The human body contains well over 600 muscles. Keeping them in good shape and working order is important for proper functioning, especially as you age. The upper body houses several major muscles that include the pectorals, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, biceps and triceps. The biceps and triceps take up space on the upper arms and they have opposing features.
Position on the Arm
The easiest way to differentiate between the biceps and triceps is to look at their position on the arm. The biceps sit on the front of the large humerus bone in the upper arm, and the triceps sit on the back. Being that the muscles are opposite to one another on the body, they are referred to as opposing muscles. In anatomical terms, this is also known as antagonistic muscles. They also have a different appearance. The biceps look round when they are contracted, and well-defined triceps give off a horseshoe appearance.
Anatomy of Each
The root word "bi" means two, which signifies that the biceps have two main parts--the biceps brachii and brachialis. The biceps brachii has a long and short head and it gives the biceps the rounded look. The brachialis is on the sides of the brachii. The root word "tri" stands for three, which indicates there are three parts to the triceps--the long, lateral and medial head. The long head is located in the center of the back arm, the lateral head is on the outside and the medial head is on the inner arm.
Function of the Muscle
The biceps and triceps have two completely different functions. The biceps are known as elbow flexors. Flexion occurs when you decrease the angle between two bones. When you flex your elbows, your forearm moves closer to your humerus, causing your biceps to get activated. The triceps are known as elbow extensors. Extension takes place when the angle between two bones increases. During elbow extension, you move your forearm away from your humerus, causing your triceps to activate.
Difference in Exercises
Gaining strength in the biceps and triceps is dependent on the exercises you perform. To build the biceps, you need to do exercises by pulling a weight toward your body while your elbow is bending. A seated dumbbell curl is a common exercise used for stronger biceps. To build the triceps, the opposite motion has to occur. You need to use resistance to push away from your body while bending at the elbow. A lying barbell triceps extension is an exercise used to build the triceps.
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