Muscle Anatomy: Major Neck, Chest, Back, Arm, Leg, and Shoulder Muscles

Sternocleidomastoid

Runs diagonally down the sides of your neck from behind your ear to your collarbone and breastbone.

Rectus abdominis

The 'six-pack' muscles running vertically down the front of your abdomen from ribs to pelvis.

External oblique

Located on the sides of your waist, running diagonally downward from your lower ribs.

Trapezius

Large triangular muscle covering your upper back, neck, and shoulders.

Deltoid

Cap-shaped muscle covering the rounded part of your shoulder.

Pectoralis major

Large chest muscle spanning from your breastbone and collarbone to your upper arm.

Pectoralis minor

Smaller chest muscle underneath the pectoralis major, attached to your ribs.

Supraspinatus

Sits above the spine of your shoulder blade, deep in the shoulder.

Infraspinatus

Located below the spine of your shoulder blade on your upper back.

Biceps brachii

Front of your upper arm, the muscle you flex to 'make a muscle.'

Palmaris longus

Thin muscle running down the center of your inner forearm (some people lack this muscle).

Triceps brachii

Back of your upper arm, opposite the biceps.

Latissimus dorsi

Broad muscle covering most of your mid and lower back, extending to your sides.

Rectus femoris

Central muscle of your front thigh, part of the quadriceps group.

Vastus lateralis

Outer side of your front thigh, largest part of the quadriceps.

Vastus medialis

Inner side of your front thigh, just above your knee.

Sartorius

Longest muscle in your body, running diagonally across your front thigh from hip to inner knee.

Tibialis anterior

Front of your shin, alongside your shinbone.

Gluteus maximus

Your buttock muscle, the largest muscle in your body.

Iliotibial tract/band

Thick band of connective tissue running down the outer side of your thigh from hip to knee.

Biceps femoris

Outer hamstring muscle on the back of your thigh.

Gastrocnemius

Large calf muscle forming the bulge at the back of your lower leg.

Soleus

Flat muscle beneath the gastrocnemius in your calf.

Achilles tendon

Thick tendon connecting your calf muscles to your heel bone at the back of your ankle.