It is important if you are considering bodybuilding or even if you are already taking part, that you understand bodybuilding anatomy as best you can. It is not always the easiest thing to understand as there are many different muscle groups but hopefully we’ll be able to make it easier for you in this article.



Starting from the top of your body, the first thing we’ll look at is the neck. The main muscle in the neck is called the upper trapezius and reaches from the base of the neck to the shoulder. The other main muscle in the neck is called the levator scapulae and attaches itself to the cervical vertebrae in the neck.

Next we have the trapezius muscles which run from the neck down to the waist area. Many people refer to these as the trap muscles. There are also major muscle groups in the shoulder called the deltoid muscles.

The pectoral muscles are located in the chest area and most often referred to as the “pecs". These are often the muscles bodybuilders like to flex on the beach! These go great with large bicep muscles which are at the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. At the back of the arm running down the same length are the tricep muscles. These two muscles are often the ones bodybuilders spend a lot of time training.

Moving around to the stomach area, we have the abdominal muscles or the “abs". This is a large group of muscles which require quite a lot of training to help you achieve the perfect six pack. Down to the legs we have the quadriceps or the “quads" as they are more often referred as. These are at the upper of the leg between the hips and the knee. These are basically the thigh area. Squats are a great method of building up your quads.

Obviously, these are just a few examples so that you can understand the bodybuilding anatomy more easily. For more detailed information there are many places you can look including your local library or bookstore and of course the internet.