moving arm



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EXERCISE SCIENCE

EXERCISE SCIENCE

Muscles That Move the Arm

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by American Council on Exercise

on February 23, 2017

As a fitness professional and an exam candidate, there is no way of getting around the fact that you need to know your anatomy! Understanding how the body moves and creates movement with the muscles is a huge part of the job. In an earlier blog, we looked at how to study anatomy. We then started breaking down each body part, with the last blog looking at the muscles that move the scapulae.

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 attachment of the humerus bone to the scapula. Many actions occur at this ball-and-socket joint.



Action of the ShoulderWhat the Action Looks Like (Try It Yourself!)Primary MusclesShoulder abductionLift your arms out to the sideDeltoid: all fibers and supraspinatusShoulder adductionLower your arms to your sidePectoralis major and latissimus dorsiShoulder flexionLift your arms in front of youPectoralis major, and anterior fibers of the deltoidShoulder extensionReturn (lower) your arms from shoulder flexion or lift your arms behind youLatissimus dorsi, teres major (“little lat”)Internal shoulder rotationFrom the anatomical position, rotate your arm so that the elbow faces forward.

This action at the shoulder can occur when your arm is in different positions (flexion, a*******n, etc.).Subscapularis

Latissimus dorsi and pectoralis majorExternal shoulder rotationFrom a position of internal shoulder rotation, rotate your arm so that the elbow faces backward. Also, anatomical position requires the shoulders to be