THE TRUNK

The major muscles that move, support and stabilize your spine are called the muscles of the
core or trunk.

Action of the Trunk

What the Action Looks

Like (Move Your Body!)

Primary Muscles

Trunk flexion

Bend forward, or curl

up action

Rectus abdominis
(trunk flexors)

Trunk extension

Stand up straight (from

bent over), bend
backwards

Erector spinae (back

extensors)

Trunk rotation (ipsilateral

and contralateral rotation)

Twist to the left and

right

Internal and external

obliques

Lateral trunk flexion

Bend to the side

Obliques and one side

of rectus abdominis
and erector spinae

Compression of the
abdomen

Draw your belly button

into your spine

Transverse abdominis

Spinal stability

Holds your spine stable

during movement

Multifidi

A helpful way to learn the muscles is to get up out of your chair and move and mimic the actions
for the muscles you are learning that week. Look at the picture of the muscle, find it on your
body, and picture how the muscle is contracting and what muscles are involved in the
movement. Make the muscle contract and complete the different actions that muscle is involved
in.

THE ARM
Here, we will look at the muscles that move the arm at the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints.
Shoulder Joint
The glenohumeral joint (commonly referred to as the shoulder joint) consists of the humerus
bone attaching into the scapula. Many actions occur at this ball-and-socket joint.

Action of the Shoulder

What the Action Looks

Like (Move Your Body!)

Primary Muscles

Shoulder abduction

Lift your arms out to the

side

Deltoid all fibers

Shoulder adduction

Lower your arms to your

side

Pectoralis major and

latissimus dorsi

Shoulder flexion

Lift your arms in front of

you

Pectoralis major, and

anterior fibers of the
deltoid

Shoulder extension

Lower your arms from lifted Latissimus dorsi, teres

or lift your arms behind you major (little lat)

Internal shoulder rotation

From the anatomical

position, twist your arms so
that the knuckles of your
hand face forward.
This action at the shoulder
can occur when your arm is
in different positions
(flexion, abduction, etc.)

Subscapularis
Latissimus dorsi and
pectoralis major also play
a role in internal rotation

External shoulder rotation

From the anatomical

Infraspinatus and teres
position, twist your arms so minor
that the knuckles of your
hand face backward.
This action at the shoulder
can occur when your arm is
in different positions
(flexion, abduction, etc.)

Horizontal abduction

For the start postion, lift

your arms in front of you.
The action occurs as you
then move your arms out
to the side

Latissimus dorsi and

posterior fibers of deltoid

Horizontal adduction

For the start position, lift

your arms out to the side.
The actions occurs as
you then move your arms
in front of you

Pectoralis major and

anterior fibers of deltoid

Elbow and Wrist Joints

The elbow joint consists of the humerus bone and the radius and ulna bones. The two main
actions at the elbow are flexion and extension. The wrist joint consists of the distal ends of the
radius and ulna and the carpal bones of the hand. The two main actions of the wrist are flexion
and extension.

Action of the Elbow and What the Action Looks

Wrist
Like (Move Your Body!)

Primary Muscles

Elbow flexion

Bend your elbow

Biceps brachii

Elbow extension

Straighten your elbow

Triceps brachii

Wrist flexion

Bend your hand towards

your forearm

Wrist flexors

Wrist extension

Bend your hands

backwards

Wrist extensors

A helpful way to learn the muscles is to get up out of your chair and move and mimic the actions
for the muscles you are learning that week. Look at the picture of the muscle, find it on your
body, and picture how the muscle is contracting and what muscles are involved in the
movement.
Make the muscle contract and complete the different actions that muscle is involved in.

THE LEG

HIP JOINT
The hip joint is created between the femur (thigh bone) and the acetabulum of the pelvis. The
primary function of the hip is to support the weight of the body in both static and dynamic
postures. Similar to the shoulder joint, it is a ball and socket joint that has many actions.

Action of
the Hip

What the Action

Looks Like (Move
Your Body!)

