Muscles to the Masses

We know that the gastroc is on the back of the lower leg, superficially. That means it’s close to the surface. And, really it’s the closest calf muscle to the surface.

The name of the muscle is from Latin and Greek and translates to stomach of the leg -- that’s referring to the bulging shape of the calf.

Gastroc goes from two bellies at it’s attachment site above the back of the knee crease and forms into one attachment below the joints of the ankle.

We’ve been focusing on the upper thigh and quite frankly, I’m tired of talking about the hip joint! And, I want to talk about a big, meaty muscle. So, we’re traveling south on the back of the leg to the Soleus.

The soleus and gastroc (which is what I often call gastrocnemius) are together known as the triceps surae and is the strongest muscle group of the leg. Can you believe that?!

We’re continuing along on our discussions of hip flexors, and thus we can’t not talk about Sartorius.

Sartorius is a weird muscle. First off, it’s the longest muscle of the human body.

And, in addition to crossing the hip joint, it also crosses the knee joint, but it doesn’t extend the knee like its cousins the quadriceps group.

Sartorius actually flexes the knee joint!

I say that sartorius is weird because we’ve been talking about the muscles on the front of the quad and if you think about the movement of the knee (that flexion and extension), you’d think that a muscle on the front of the body would only be able to extend the knee based on it’s position.

BUT NOOOOOO, enter swoopy sartorius to shake things up.

As this is the third episode of the quadriceps group and you know that they are a powerful group of muscles on the front of the thigh. And that together, as a group, they are responsible for knee flexion.

We’ve covered two of the four muscles of the quadriceps group in the last two episodes and today we’re truly diving deep (get it that’s a muscle joke!) to the Vastus Intermedius which lies under the Rectus Femoris and between the Vastus Lateralis and Vastus Medialis. And, we’ll finish up talking about the quads with the Vastus Medialis.

Vastus Lateralis, the quad that's the most lateral of the quadriceps femoris muscle group. You may even think about it like a side-of-the-body muscle. 

The Rectus Femoris is the top muscle of the Quadriceps Femoris group, quite literally, as it sits as the most superficial quad. It also fancies itself as the best quad because it's the only one that crosses both the hip and the knee.

The Semi "twins" as I call Semimembranosus and Semitendinosus live on the back of the upper thigh and towards the center of the body. They're responsible for hip extension and knee extension -- to start, but become very important when we talk about pelvic girdle stability.

We’re here to talk about the hamstrings and more specifically, the biceps femoris: the lateral (or outer part) of the hamstrings group.

All about the Gluteus Maximus from attachment sites, how to palpate the muscle, what the muscle does, and one more thing on coffee.

Stacey and I talk all about how she approaches working with clients and making sure she’s coming into each session with no assumptions. She gives new and fresh advice on what questions to ask when you meet clients, how she modifies exercises (clue: do what feels good for your clients!), and hear her picks for athletic wear for all sizes.

Tori and I talk about what it was like as a record breaking sprinter at UVA, discovering her love of the weight room, and how she moved from strength training to hypertrophy. Learn about the successes Tori had at her first two physique competitions and what she's doing as she has her sights on her getting her PRO card. Plus, you'll be drooling when you hear about her most memorable food!

Get some information about the host! How I got into strength training, movement philosophy, assessments, and how I started the podcast, along with lots of podcast recommendations and major influencers in my life. OH, and because food, there's a lot of talk on my favorites! 

Leigh comes back for a second week to talk in-depth on one of her adaptive fitness clients: how they found her, what their first session looks like, what she improves first, and how they find themselves back in physical therapy (don't worry—that's a good thing!).

Leigh and I talk about how she got started in working with clients with disabilities—from what language to use, to approaching an assessment, to adapting on the fly. We get into her post-rehabilitation cancer program and why more programs like this are needed, her support of naked time as a form of mindfulness, and why she gives juggling homework to her clients.

Maria and I talk about her journey from addiction to strength training, her experience in putting her art out into the world, how and why she started Fear Her Fight (her athletic lifestyle brand!) and her plans for bringing awareness to strength training for marginalized communities.

Listen in to Maria Bascetta chat on all things grip training: how she got into it, how there's more than one type of grip, and how to train it. Maria and I get into how she started her gym, The Southern Squeeze, and what it means to have powerful boundaries. 

Sonja and I get into how her experience as a social worker influences her values as fitness instructor, how she came to be a Pilates instructor, how she processes grief, and the evolution of Black Girl Pilates (@blackgirlpilates). OH! And, you won’t want to miss Sonja talking about the formation of her brand, Commando Fitness Collective (@commandofitnesscollective).

Muscles to the Masses, the Podcast, episode zero. The intro!