Muscle Anatomy and Strengthening Exercises: Head, Neck, Chest, Back, Limbs

Frontalis

Location: On the front of the head, In the forehead. Bones Associated: Frontal Bone on the Cranium. Origin: Epicranal Aponeurosis. Insertion: Skin of the eyebrows, blends in with Orbicularis Oculi.

Resistance Brow Lifts

Uses forehead muscles to lift eyebrows up against the force of your hands/fingers.

Orbicularis Oculi

Location: Around the eyes. Bones Associated: Frontal & maxilla. Origin: Medial orbit. Insertion: Eyelid skin.

Tight Eye Squeezes

Forcefully closing the eyelids causes concentric contraction of the circular muscle fibers, strengthening them as they generate tension to fully compress the eyelids.

Orbicularis Oris

Location: Around the mouth. Bones Associated: Maxilla, mandible. Origin: Maxilla & mandible. Insertion: Lips.

Lip Puckers

Puckering or pressing lips tightly together activates the circular fibers around the mouth. The resistance created by air pressure or hand pressure makes the muscle contract harder, building strength.

Sternocleidomastoid

Location: Side of neck. Bones Associated: Sternum, clavicle, temporal bone. Origin: Sternum & clavicle. Insertion: Mastoid process.

Neck Resistance Rotation

Pushing your head against your hand while rotating recruits the SCM to turn the head against resistance. This eccentric and concentric loading strengthens the muscle.

Platysma

Location: Front of neck. Bones Associated: Mandible, clavicle. Origin: Chest fascia. Insertion: Mandible & lower lip skin.

Platysma Tighten-Lifts

Lowering the jaw and tightening the neck skin forces the platysma to contract strongly, strengthening the thin muscle fibers through repeated tension.

Deltoid (3 headed)

Location: Shoulder cap. Bones Associated: Clavicle, scapula, humerus. Origin: Clavicle & scapula. Insertion: Deltoid tuberosity of humerus.

Lateral raises

Lifting the arm sideways loads the deltoid fibers concentrically to raise the arm and eccentrically to lower it, strengthening the shoulder.

Pectoralis Major

Location: Chest. Bones Associated: Sternum, clavicle, humerus. Origin: Clavicle & sternum. Insertion: Humerus (greater tubercle).

Push-ups

Pushing the body upward requires strong horizontal adduction of the arms, activating pectoral fibers under resistance.

Internal Intracostals

Location: Deep rib spaces. Bones Associated: Ribs. Origin: Rib above. Insertion: Rib below.

Forced exhalation drills

Blowing air out forcefully contracts internal intercostals to compress rib cage, strengthening expiratory muscle action.

External Intracostals

Location: Outer rib spaces. Bones Associated: Ribs. Origin: Rib above. Insertion: Rib below.

Deep inhalation breathing

Expanding the chest during deep breaths forces these muscles to lift ribs, strengthening inspiratory movement.

Rectus Abdominus

Location: Front abdomen. Bones Associated: Pubis, ribs. Origin: Pubic crest. Insertion: Ribs 5-7 & xiphoid process.

Crunches

Curling the trunk forward forces the muscle to shorten, strengthening spinal flexion through repeated contraction.

Internal Obliques

Location: Deep side abdomen. Bones Associated: Ilium, ribs. Origin: Iliac crest. Insertion: Ribs 10-12 & linea alba.

Bicycle crunches

Opposite elbow-to-knee motion activates internal obliques in trunk rotation and flexion under load.

External Obliques

Location: Side abdomen. Bones Associated: Ribs, ilium. Origin: Ribs 5-12. Insertion: Iliac crest & linea alba.

Russian twists

Rotating the torso engages obliques concentrically and stabilizes core eccentrically as the weight moves side to side.

Triceps Brachii

Location: Front upper arm. Bones Associated: Scapula, radius. Origin: Scapula. Insertion: Radius.

Bicep curls

Flexing the elbow against weight loads the biceps concentrically while lowering the weight strengthens through eccentric control.

Biceps Brachii

Location: Back upper arm; Bones Associated: Scapula, humerus, ulna; Origin: Scapula & humerus; Insertion: Olecranon of ulna.

Tricep dips

Exercise: Extending the elbow to push the body upward contracts triceps against bodyweight resistance.

Pronator Teres

Location: Anterior forearm; Bones Associated: Humerus, radius; Origin: Humerus & ulna; Insertion: Radius.

Resistance forearm pronation

Exercise: Turning the palm downward against resistance makes pronator teres work harder to rotate the radius over the ulna.

Flexor Carpi Radialis

Location: Anterior forearm (thumb side); Bones Associated: Humerus, metacarpals; Origin: Medial epicondyle; Insertion: 2nd-3rd metacarpals.

Wrist flexion

Exercise: Curling the wrist upward against weight loads the flexor tendons, strengthening wrist flexion.

Extensor Carpi Ulnaris

Location: Posterior forearm (pinky side); Bones Associated: Humerus, ulna, metacarpal; Origin: Lateral epicondyle; Insertion: 5th metacarpal.

Wrist extension

Exercise: Lifting the wrist upward against resistance strengthens the extensor group by loading extension.

Iliopsoas

Location: Deep hip flexor; Bones Associated: Lumbar vertebrae, ilium, femur; Origin: Iliacus & psoas origins; Insertion: Lesser trochanter.

