Why Should I Work My Muscles?

Muscular and flexibility activities are critical to maintaining a healthy body. Muscular training prepares you for heavy lifting, difficult tasks, and exercise routines. Flexibility training prepares you for overextension, far reaching, and certain activities. Working your muscles is something you should practice regularly, and it has many benefits.

1. You will have a wider range of motion
2. You will be able to recover faster and you will have a better blood flow
3. Heavy lifting will be easier, and you will be able to do it for longer
4. There is a lower risk for injury (such as muscle tears)
5. Over time, your muscle mass will increase your metabolism, helping you burn more calories!

When you think about, all it requires is a little bit of training a day to make a huge difference in your life! 

Major Muscle Groups

It is very important to know where your muscle are; whether it's for workout references or injury knowledge.  You've probably already heard about some of these muscles on medical shows or in your gym class, but if you haven't, or you've forgotten, this will be a good source of information. 

Quadriceps - front of upper leg

Pectoralis - chest

Hamstrings - back of upper leg

Latisimus Dorsi - lower back

Gastrocnemious - back of lower leg (calf)

Triceps - back of upper arm

Trapezius - upper back

Biceps - front of upper arm

Deltoids - shoulders

Abdominals - lower trunk (stomach)

Tendons and Ligaments and Muscles, oh my!

All of your joints have these three very important parts of tissue; tendons, ligaments, and muscles. 

They all contribute to you being able to move efficiently, without pain, and without injury. Even though they all look similar, they have different and equally important functions. 

Ligaments: tissues that link one bone to another, and even hold organs in place. 

Muscles: tissues that attach bone to bone and are responsible for contraction and extension of bones. 

Tendons: fibrous tissues that connect bone to muscle.