Functional anatomy of the arm muscles. Joint actions, location, pictures, and exercises for the biceps brachialis (biceps), brachialis, and triceps brachialis (triceps).
Functional anatomy of the arm muscles. Joint actions, location, pictures, and exercises for the biceps brachialis (biceps), brachialis, and triceps brachialis (triceps).
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This course describes the location, actions, and functions of the arm muscles, including the biceps brachii, brachialis, triceps brachii, brachioradialis, and coracobrachialis. These muscles contribute to motion of the shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint), elbow joint (humeroulnar joint), and the radioulnar joint.
Examples include:
Knowing these facts may help build strong arms by avoiding wasted time performing less effective arm exercises. For example, changing hand position does not affect which head of the triceps brachii is emphasized because the triceps brachii cannot contribute to supination or pronation and does not cross the wrist.
Sports medicine professionals (personal trainers, fitness instructors, physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, etc.) must be aware of these muscles for detailed analysis of human movement, and the development of sophisticated exercise programs and therapeutic (rehabilitation) interventions. Further, this course is essential knowledge for future courses discussing detailed anatomy like neural innervations (e.g. the musculocutaneous nerve, radial nerve, etc.), synergistic function with other muscles of the shoulder, elbow, and scapula (e.g. long head of the triceps as a shoulder extensor), role in injury (e.g. elbow ligament injuries, elbow ligament pain, hypertonic muscle fibers, shoulder impingement syndrome, biceps tendon tear or rupture – you don’t always need surgery), and sports performance (e.g. best arm exercises for bodybuilders and strength athletes with the goal of increasing muscle strength or muscle growth).
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