Weight lifting muscles - I

In our everyday life we all lift weights - ultralight, light, medium, and sometimes heavy. We experience that even the dead weight of our hand is considerable. When we hold an overhead handle bar in a train or a bus we like to change the hand and give rest to the tired and fatigued hand.

Lifting weights involves many groups of muscles. One of the important groups of muscles is the shoulder muscles. This group consists of - Trapezius, Rhomboideus minor and major, Levator scapulae, Serratus anterior, Pectoralis major and minor, Teres major and minor, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, and Subscapularis.

Trapezius originates from the lower part of skull and neck vertebrae and is inserted on to collar bone and spine of the shoulder blade. It looks like a quadrilateral and raises the shoulder blade or depresses it and raises the collar bone.

Rhomboideus are the diamond shaped muscles between the two shoulder blades. The Rhomboideus minor and major are responsible for bringing the shoulder blades nearer to each other and turning as well raising them a little.

Levator scapulae, the muscles which as the name suggests, raise scapulae i.e. the shoulder blades. These muscles have an origin at the upper 4-5 neck vertebrae and are inserted into scapula.

Serratus anterior are the muscles which have origin in the first 8 or 9 ribs and are inserted into the scapula. These muscles rotate the scapula and elevate the rib cage.

Pectoralis major is a fan shaped muscle with broad origin in collar bone, sternum and cartilages of second to sixth ribs. It shows a cleft separating clavicular and sternal fibers. It is inserted in the humerus at the greater tubercle. The pectoralis major brings the arm nearer body and also rotates it.

Pectoralis minor draws down the scapula and can raise the ribs. It arises from the third to fifth ribs and reaches the arm bone, humerus.

Terete is an adjective used especially in botany for plant parts which are cylindrical and tapering. Teres minor is a narrow and long muscle and hence probably got its name. This muscle originates from the scapula and is inserted onto the humerus. It swings the arm bone.

Teres major also arises from the scapula and ends up on the humerus. It draws the humerus backwads and rotates it.

Supraspinatus is a muscle originating from the upper part of scapula. The shoulder blade on its backside has a spine and there is a basin like depression above and below it. The depression above spine is supraspinuous fossa and the one below it is the infraspinuous fossa. Let us continue with these muscles in the next article.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic