Website/book for learning human anatomy

[Tux]

I'm on the lookout for a book or site that teaches you about a certain part of your body, whether it's a muscle or joint or whatever, and then gives you some simple exercise to identify it kinesthetically. My interest was piqued yesterday because after a massage, my masseur told me there was this muscle that starts in the armpit and connects to the hip (the latissimus dorsi I believe), that mine was really tight and that's why my hip was doing this crazy thing. This morning as I was doing some breathing stuff I noticed what he was talking about. Makes me curious to get to know about the more important muscles and things. Then i thought, "What if there's something that leads you through all the muscles in your body, and gives you exercises to use and identify them, how they connect and all that." Anything?

[johndoe2012]

[GreytoWhite]

http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Trains-Myofascial-Meridians-Therapists/dp/044310283X

 

This was a good read for me. As was the link below.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Treatment/dp/1572243759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315522987&sr=8-1

[ChiDragon]

Muscle info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG1JHW_q2VA&feature=related

 

You can select any video on youtube.com about muscles as soon the above was opened.

[scotty2000]

Illustrated Essentials of Musculoskeletal Anatomy

I have used this in college quite a bit...really nice but it's mostly just muscles and bones. Really basic book.

 

It lists the action that each muscle takes (for instance with biceps brachii, it does flexion of the elbow, supination of the forearm, and the short head flexes the humerus at the shoulder joint). It lists the nerve and nerve root (where it connects to the spine). Tells you how to palpate/feel around to find the muscle. Shows a black and white drawn picture of the body part in question. Tells exactly where the tendons of the muscle connect to the bones, etc...so for instance, if you want to align certain bony structures, you can just work certain muscles to achieve that effect by knowing where they're connected to (muscle energy technique).

 

To stretch any muscle, you just move in the opposite way that the "action" is. So for biceps brachii: you extend the elbow, pronate the forearm, and extend the humerus at the shoulder joint.

 

All of the muscles of the body connect to bones via tendons. The muscles connect to eachother via fascia.

 

Anyway...might be a boring book but it's very clear for looking things up.

[Understanding]

everybody should see this

 

http://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/

 

throughthe right mediation its possible to feel all the connecvtion within the body

 

ive discovered exercises that literally expand my bone structure ie wider shoulders, right force generation

 

it connects all the joints and the four sides(aproxamitley) of each joint and thir coresponding muscles

 

if you flex all the muslces around ajoint at once there will be no room, if you do it from the center, it is "proper" activation. if you are looking to isolate layers, and build you joints, it is good to work each side on its own for more "room" and proper growth.

 

i find that if i do exercises that are the opposite of the "alligned" exercises that it actually makes my limbs or whatever shorter and the muscle structure looks "clashing" or something like it was worked out inverse

 

if you correspond the right positions, the muscle will develop amazingly.

 

people naturally seek out some of these postions when they stretch.

 

it is about the the MAXIMUM contraction vs expansions or stretch of a muscle via PROPER alignment

[TheGoldenFlower]

I love anatomy! The best books have found are:

 

Trail Guide to the Body - wonderful for palpating to find the exact location of a muscle.

 

Functional Anatomy - textbook that has amazing pictures

 

Key Muscles for Yoga Volume 1 and 2 by Ray Long is more basic and shows you exactly what muscles are being used when in yoga poses.

 

A few good videos are out there and also the BodyWorlds exhibit which is fascinating.

 

Although I believe we are not just our bodies our body temples are incredibly complex and it's wise to understand and appreciate them.

Edited September 9, 2011 by TheGoldenFlower

[TheGoldenFlower]

Anatomy is like learning a foreign language so I also recommend audio tapes as well to get the correct pronunciation. Learning anatomy can be like learning meditation it becomes a passion.

Edited September 9, 2011 by TheGoldenFlower

[FixXxer1846]

One of the better books to see what muscles you're using when picking up weights:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Strength-Training-Anatomy-3rd-Frederic-Delavier/dp/0736092269/ref=pd_sim_b_1

 

You won't simply learn from books. You have to do the exercises, play around and look for other exercises. I have a weight lifting routine with maybe a dozen basic exercises and some I've come up with myself over the years (for safety or to specifically target my upper 4 abs, for example). But you have to do the exercises, feel which muscles are being stretched, which are sore, etc.

 

This is the domain of physiotherapy (and doctors and surgeons also get anatomy/fysiology), but bodybuilders and athletes usually know more about practical exercises. At college/university you get all the intricacies (including all the stuff that's useless in daily life)... which muscles are in the body (hundreds and you have to study hard... feeling the muscles, like in the lower arm or shoulder can be hard also), but also how they are build up/contract, the different energy supply systems and how fast they run out, and how the impulses move from the central/pheripheral nervous system to the muscles and back.

 

If I were you I wouldn't be bothered by that unless you want that type of education. A ton of work. Been there; done that. You'd be better off doing fitness and studying the major muscles you work out. If you get hurt... physiotherapy/doctor time. Too many muscles under the skin... so many tiny little movements to stretch/manipulate them. Takes many years of practice and continuous doing if you don't want to forget. Fitness, much easier and more practical. Learned very little on the education that's for practical personal use.

[FixXxer1846]

Actually, learning to see which muscles are tight can be very hard. For each muscle you have specific ways to compare left and right and the overall flexibility (in degrees). A lot of stuff someone doesn't come up with by themselves.

 

Almost like reverse jiu jitsu. Often you have to position your hands on a joint or muscle just right to flex or extent properly.

 

Can't give you the books. Mine weren't English. Getting tired already when thinking about learning it again. Not for practical daily use.

[zanshin]

First, it's not correct that the latissimus dorsi connects to the hip. It attachs to spinous processes in the midback and to thoracolumbar fascia which is connective tissue in mid to low back. Could be correct that this muscle contributing to the crazy hip thing though, when shoulders or spine not symmetrical hips pulled out of alignment too. Then again the lat tightness could be compensatory for something lower in the body out of alignment. So usually not so straight forward to say some specific muscle is the problem, everything is chained together. Definitely good to learn basic anatomy, looks like already some good resources suggested. But don't be frustrated if what you experience doesn't fit perfectly with patterns you see in books. Also sort of hard to understand how important fascia is from books, more apparent if you took a dissection class, which you probably won't, but it's connective tissue that flows, holds and slides between muscles, skin and pretty much everywhere else in the body and can cause all sorts of weird effects.