Leg raises

Exercise: Lifting the leg upward requires hip flexion; the iliopsoas contracts intensely to raise and control the leg.

Sartorius

Location: Runs diagonally across thigh; Bones Associated: Ilium, tibia; Origin: Anterior iliac spine; Insertion: Tibia.

High knee marches

Exercise: Lifting knee engages sartorius in hip flexion and knee movement under repeated contraction.

Adductor Longus

Location: Inner thigh; Bones Associated: Pubis, femur; Origin: Pubis; Insertion: Femur.

Adductor squeezes

Exercise: Squeezing legs together against resistance activates hip adduction, strengthening inner thigh fibers.

Adductor Magnus

Location: Deep inner thigh; Bones Associated: Pubis, ischium, femur; Origin: Pubis & ischium; Insertion: Femur.

Side lunges

Exercise: Returning from lateral lunge requires strong hip adduction, engaging adductor magnus under load.

Gracilis

Location: Inner thigh surface; Bones Associated: Pubis, tibia; Origin: Pubis; Insertion: Tibia.

Band adduction

Exercise: Pulling leg inward against band tension loads gracilis in hip adduction.

Quadriceps

Location: Front thigh; Bones Associated: Femur, tibia; Origin: Femur & ilium; Insertion: Tibial tuberosity.

Squats

Exercise: Straightening the knee under bodyweight strengthens the quads through resisted knee extension.

Hamstrings

Location: Back of the thigh; Bones Associated: Pelvis (ischial tuberosity), femur, tibia, and fibula; Origin: The ischial tuberosity; Insertion: The proximal ends of the tibia.

Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)

Exercise: Bending the knee (knee flexion) and extending the hip (hip extension). They also act eccentrically to control and decelerate the leg as it straightens during movements like running and walking.

Tibialis Anterior

Location: Front shin; Bones Associated: Tibia, foot; Origin: Lateral tibia; Insertion: 1st metatarsal & medial cuneiform.

Toe raises

Exercise: Pulling toes upward loads dorsiflexion, strengthening tibialis anterior as it lifts the foot.

Gastrocnemius

Location: Calf; Bones Associated: Femur, calcaneus; Origin: Femur; Insertion: Calcaneus.

Calf raises

Exercise: Pushing heels upward contracts calf muscles powerfully to plantarflex the ankle under bodyweight.

Peroneus Brevis

Location: Deep lateral leg; Bones Associated: Fibula, foot; Origin: Fibula; Insertion: 5th metatarsal.

Lateral ankle raises

Exercise: Lifting outside of foot upward engages brevis to stabilize and evert the foot under tension.

Peroneus Longus

Location: Lateral lower leg; Bones Associated: Fibula, foot; Origin: Fibula; Insertion: 1st metatarsal.

Ankle eversion

Exercise: Turning foot outward against resistance strengthens lateral stabilizers by loading eversion.

Trapezius

Location: Upper back. Bones Associated: Scapula, clavicle, spine. Origin: Occipital bone & vertebrae. Insertion: Scapula & clavicle. Exercise: Shoulder shrugs. Mechanism: Lifting shoulders upward loads the upper traps; holding at the top increases isometric tension for strength.

Erector Spinae

Location: Along spinal column. Bones Associated: Vertebrae, ribs, pelvis. Origin: Iliac crest & vertebrae. Insertion: Vertebrae & ribs. Exercise: Back extensions. Mechanism: Extending the back upward forces erector spinae to straighten and support spine, strengthening postural control.

Infraspinatus

Location: Back of scapula. Bones Associated: Scapula, humerus. Origin: Infraspinous fossa. Insertion: Greater tubercle of humerus. Exercise: External band rotations. Mechanism: Rotating arm outward against resistance strengthens shoulder stabilizers by loading external rotation.

Teres Major

Location: Underside of scapula. Bones Associated: Scapula, humerus. Origin: Inferior angle of scapula. Insertion: Humerus. Exercise: Lat pulldowns. Mechanism: Pulling weight downward activates teres major as it assists internal rotation and adduction under resistance.

Teres Minor

Location: Posterior shoulder. Bones Associated: Scapula, humerus. Origin: Lateral scapula. Insertion: Greater tubercle. Exercise: Band external rotations. Mechanism: Rotating arm outward engages teres minor in stabilizing humeral head during resisted movement.

Latissimus Dorsi

Location: Mid-lower back. Bones Associated: Spine, pelvis, humerus. Origin: Thoracic/lumbar spine & iliac crest. Insertion: Humerus. Exercise: Pull-ups. Mechanism: Pulling the body upward requires strong shoulder adduction and extension, heavily loading the lats.

Gluteus Medius

Location: Outer upper buttock. Bones Associated: Ilium, femur. Origin: Ilium. Insertion: Greater trochanter. Exercise: Side leg raises. Mechanism: Moving leg sideways against gravity strengthens hip abduction and stabilizing fibers.

Gluteus Maximus

Location: Buttocks. Bones Associated: Ilium, sacrum, femur. Origin: Ilium & sacrum. Insertion: Femur & IT band. Exercise: Squats. Mechanism: Standing up from squat position forces glutes to extend the hip powerfully under load.