Muscle groups
A plain-English guide to the major muscle groups — what they do, the sports that rely on them and exercises that involve them.
Browse muscle groups
Each entry links to the sports, physical qualities and muscles it relates to.
Abdominals
The muscles along the front of the trunk that flex and brace the torso, forming the front of the body’s core.
Biceps
The muscles on the front of the upper arm that bend the elbow and turn the forearm.
Calves
The muscles at the back of the lower leg that point the foot down and spring you off the ground with each step.
Chest
The broad muscles across the front of the ribcage that push the arms forward and across the body.
Forearms
The muscles of the lower arm that move the wrist and fingers and drive grip strength.
Glutes
The muscles of the buttocks that extend the hip and steady the pelvis, powering nearly every push off the ground.
Hamstrings
The group of muscles along the back of the thigh that bend the knee and extend the hip to drive sprinting and jumping.
Hip flexors
The muscles at the front of the hip that lift the thigh toward the body, driving the knee up in running and kicking.
Lats
The large, fan-shaped back muscles that pull the arms down and toward the body in every rowing and pulling action.
Lower back
The muscles running along the base of the spine that keep the trunk upright and support bending and lifting.
Obliques
The muscles on the sides of the trunk that rotate and side-bend the torso and help brace the core.
Quadriceps
The large group of four muscles on the front of the thigh that straighten the knee and power running, jumping and squatting.
Shoulders
The rounded muscles capping the shoulder joint that lift and rotate the arms in every direction.
Trapezius
The large, diamond-shaped muscle of the upper back and neck that moves and steadies the shoulder blades.
Triceps
The muscles on the back of the upper arm that straighten the elbow in every pushing movement.
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