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.
Legs
The 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.
Core
Abdominal 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 Back
The 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.
Other
A 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 Joint

Ball 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 Joint
The 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 Joint
The 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 Joints
Gliding 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 movements
Non-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 Body

All 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 Movement

Planes of Movement
Sagittal 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 Movement
Sagittal 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 Movement
There 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

Circumduction

Flexion and Extension

flickr Photo Credit: Crossfit Kandahar

The 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 curl

Extension 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 press

If 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: benaston

The next most common movements are adduction and abduction.
movements are in the frontal plane and around a sagittal horizontal axis.

These two

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 machine

Abduction 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 machine

Rotation

flickr Photo Credit: Wodgie

The 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)

Circumduction
There 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 Axes
Flexion, 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 Plane
The 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 extension
Frontal Plane
The frontal plane divides the body into front and back. Movements in this plane are
sideways movements, called abduction and adduction
Transverse Plane

This plane divides the body into top and bottom. Movements in this plane are rotational
in nature, such as internal and external rotation, pronation and supination
Anatomical Neutral
This 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 midsection. 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 gymfanatic!
Types of muscle contractions
When 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 nonlengthening
active
contractions
(isometric vs.
eccentric),
and between
active
lengthening
(eccentric) vs.
non-active
lengthening
(passive
stretch).
Concentric ContractionsMuscle Actively Shortening
When 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, a force-velocity relationship can be determined.
Eccentric ContractionsMuscle Actively Lengthening
During 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
the cross-bridge theory 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 injury and 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 of muscle
injury.
Isometric ContractionMuscle Actively Held at a Fixed Length

A 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 (P o) is produced
at the muscle's optimum length, where the length of the muscle's sarcomeres are
on the plateau of the length-tension curve.
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 Lengthening
There 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 by Magid 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.