Chapter 2: Biomechanics of Resistance Exercise Flashcards
Biomechanics
Study of the mechanisms through which musculoskeletal components interact to create movement
Origin
Proximal muscle attachment
Insertion
Distal muscle attachment
Proximal
Toward the center of the body
Distal
Away from the center of the body
Forms of Muscle Attachments
- Fleshy attachments
- Fibrous attachments
Fleshy Attachments
- Most often found at the proximal end of the muscle
- Muscle fibers are directly affixed to the bone
- Usually distributed over a wide area instead of focused on a single spot
Fibrous Attachments
- Blend into and are continuous with muscle sheaths and connective tissue surrounding the bone
- Ex: tendons
Tendons
A flexible but inelastic cord of strong fibrous collagen tissue attaching a muscle to a bone
Agonist
- The muscle most directly involved in movement
- Prime mover
Antagonist
A muscle that can slow down or stop the movement
Synergist
A muscle that assists directly in a movement
Lever
A rigid/semi-rigid body that exerts a force on any object impeding its tendency to rotate
Fulcrum
The pivot point of a lever
Muscle Force
Force generated by muscle activity; tends to draw the opposite ends of a muscle toward each other
Resistive Force
Force generated by a source external to the body which acts contrary to muscle force
First-Class Lever
- A lever for which the muscle force and resistive force act on opposite sides of the fulcrum
- FAR
Second-Class Lever
- A lever for which the muscle force and resistive force act on the same side of the fulcrum
- FRA
Third-Class Lever
- A lever for which the muscle force and resistive force act on the same side of the fulcrum
- RFA
Mechanical Advantage
- The ratio of the applied force and the resistive force
- Mechanical advantage often changes continuously during human movement
- MA > 1.0 → applied force can be less than the resistive force to produce an equal amount of torque
- MA < 1.0 → applied force has to be greater than the resistive force to produce an equal amount of torque
Moment Arm
- The perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the fulcrum
- AKA force arm, lever arm, or torque arm
Torque
- AKA moment;
- Force times the moment arm, causes a rotation
Why are muscle forces greater than the forces exerted by the body on objects?
Most muscles operate at a mechanical disadvantage
The trade-off in tendon insertion
The mechanical advantage gained by having tendons insert farther from the joint center is accompanied by a loss of maximum speed