1. Muscular System Learning Goals: Know major muscles and their functions
understand movement terminology

2. Major Muscles of the Body
Good interactive site:
Refer to handout/anatomical diagram and chart for muscles you should know.

3. Movement Terms Flexion – bending the joint to reduce the angle
Extension – straightening the joint (increasing the joint angle)
Abduction – movement away from the midline
Adduction – movement toward the midline
Supination – lateral rotation of forearm
Pronation – medial rotation of forearm
Plantarflexion – increasing angle b/n foot & leg
Dorsiflexion – decreasing angle b/n foot & leg
Elevation – raising up to a more superior position
Depression – pulling down/lowering to an inferior pos.

4. What Muscle Does It Work?
Complete chart…consider weight training and/or body weight exercises.

5. Use of Muscles
Agonist: the muscle that is primarily responsible for the movement (e.g. pec. Major in a push up)
Antagonist: the muscle opposing the prime mover (e.g. lat. Dorsi acts as an antagonist to pecs in push ups)
Synergist: assists the prime mover; helps stabilize the joint

6. Muscle Actions Three main types:
Concentric contraction: shortening of muscle fibre
Eccentric contraction: lengthening of muscle fibre
Isometric contraction: contraction of muscle fibres occurs but there is no joint movement (e.g. wall sit or flexed arm hang)

7. Terminology Hypertrophy – increase in muscle size
Atrophy – decrease in muscle size
Isolation – singling out a particular muscle group
Motor unit – part of muscle stimulated by brain
Superset – doing 2 or 3 exercises together (no rest)
Circuit training – a rotation of multiple exercises with little or no rest between
Partial rep – not completing the full range of motion