Primary Muscles

Hip
Flexion

Lift your leg in front of

your body

Hip Flexors quadriceps (focus on

rectus femoris) and Illiopsoas

Hip
Extension

From a position of hip

flexion, returning your
leg to the anatomical
position or lifting your
leg behind you

Hip Extensors hamstrings (focus on

biceps femoris) and gluteus maximus

Hip
Abduction

Lift your leg out to the

side, or from a
squatting position,
knees falls out to the
side

Hip Abductors - gluteus medius and

minimus

Hip
Adduction

From a position of hip

abduction, lower your
leg to the anatomical
position, or from a
squatting position,
knees fall in to the

Hip Adductors (know them as a group

called the hip adductors)

midline
Internal
Rotation
of the Hip

Rotate your leg in

toward your body or
try turning your foot
so that your toes face
inward (pigeon toed)

Because of the anatomical

configuration of the hip, there are no
true primary internal rotators of the
hip. Muscles that play a role in internal
rotation when the hip is first flexed to
90 degrees are the tensor fasciae latae,
anterior fibers of gluteus medius and
minimus

External
Rotation
of the Hip

Rotate your leg out

away from your body
or try turning your
foot so that your toes
face outward (duck
footed)

External hip rotators are known as a

group. Focus on piriformis because of
its role in sciatica.

KNEE AND ANKLE JOINTS

The knee joint consists of the femur bone connecting with the tibia and fibula. The two main
actions of the knee are flexion and extension. The ankle joint consists of the distal ends of the
tibia and fibula and the tarsal bones of the foot. The main actions of the ankle are plantar
flexion, dorsi flexion, inversion and eversion.

Action of the
Knee and
Ankle

What the Action

Primary Muscles
Looks Like (Move Your
Body!)

Knee Flexion

Bend your knee

Knee Extension Straighten your knee

Knee flexors hamstrings, focus

on biceps femoris
Knee extensors quadriceps,
focus on rectus femoris

Ankle
Plantarflexion

Point your toes (plant

your foot) or when
standing, lift your heels
off the floor

Plantarflexors - know them as a

group called the plantarflexors;
focus on gastrocnemius and
soleus

Ankle
Dorsiflexion

Lift your toes up off the

floor toward your shin

Dorsiflexors know them as a

group called the dorsiflexors;
focus on anterior tibialis

Ankle Inversion Pull the foot toward the

Anterior tibialis
midline (ankle rolled out)
Ankle Eversion

Pull the foot away from

the midline (ankle rolled
in)

Personeus longus and peroneus

brevis

A helpful way to learn the muscles is to get up out of your chair and move and mimic the actions
for the muscles you are learning that week. Look at the picture of the muscle, find it on your
body, and picture how the muscle is contracting and what muscles are involved in the
movement. Make the muscle contract and complete the different actions that muscle is involved
in.

THE SCAPULA
The scapula, commonly referred to as the shoulder blade, is the bone that attaches to the back
of your rib cage. It is the bone that creates the shoulder joint with the upper arm, called the
humerus bone.
The scapulae can move in six actions and each action has primary muscles that create that
action.

Action of the Scapula

What the Action Looks

Like (Move Your Body!)

Primary Muscles

Elevation of the scapula

Lifting your shoulders to

your ears

Upper trapezius
levator scapulae

Depression of the scapula

Pressing your shoulders

down

Lower trapezius

Retraction (adduction) of
the scapula

Pinching your shoulder

blades together

Rhomboids
middle trapezius

Protraction (abduction) of
the scapula

Forward rounding
shoulders

Serratus anterior

Upward rotation of the

scapula

Lifting arms above head,

scapulae rotate up

Upper and middle trapezius

Downward rotation of the

scapula

Occurs only when you

lower your arms

Rhomboids

A helpful way to learn the muscles is to get up out of your chair and move and mimic the actions
for the muscles you are learning that week. Look at the picture of the muscle, find it on your
body, and picture how the muscle is contracting and what muscles are involved in the
movement. Make the muscle contract and complete the different actions that muscle is involved
in.