Major Muscles of the Body

This lesson covers the 13 major muscles you need to know for AQA GCSE PE (3.1.1.1). You must be able to identify each muscle, know its location, understand its function, and link it to sporting actions. Muscle identification is tested almost every year, so this is essential knowledge.

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The 13 Required Muscles

The AQA specification requires you to know the following muscles:

Muscle	Location	Primary Function
Latissimus dorsi	Lower and middle back	Adduction and extension at the shoulder
Deltoid	Top of the shoulder (cap-like)	Abduction at the shoulder
Rotator cuffs	Deep in the shoulder (group of 4 muscles)	Rotation and stabilisation of the shoulder joint
Pectorals	Chest	Adduction and flexion at the shoulder
Biceps	Front of the upper arm	Flexion at the elbow
Triceps	Back of the upper arm	Extension at the elbow
Abdominals	Front of the torso (stomach area)	Flexion of the trunk (spine)
Hip flexors	Front of the hip	Flexion at the hip
Gluteals	Buttocks	Extension and abduction at the hip
Hamstrings	Back of the upper leg	Flexion at the knee; extension at the hip
Quadriceps	Front of the upper leg	Extension at the knee; flexion at the hip
Gastrocnemius	Back of the lower leg (calf)	Plantarflexion at the ankle
Tibialis anterior	Front of the lower leg (shin)	Dorsiflexion at the ankle

Exam Tip: You must be able to identify muscles on a diagram as well as name them from a description. Practise labelling a blank body diagram from memory. Exam questions commonly show a front or back view and ask you to name specific muscles.

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Upper Body Muscles

Latissimus Dorsi ("Lats")

• Location: A large, flat muscle covering the lower and middle back, extending from the spine to the upper arm.
• Function: Adduction (pulling the arm towards the body) and extension at the shoulder. Also involved in medial rotation of the shoulder.
• Sporting examples:
  • Swimming (pulling the arm through the water in front crawl)
  • Rock climbing (pulling the body upward)
  • Rowing (the pulling phase of the stroke)
  • A gymnastics pull-up

Deltoid

• Location: A thick, triangular muscle forming the cap of the shoulder. It covers the shoulder joint.
• Function: Abduction at the shoulder (raising the arm sideways). The deltoid also assists with flexion and extension of the shoulder.
• Sporting examples:
  • Lifting the arm to serve in badminton or tennis
  • Raising the arms during a star jump
  • The upward phase of a lateral raise exercise
  • Raising the arm to throw a ball

Rotator Cuffs

• Location: A group of four deep muscles surrounding the shoulder joint (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis). You do not need to know the individual names for GCSE.
• Function: Rotation of the shoulder joint and stabilisation — they hold the head of the humerus securely in the socket of the scapula.
• Sporting examples:
  • Bowling in cricket (rotating the arm)
  • Serving in tennis (the rotation of the arm during the serve)
  • Throwing a javelin
  • Any overhead action (e.g., volleyball spike)
• Injury note: Rotator cuff injuries are common in sports involving repetitive overhead movements (swimming, tennis, cricket). They often result from overuse.

Pectorals ("Pecs")

• Location: A large muscle covering the front of the chest, from the sternum and clavicle to the humerus.
• Function: Adduction and flexion at the shoulder. Also involved in medial rotation.
• Sporting examples:
  • A chest pass in basketball or netball
  • The pushing phase of a bench press
  • A forehand drive in table tennis
  • Pushing an opponent in a rugby tackle

Biceps

• Location: Front of the upper arm, between the shoulder and elbow.
• Function: Flexion at the elbow (bending the arm).
• Sporting examples:
  • The upward phase of a bicep curl
  • Pulling back the string of a bow in archery
  • A pull-up in gymnastics
  • Holding a rugby ball close to the body while running

Triceps

• Location: Back of the upper arm, between the shoulder and elbow.
• Function: Extension at the elbow (straightening the arm).
• Sporting examples:
  • Throwing a ball (the straightening of the arm)
  • A chest pass in netball (the pushing/straightening phase)
  • The pushing phase of a press-up
  • A boxing punch

graph TD
    A["Upper Body Muscles"] --> B["Latissimus Dorsi"]
    A --> C["Deltoid"]
    A --> D["Rotator Cuffs"]
    A --> E["Pectorals"]
    A --> F["Biceps"]
    A --> G["Triceps"]

    B -->|"Back"| H["Adduction / Extension at Shoulder"]
    C -->|"Shoulder cap"| I["Abduction at Shoulder"]
    D -->|"Deep shoulder"| J["Rotation / Stabilisation"]
    E -->|"Chest"| K["Adduction / Flexion at Shoulder"]
    F -->|"Front upper arm"| L["Flexion at Elbow"]
    G -->|"Back upper arm"| M["Extension at Elbow"]

    style A fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
    style B fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
    style C fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
    style D fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
    style E fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
    style F fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style G fill:#27ae60,color:#fff

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Core Muscles

Abdominals ("Abs")

• Location: Front of the torso, running from the ribcage to the pelvis. Often referred to as the "stomach muscles."
• Function: Flexion of the trunk (bending the spine forward). Also stabilise the core during movement.
• Sporting examples:
  • Performing a sit-up or crunch
  • The tucking phase of a somersault in gymnastics
  • Maintaining posture during running
  • A goalkeeper bending forward to make a save

Hip Flexors

• Location: Front of the hip, connecting the spine/pelvis to the femur. The main hip flexor is the iliopsoas (you do not need this name for GCSE).
• Function: Flexion at the hip (lifting the thigh forward and upward).
• Sporting examples:
  • Lifting the knee during sprinting
  • Kicking a football (the initial forward swing of the leg)
  • Hurdling (lifting the lead leg over the hurdle)
  • Performing a high kick in martial arts

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Lower Body Muscles

Gluteals ("Glutes")

• Location: Buttocks — a large, powerful muscle group at the back of the hip.
• Function: Extension at the hip (driving the leg backward) and abduction at the hip (moving the leg sideways).
• Sporting examples:
  • Driving the leg backward during sprinting
  • Standing up from a squat position
  • Climbing stairs or hills during orienteering
  • Jumping — the gluteals are one of the primary muscles used in the take-off phase

Hamstrings

• Location: Back of the upper leg (thigh), running from the pelvis to just below the knee.
• Function: Flexion at the knee (bending the leg) and extension at the hip (driving the leg backward).
• Sporting examples:
  • Drawing the leg back before kicking a football (flexion at the knee)
  • Sprinting — the hamstrings decelerate the lower leg during the swing phase
  • Performing a leg curl exercise
  • Landing from a jump (the hamstrings control the deceleration)
• Injury note: Hamstring strains are one of the most common injuries in sport. They often occur during sprinting when the muscle is stretched while contracting.

Quadriceps ("Quads")

• Location: Front of the upper leg (thigh), running from the pelvis to just below the knee. Made up of four muscles (hence "quad").
• Function: Extension at the knee (straightening the leg) and flexion at the hip.
• Sporting examples:
  • Kicking a football (the straightening of the leg)
  • Jumping (extending the legs during take-off)
  • The upward phase of a squat
  • Sprinting (extending the knee during the push-off phase)
  • Cycling (pushing down on the pedals)

Gastrocnemius ("Gastroc" / Calf Muscle)