The human body consists of three muscle types: cardiac, smooth and skeletal. Each muscle type has a specific function, and the skeletal muscles function to contract and relax to move the limbs and body parts. With over 650 skeletal muscles in the human body, the anatomy of the upper body --- consisting of the torso, back and arms --- contains various muscles that work in unison to perform a wide range of everyday activities.
Types
Anatomy of the upper body muscles are broken down into several categories, including the torso, arms and back. Each category contains various muscles that work together to perform various functions and movements. The torso contains the chest muscles including the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor and serratus anterior. The back contains muscles such as the lattisimus dorsi, rhomboids and rotator cuff. The arms contain muscles such as the deltoid, triceps brachii and biceps brachii.
Function
Every muscle in the upper body has a specific origin and insertion point. In anatomy, the origin refers to the point where the muscle attaches to a bone or another muscle and the insertion refers to the opposite end. The origin and insertion points are critical for the overall function and capabilities of a particular muscle. Within the upper body, the origin and insertion points work together to perform daily activities and athletic movements such as extension, flexion and rotation.
Features
The features of each muscle in the upper body come together to form the overall anatomy. For example, the pectoralis major --- commonly referred to as the chest muscle --- is composed of the clavicular head and sternal head, both of which span the entire portion of the chest. Another major muscle in the upper body is the latissimus dorsi, commonly referred to as the "lat." The latissimus dorsi starts from the humerus bone of the upper arm and ribs and extends down to the vertebral column and attaches to the pelvis. Muscles of the upper arm consist of the biceps brachii and triceps brachii, of which contain two and three heads, respectively, with separate origins.
Considerations
Where one muscle performs a specific motion, there is always another muscle that opposes those motions. For example, the biceps brachii is responsible for flexion of the elbow, while the triceps brachii is responsible for extension of the elbow. As one muscle is contracting, the other muscle is relaxing, which is commonly known as reciprocal inhibition.
Potential
Using a basic knowledge of upper body anatomy can potentially increase strength and flexibility in the muscles of the upper body. According to HumanKinetics.com, in order to achieve maximum muscle size and strength, the muscles in the upper body must be balanced . For example, for every exercise or movement performed on the biceps brachii, there needs to be an equal amount of work performed on the triceps brachii.
References
- Motley Health: Muscle Diagrams of Major Muscles Exercised in Weight Training
- Human Kinetics: Upper Body Anatomy
- Weight Loss Resources: Upper Body Muscles
- West Valley College: Upper Body Muscles
- MyFit.ca: Upper Body Workout Exercises Anatomy
- Library of Congress: What Is the Strongest Muscle In the Human Body?
Member Comments