Muscles Used While Running, Biking, Push Ups, Walking & Jogging

By Patricia | November 23, 2010
Muscles Used To Run

It is important that we are aware of the different muscles that are being used while exercising. The more we understand our body, the better we can take care of it and avoid unnecessary injuries. The muscles that are used in running are of three types. They are the primary, supporting, and auxiliary. The primary muscles will tend to receive the most impact while running and hence, should be given more care.

The primary muscles used in running consist of the quadriceps femoris, hamstring, gluteus maximus, iliopsoas, and calf muscle. The supporting muscles used in running consist of the biceps brachii, upper abdominals, and lower abdominals. The lower and upper abdominals together provide support to the core strength that is required by runners to maintain correct posture. It is also important for avoiding injury and maximizing the performance. The auxiliary muscles used in running consist of the external intercostal muscles and internal intercostal muscles.

Muscles Used In Biking

The main muscles used in biking are the calf muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps, and gluteal muscles.  The quadriceps are the muscles that are found on the front part of the thigh and are responsible for pressing the pedal down and making the leg straight. The gluteus medius and maximus are situated in the buttocks and are used to push the pedal forward. The hamstrings are found on the back part of the thigh and along with the calf muscles work to bring the pedal back up from the stroke. When riding a bike all these muscles work together to give you power and endurance. The amount each of the muscles are used will depend on your type of riding.

Muscles Used In Push Ups

Many muscle groups are exercised when one does pushups. The muscles used in pushups are the pectoralis major, triceps, deltoid muscles, serratus anterior, and coracobrachialis. However, the pectoralis major are the muscles that are most involved. When you raise or lower yourself when performing pushups, the pectoralis major muscles are worked the most. There are many muscles that are used in walking, but the main ones are the sartorius, quadriceps, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and the tibialis anterior. The muscles that are used in jogging are the same as those used when running, but at a lesser intensity. Jogging mainly targets the quadriceps and calf muscles. Having a basic understanding of the role of muscles in different activities will allow you to intelligently select exercises to meet your requirements for muscle development.

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