Abdominals
Strengthening the abdominal muscles is one of the best ways to protect against back pain and — need to hear it again? — give you good posture. If they're weaker than the hip muscles, your spine alignment may be thrown out of whack. The main muscles to target are the rectus abdominis and external and internal obliques (the transversus abdominis, which lies underneath the other muscles, is involved primarily in breathing and can't be exercised separately).
RECTUS ABDOMINIS
Location: This broad, flat muscle extends the entire length of the abdomen, from the lower three ribs to the top of the pubic bone (below the navel).
Job: Helps stabilize your entire body by maintaining your balance and posture; enables you to bend at the waist.
Used when you: Walk, run, shovel, do yoga, breathe.
EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL OBLIQUES
Location: The external obliques run diagonally downward and inward from the lower ribs to the pelvis. The internals, which lie under the externals, run upward and inward from the hip bones to the lower ribs.
Job: Helps you rotate, twist and bend at the waist.
Used when you: Do the Twist, hit a backhand, pivot in basketball, swing a golf club.
Biceps
One of the best-known muscles, the biceps runs along the front and inner side of your upper arm, from the front side of the scapula to just below the elbow.
Job: Bends your elbow.
Used when you: Pick up and carry groceries, paddle a canoe, arm wrestle, rake.
Calves
The calves consist of two muscles on each leg, the gastrocnemius and the soleus. They stretch from the back of your knee to the Achilles tendon.
Job: Flexes your leg at the knee, points your toes and enables you to push off the ground when you jump forward.
Used when you: Dance, tiptoe, walk, run, skip, jump, pedal.
Chest
The pectorals (pecs), your main chest muscles, consist of two pairs of muscles that work together: the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major, which covers most of the upper chest, stretches from the top of the arm to the collarbone, breastbone and upper six ribs on each side. The pectoralis minor is a smaller muscle underneath, running from the middle of your chest to the shoulder blade.
Job: The pectoralis major pulls your upper arm toward your chest — for example, when you pull your arm across your body or push something forward. The pectoralis minor pulls your shoulder blade forward.
Used when you: Go through a revolving door, hit a forehand, hug a tree, do a push-up, bench-press 100 pounds.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are made of three muscles on the back of each thigh. They extend from the lower part of the pelvic bones to just below the knee.
Job: Bend your knee and assist the glutes to straighten your leg at the hip. Strong hamstrings help guard your knees against injury.
Used when you: Run, bicycle, stand up, jump, climb stairs, kick up your heels.
Hips
The main muscles controlling your hip movements are the gluteus muscles (glutes). You have three pairs of gluteus muscles — the maximus, medius and minimus. Strengthening your hip and butt muscles can help prevent hip and lower back injuries. Be careful not to overdevelop them, however, because if they're much stronger than your abs and back, you could throw your spine out of alignment and wind up with an aching back.
GLUTEUS MAXIMUS
Location: The largest and outermost layer of this muscle group, the gluteus maximus extends horizontally across each side, connecting the pelvis to the thighbone.
Job: Extends your thigh and makes your leg rotate at the hip.
Used when you: Stand up, walk, run, climb stairs, jump.
GLUTEUS MEDIUS
Location: Mostly hidden under the maximus, the medius runs along the outer part of the hip. Like the maximus, it connects the pelvis to the thighbone.
Job: Moves your thigh to the side.
Used when you: Sashay across the dance floor, pedal, run, take an aerobics class.
GLUTEUS MINIMUS
Location: The minimus is buried under the other gluteus muscles. It runs along the outside of the hip, connecting the top of the pelvic bones to the top of the thighbone.
Job: Assists the gluteus medius in moving the thigh sideways.
Used when you: Do anything that involves the medius.
Inner Thighs
The muscles of the inner thigh are the oft-neglected adductors: the adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, pectineus and gracilis. They connect the pelvic bones and the thighbone.
Job: Pull your legs toward each other.
Used when you: Swim the breaststroke, kick a soccer ball, go in-line skating, cross your legs, do jumping jacks.
Lower Back
The erector spinae muscles are the primary movers and shakers in the lower back. They actually run the entire length of the spine, but the lower third is the most developed.
Job: Straighten your spine. Strengthening the erector spinae muscles will help ward off lower back pain (and give you good posture to boot) by keeping your spine properly aligned.
Used when you: Stand up, sit up straight, walk, bend over backwards.
Quadriceps
Your quadriceps are a large group of four muscles that cover the entire front and side of each thigh. One connects the pelvis to the knee; the others stretch from the thighbone to the knee and the top of your lower leg.
Job: Straighten your knee. If you're weak in the quads, chances are that you'll be weak in the knees.
Used when you: Run, walk, stand, ski, hop, snowboard, jump, kick a tire. To find out how to exercise this muscle group, follow the link in the upper right corner.
Shoulders
The most important muscles in your shoulder are the deltoid muscle, a triangular, three-part muscle that wraps around the top of the shoulder, and the rotator cuff, a set of four small muscles connecting your shoulder and upper arm.
DELTOIDS (a.k.a. delts)
Location: The anterior deltoid extends from the front of the collarbone to the top of the arm, covering the front of the shoulder. The posterior deltoid stretches from the shoulder blade to the upper arm, covering the back of the shoulder. The medial deltoid lies between the other two, running from the tip of the shoulder blade to the upper arm.
Job: The anterior deltoid moves your arm up and forward and helps rotate it inward; the posterior deltoid moves it backward and rotates it outward; the medial deltoid moves your arm out to the side.
Used when you: Swing a golf club, swim, serve a tennis ball, hail a cab, shoot a basketball.
ROTATOR CUFF
Location: The rotator cuff muscles attach the top of the upper arm bone to the shoulder blade.
Job: Supports your shoulder and keeps your arm in its socket; rotates the arm. Weekend warriors beware — unless you're accustomed to it, using your rotator cuff for a repetitive motion (say, pitching a softball) could lead to an injury.
Used when you: Throw or catch a football, paint the ceiling, carry a briefcase, drive a car.
Triceps
The triceps runs along the back of the upper arm from just below the elbow to the shoulder, where it's attached to the top of the upper arm and to the outside tip of the shoulder blade.
Job: Straightens your elbow and assists pecs with the pushing motion.
Used when you: Hammer a nail, pound the podium, push a door closed, cast a fly-fishing line, push a lawn mower.
Upper Back
Your upper back is covered by the two trapezius muscles and the rhomboids, a smaller group of muscles that lie under the trapezius. Across your middle and lower back are the latissimus dorsi, a pair of muscles that connect your arms to your spine. Strengthening these muscles will improve your posture and stave off back pain.
TRAPEZIUS (a.k.a. traps)
Location: This triangular muscle, one of a pair, stretches across the back from the spine to the shoulder blade and collarbone. It reaches from the base of the skull to the middle of the back. The pair of trapezius muscles resembles a kite.
Job: Supports your neck; assists the shoulder muscles in lifting the arms and shoulders.
Used when you: Shrug your shoulders, carry a backpack, cradle the phone.
RHOMBOIDS
Location: The rhomboid muscles are attached to the vertebrae just below the neck and run diagonally down to the inner edge of the shoulder blade.
Job: Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Used when you: Stand up straight with your shoulders back, just like your mother always told you to.
LATISSIMUS DORSI (a.k.a. lats)
Location: The latissimus dorsi starts from the top of the arm near the armpit and fans across the lower two thirds of the back, where it's anchored to the spine.
Job: Pulls your arm down or back. It contributes significantly to good posture; weak lats can lead to rounded shoulders.
Used when you: Row, swim, do pull-ups, pick up a child, chop wood.
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