrosis joints are non movable like the skull. Fibrous tissue holds the suture lines together. When the skull forms in utero, it fuses together before birth, forming the suture lines.Syndemosis describes the joining of two bones with cord ligaments or sheets of fibrous tissue. An example is the tibia and fibula joint of the lower leg. The two bones are joined together before reaching the knee joint. Another example is the ulna and radius of the forearm.Gomephosis is the name for the joint that describes where the teeth join the jaw. It is the periodontal ligament that holds the tooth in the socket.Slightly Movable: Amphiarthrosis There are 24 ribs in 12 pairs starting where the clavicle and breastbone meet and ending around the waist. The ribs form the thoracic cage. The ribs are attached to the breastbone with the exception of the lowermost pair. Joined by cartilage, the ribs are described as amphiarthroses because they permit slight movement.Another example of cartilage and slight movement are the two pubic bones.Cartilage in the spine allows for the slight movement of the vertebrae. A spongy material lies between each vertebral space. Freely Movable: Diarthrosis Free-moving joints are synovial, containing a fluid that keeps the joint moving smoothly. The joint cavity allows the movement of the bones, which are joined by cartilage attached to the periosteum coating the bone.The hands, feet and knee cap have synovial joints. They are gliding joints that move side to side.The fingers, toes, elbows and knees have hinge joints that are synovial and move in one plane.The ball and socket joint of the hip is synovial and can pivot with full movement. The shoulder is similar in its ability to have full, "circular" range of motion.Ellipsoidal joints found in the wrist allow free movement in the form of rotation, but do not allow pivoting.Some people have very loose cartilage in these types of joints that allow them to move the joint beyond its normal range. The loose cartilage can cause injury to the joint and, in some cases, the bone.

Understanding Movement of the BodyAll physical activities are made possible by various movements and motions. Every movement takes place in one of three planes of movement (sagittal, frontal or transverse/horizontal) and around one of three axes (sagittal, frontal or vertical).

Planes and Axes of MovementPlanes of MovementSagittal Plane vertical plane of the body which passes from front to rear dividing the body into two symmetrical halves.Frontal Plane plane of the body which passes from side to side at right angles to the sagittal plane; also called the coronal plane.Transverse Plane any horizontal plane of the body which is parallel to the diaphragm; also called the horizontal plane.Axes of MovementSagittal Horizontal Axis axis of the body that passes from front to rear lying at right angles to the frontal plane.Frontal Horizontal Axis axis of the body that passes horizontally from side to side at right angles to the sagittal plane.Vertical Axis axis of the body that passes from head to foot at right angles to the transverse plane.Types of MovementThere is more to movement than just planes and axes. There are several types of movement that are further broken down into the following categories: Flexion and extension Adduction and abduction Rotation CircumductionFlexion and Extension

flickr Photo Credit: Crossfit KandaharThe first and most common type of movement occurs in the sagittal plane and around a frontal horizontal axis. These movements are otherwise known as flexion and extension.Flexion takes place when the angle decreases between the two bones attached to the joint being affected. When you flex your knee joint, the angle between your femur or upper leg and your tibia/fibula or lower leg decreases. Lateral flexion is a sidebending of the spine and neck.Examples of flexion include: Tuck jump Front dumbbell raise Bicep curlExtension is the opposite of flexion. Extension occurs when the angle between the two bones increases. When you straighten or extend your knee joint the angle between your upper and lower leg increases.Examples of extension include: Straight leg deadlift Tricep pressdown Military pressIf a part of the body such as a joint is overstretched or bent backwards because of an exaggerated extension motion, this is called hyperextension. This type of movement puts a significant amount of stress on the ligaments of joint. It is not always a voluntary movement and may occur as part of accidents, falls, or other causes of trauma.Adduction and Abduction

flickr Photo Credit: benastonThe next most common movements are adduction and abduction. These two movements are in the frontal plane and around a sagittal horizontal axis.Adduction is movement in the opposite direction and toward the center of your body. When you return your leg from the abducted position back to a normal standing position you are adducting your leg.Examples of adduction include: Cable crossover pulldown Supine dumbbell flys Hip adduction machineAbduction is a movement laterally away from the middle of your body. From a standing position, when you move your leg to the side away from the middle of your body you are abducting your leg.Examples of abduction include: Straight arm dumbbell side raise Star jump Hip abduction machineRotation

