The glutes (AKA the booty) are known as the heftiest muscles in the body, so their importance can’t be overstated. The reason why everyone likes a good booty is obviously because the glutes play essential roles in many activities like squatting or running. Plus, when trained, they provide increased mobility and can lessen lower back pain and knee pain as you age. Inside every great tush are the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. Each muscle starts at the top of the pelvic bone and ends at the top of the femur, the bone in your thigh. Many workouts engage this muscle group, but if you want to hit them extra hard, try one of the workouts that isolate the glutes.

There are two parts to some big thighs, the quads and the hammies. First, the Quads, AKA the quadriceps femoris, is the muscle group on the front of your thigh, extending from the hip and thigh bone down to the shin bone. As the name implies, there are four muscles in the quads: rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius. Together, these muscles help extend your leg to run, walk, kick, jump, and stabilize your kneecap.

Quads may be the star of the thighs, but the hamstrings are like the underrated AV crew. Hamstrings are in the back of the thigh, beginning at the pelvis and ending just below the back of the knee. This group consists of 3 different muscles: the biceps femoris (short and long head), semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. These muscles work together to allow hip extension, flex the knee, and rotate the thigh. Hamstring muscles mainly influence walking, running, and squatting, which makes them highly susceptible to injury. Skipping a hamstring warmup is a rookie mistake that will cost you more than a warmup ever will. Another surefire way to injure the hammies is by neglecting the quads. We weren’t kidding when we said the body is a fine-tuned machine. After warming up those hams, try some specialized workouts.

Below the back of the knee are the calf muscles which run from the bottom of the thighbone, down to the Achilles tendon. Both the gastrocnemius and the soleus muscles support the Achilles tendon, allowing movement in the foot and absorbing stress in the knees and ankles. Tippy toes, jumping, and running keep the calf muscles in business. Most people don’t need to or even want to exercise their calves, but if you want a proportional look, it’s in your best interest to train them up.

The bicep muscles are located on the front of your upper arm and work with not only your forearm but also the shoulder. The biceps brachii is made up of two heads, a muscle belly, and tendons. It stretches from the inside of your shoulder/shoulder blade, down to the pit of your elbow. The brachialis sits right underneath the biceps brachii like it’s snuggled up under a blanket. Together, the bicep muscles help you bend and rotate your arm. When extended, they flex the forearm, and when flexed, they supinate the forearm; think of a bicep curl.

Opposing the biceps, are your triceps brachii, AKA the triceps. This muscle consists of three heads: the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. The triceps are connected from the elbow to the scapula and help with shoulder movement and stabilization. If you have trouble pushing doors open, you might want to work on your triceps as they are responsible for actions such as pushing and pulling, and even help with fine movements like writing and drawing. Although they may not be the first thing a person sees, the triceps are a large part of the upper arm and should not be overlooked. If you neglect the triceps and only focus on the biceps, you will run into shoulder problems because you need both muscle groups to balance the shoulder.

The shoulder muscle group is complex and intricate, working with muscle groups in the arms and the chest. It brings together the muscles in the chest, the rotator cuff, the deltoids, and the trapezius. The rotator cuff muscles and tendons originate from the scapula and connect to the head of the humerus, forming a cuff around the shoulder joint that stabilizes the joint and allows for a wide range of motion. The rotator cuff is also known as the SITS muscle, which refers to the first letter of each muscle's name: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. The deltoid, or deltoidius muscle, is a triangular muscle covering the shoulder. It consists of the anterior (front), lateral (side), and posterior (back) deltoids, all beginning in the collarbone and shoulder blade and ending in the upper arm bone. This makeup works together to raise the arm. The last muscle is the trapezius, which is made up of latissimus dorsi, Levator scapulae, Rhomboid muscles, and Serratus anterior. All these muscles help with the movement of not only the arms but also support your head and all its movements.

The chest has four different muscles, three of which we mentioned already because they’re connected to the shoulder. Also in the chest are the pectoralis major, the pectoralis minor, and the serratus anterior, which all lay along the chest plate and ribs. There is one more secret hidden muscle called the subclavius which sits right under the collar bone. All these muscles help stabilize posture and upper body movement and strength. Working out the chest too hard without balancing the work put into your back muscles will cause problems in your shoulder. It’s all about balance, don’t forget that. These muscles are used in many everyday actions like pushing a door open, doing dishes, or putting on your seatbelt. Needless to say, it’s important you don’t risk injuring the chest or shoulder muscles.

Abs are located on the front of the torso, covering your stomach and sides. This group is made up of several muscles in varying layers, such as the rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, external oblique muscles, internal oblique muscles, psoas major, and the quadratus lumborum. As they work together with the back to form the core, they are responsible for not only protecting the spine but also giving stability to the body while sitting, standing, and bending. This makes abdominal muscles key to good posture, so if you struggle with slouching, targeting your abs is a phenomenal start. These muscles also give the body the ability to twist and turn around like when you used to turn around and whisper to the person sitting behind you in class or when someone goes to swing a bat or a golf club.

The lower back muscles, being responsible for stabilizing the spine and supporting movement and posture, are made up of four muscles. One muscle is shared with the upper back, the latissimus dorsi. The other three muscles are the multifidus, erector spinae, and spinalis. Each of these muscles stretch from the pelvis to the lumbar vertebrae and sacrum. In addition to providing stability in balance and posture, lower back muscles also help you bend forward and backwards, like when you need to pick something up off the floor. Lower back muscles also protect the spine by keeping your core stable.