GASTROCNEMIUS  Also Know As: “The Tip Toe Muscle”. 

Location: Back of Lower Leg (Tibia), commonly called your calf. 

Action: Allows you to plantarflex your foot (point toes down). Allows you to flex (bend) your ankle to raise your heels off the ground and walk on your toes, like a ballerina.

Fun Facts/Examples: largest muscle below your knee, has medial head and a lateral head, and is very important to be able to walk fast, toe walk and jump. Joins with the Soleus and Plantaris muscles to form your Achilles Tendon.

ADDUCTORS  Also Known As: “The Passing Muscle” 

Location: Upper and Inner Thigh (femur) commonly called the Groin area. 

Action: Allows you to Adduct or close your legs together. Used to perform an inside of the foot soccer pass and can bring your leg across your body. 

Fun Facts/Examples: It is made up of a Group of Muscles. It is commonly called the “Groin Stretch” or “Butterfly Stretch”.  When injured it is commonly called a “Groin Pull”.

SUPRASPINATUS  Also Known As: “The Pitching Muscle”. 

Location: Back of the Shoulder. Starts in back of your shoulder along the upper ridge of your scapula (shoulder blade), wraps around and then under the acromion (tip of the collar bone) to the front of your upper arm (humerus). 

Action: Abducts the arm away from the body 15 degrees to lift a book bag and hold it out to your side.

Fun Facts/Examples: One of the 4 muscles that make up the Rotator Cuff.

Is the most commonly injured shoulder muscle in baseball pitchers, thus it is called the pitching muscle.

HAMSTRINGS  Also Known As: “The Sprinter’s Muscle” 

Location: Back of the Thigh (femur).

Action:  Allows you to flex (bend) the knee when running.

Fun Facts/Examples:  Made up of 3 very long but thin muscles, like guitar strings.  They all must work in unison (together) or they do not work at all. It is frequently injured when running very fast (sprinting).

QUADRICEPS  Also Known As:  “The Kicking muscle”.

Location:  Front of the Thigh (femur).

Action:  Allows you to extend (straighten) your knee.  

Fun Facts/Examples:  The largest muscle in front of the thigh. Has 4 parts that join together to cover your patella (kneecap) and form the Patellar Tendon. Used when performing a front kick in karate, to kick a field goal in football, or to squat down to the floor and then standing back up again!

BICEPS BRACHII  Also Known As: “The Popeye Muscle”. 

Location: Front of your Upper Arm (humerus).

Action:  Allows you to flex (bend) the elbow and to supinate your wrist (turn your palm up).

Fun Facts/Examples: Has 2 parts called heads, a long head and a short head!!!! Muscle will pop up and form a hard ball in the upper arms when curled, like Popeye the sailorman. Used when opening a door knob or to feed yourself a piece of fruit (or spinach if you are Popeye).

UPPER TRAPEZIUS  Also Known As:   The” I Don’t Know Muscle” 

Location:  Upper Back, Scapula (shoulder blade) and Neck. 

Action:  Flexes (bends) your neck side to side and shrugs (raises) your shoulders to your ears. 

Fun Facts/Examples:  One of the 3 parts of the trapezius muscle, which together forms the shape of a trapezoid. It is the most common place to have tension and stress induced neck pain. Used when you shrug your shoulders to say,” I don’t know”. 

PIRIFORMIS  Also Known As: “The Sciatic muscle”.  

Location:  Middle of Buttocks. One of the muscles that lies underneath your Gluteus Maximus. 

Action:  Allows you to externally rotate and extend your hip backwards. 

Fun Facts/Examples: It has the most important nerve in the leg running right under/over or through it, called the sciatic nerve. When injured, the sciatic nerve is the most common cause of leg pain. Used when a defensive player has to pivot and turn to run with an offensive player.

HIP FLEXORS                                                                                  

Also Known As:  “The High Knee muscle”.  

Location:  Front of your Pelvis (hip) and the Top of your Thigh (femur), like putting your hands in the top of your pants pockets. 

Action:  Flexes (bends) your hip forwards to allow you to lift your knee up high.  Also can assist in flexing (bending) the trunk forwards. 

Fun Facts/Examples: Are a group of muscles used in high knee running, running hurdles in track, performing a lay-up in basketball, bringing your knees to your chest, and bending forwards.