flickr Photo Credit: WodgieThe final movement is rotation. Rotation takes place in the horizontal plane. When you turn your head from side to side you are rotating your head in the horizontal plane around your spine which is acting as the vertical axis. With the head and torso there is only one type of rotation. When you are dealing with your extremities there are two kinds of rotation internal and external.Internal rotation takes place when the front part of your arm or leg rotates towards the middle (midline) of your body. When you turn your knees towards each other in a standing position you are internally rotating your legs. External rotation is the opposite direction. If you turn your knees away from each other in a standing position you are externally rotating your legs.Examples of rotation include: Golf swing Throwing a baseball Downhill skiing (turning left and right)CircumductionThere is one more type of movement you should be familiar with. This one is a combination of movements through two or three planes and is called circumduction. An example of circumduction is moving your arms around your body in a windmill motion.Common Movement in Relation to Planes and AxesFlexion, extension and hyperextension occur primarily in the sagittal plane-frontal axis of the body (i.e. neck, shoulder, spine, hip, knee and ankles).Lateral flexion and lateral extension occur primarily in the frontal plane-sagittal axis of the body (i.e. neck and spine).Adduction and abduction also occur primarily in the frontal plane-sagittal axis of the body (i.e. shoulder and hip).Internal and external rotation, horizontal flexion and extension, supination and pronation all occur primarily in the transverse plane-vertical axis.The three planes of motion are:Sagittal PlaneThe Sagittal plane passes through the body front to back, so dividing it into left and right. Movements in this plane are the up and down movements of flexion and extensionFrontal PlaneThe frontal plane divides the body into front and back. Movements in this plane are sideways movements, called abduction and adductionTransverse PlaneThis plane divides the body into top and bottom. Movements in this plane are rotational in nature, such as internal and external rotation, pronation and supinationAnatomical NeutralThis is the starting position for describing any movement. It is important that you know this to be able to understand what is meant by certain movement patterns. It is sometimes also called the anatomical starting position or fundamental starting position.Anatomical neutral is: Standing upright Legs together and knee straight Toes pointing straight forwards Arms by the side Palms facing forwards An effective strength-building program will exercise all of the major muscle groups in your body. Below are diagrams of these muscle groups and suggested exercises that target each one.Chest

The chest muscles (pectoralis major) are located across the top part of our rib cage and are used in pushing motions . Push-ups are a great way to build chest muscles and can be done just about anywhere with no equipment. Weight-lifters perform bench press exercises to build these muscles, as well.

Back

The muscles of the back (lattisimus dorsi or lats) are used in movements where we perform pulling motions such as opening a door. Pull-ups are a very good back exercise and can be done with a simple pull-up bar. Most gyms have lat pull-down machines and other equipment that also target the back muscles.

Abdominals

The abdominal muscles ("abs") are located below the chest in the lower part of the mid-section. They are comprised of the transverse abdominal, rectus femoris, external oblique, internal oblique and psoas major muscles. These muscles are critical core muscles of our body. They allow us to twist our 'trunks' and they also support good posture and balance the movement of our back muscles. Doing regular sets of crunches can increase agility and even help reduce back pain.

Upper Leg Muscles

The hamstrings are located on the back of the upper leg and include three separate muscle groups (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus). Hamstrings pull the lower leg up when you bend your knees and are one of the primary muscles used in running.The quadriceps are located on the front of the upper leg and include four separate muscles (rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, and the vastus lateralis). Leg lifts (both bent and straight methods) are good quadriceps exercises. Strong quads can also take some strain off the knee and reduce or minimize some types of knee pain.

Lower Leg Muscles

The calf muscles are two separate muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus). They are used when we stand on our tippy toes or the push-off motion often utilized in sprinting. Calf raises, both with & without weights, are a great way to strengthen your calf muscles.

Arms

The shoulder muscles (deltoids or delts) move the upper arm and can be strengthened with pull-ups and seated bench press exercises.The bicep muscles are located on the front part of the upper arm and are probably one of the societys more overemphasized muscle groups (i.e. vanity exceeds practical use). Curling and chin-ups are effective exercises to build the bicep muscles.The tricep muscles (triceps brachii) are located on the back of the upper arm. Body dips are a good tricep exercise and can be done between two chairs or on gym body-dip bars. The motion of pushing the bodys weight up targets the tricep muscle group.Strengthening and toning the bodys major muscles will not only make us fitter, but it will allow us to perform lifes daily activities easier. With some basic exercises you can build and maintain a healthy and attractive physique without being a body-builder or gym-fanatic!Types of muscle contractionsWhen we think of a muscle contracting normally, we tend to think of the muscle shortening as it generates force. While it's true that this is a way of muscle contracting, there are many different ways that a muscle can generate force, as seen in Figure 1 below.Figure 1:A demonstration of the difference in force responses for between lengthening and non-lengthening active contractions (isometric vs. eccentric), and between active lengthening (eccentric) vs. non-active lengthening (passive stretch).

Concentric ContractionsMuscle Actively ShorteningWhen a muscle is activated and required to lift a load which is less than the maximum tetanic tension it can generate, the muscle begins to shorten. Contractions that permit the muscle to shorten are referred to as concentric contractions. An example of a concentric contraction in the raising of a weight during a bicep curl.In concentric contractions, the force generated by the muscle is always less than the muscle's maximum (Po). As the load the muscle is required to lift decreases, contraction velocity increases. This occurs until the muscle finally reaches its maximum contraction velocity, Vmax. By performing a series of constant velocity shortening contractions, aforce-velocityrelationship can be determined.Eccentric ContractionsMuscle Actively LengtheningDuring normal activity, muscles are often active while they are lengthening. Classic examples of this are walking, when the quadriceps (knee extensors) are active just after heel strike while the knee flexes, or setting an object down gently (the arm flexors must be active to control the fall of the object).As the load on the muscle increases, it finally reaches a point where the external force on the muscle is greater than the force that the muscle can generate. Thus even though the muscle may be fully activated, it is forced to lengthen due to the high external load. This is referred to as an eccentric contraction (please remember that contraction in this context does not necessarily imply shortening). There are two main features to note regarding eccentric contractions. First, the absolute tensions achieved are very high relative to the muscle's maximum tetanic tension generating capacity (you can set down a much heavier object than you can lift). Second, the absolute tension is relatively independent of lengthening velocity. This suggests that skeletal muscles are very resistant to lengthening. The basic mechanics of eccentric contractions are still a source of debate since thecross-bridgetheory that so nicely describes concentric contractions is not as successful in describing eccentric contractions.Eccentric contractions are currently a very popular area of study for three main reasons: First, much of a muscle's normal activity occurs while it is actively lengthening, so that eccentric contractions are physiologically common (Goslow et al. 1973; Hoffer et al. 1989) Second,muscle injuryand soreness are selectively associated with eccentric contraction (Figure 2,Fridn et al. 1984; Evans et al. 1985; Fridn and Lieber, 1992). Finally, muscle strengthening may be greatest using exercises that involve eccentric contractions. Therefore, there are some very fundamental structure-function questions that can be addressed using the eccentric contraction model and eccentric contractions have very important applications therapeutically to strengthen muscle.Figure 2:Plot demonstrating maximal tetanic force prior to and immediately following an exercise bout. While passive stretch causes negligible force decrement, isometric causes a moderate loss and eccentric causes a significant loss of force.

The Virtual Hospital has a more clinical look at this and other forms ofmuscle injury.Isometric ContractionMuscle Actively Held at a Fixed LengthA third type of muscle contraction, isometric contraction, is one in which the muscle is activated, but instead of being allowed to lengthen or shorten, it is held at a constant length. An example of an isometric contraction would be carrying an object in front of you. The weight of the object would be pulling downward, but your hands and arms would be opposing the motion with equal force going upwards. Since your arms are neither raising or lowering, your biceps will be isometrically contracting.The force generated during an isometric contraction is wholly dependant on the length of the muscle while contracting. Maximal isometric tension (Po) is produced at the muscle's optimum length, where the length of the muscle's sarcomeres are on the plateau of thelength-tensioncurve.Figure 3:A series of isometric contractions performed at varying muscle lengths (from -40% (slack) to +40% (stretched). The maximum force is produced at optimum length (Lo). Note that as the muscle is stretched, the baseline of the force record is raised due to passive tension (PT) in the muscle and contributes more to overall force than the active tension (AT).

Passive StretchMuscle Passively LengtheningThere is a fourth type of muscle "contraction" known as passive stretch. As the name implies, the muscle is being lengthened while in a passive state (i.e. not being stimulated to contract). An example of this would be the pull one feels in their hamstrings while touching their toes.The structure(s) responsible for passive tension are outside of the cross-bridge itself since muscle activation is not required. Several recent studies have shed light on what has turned out to be a fascinating and huge protein with skeletal muscleaptly named, titin. A seminal study performed byMagid and Law, demonstrated convincingly that the origin of passive muscle tension is actually within the myofibrils themselves. This is extremely significant because, prior to this study, most had assumed that extracellular connective tissue in striated muscle caused the majority of its passive properties. However, Magid and Law measured passive tension in whole muscle, single fibers and single fibers with membranes removed and showed that each relationship scaled to the size of the specimen. In other words, the source for passive force bearing in muscle was within the normal myofibrillar structure, not extracellular as had previously been supposed.