Trunk

Muscles

• External oblique

  The outermost flat muscle on the side of the abdomen. How it twists and bends the trunk, what side strains mean for it, how it adapts, and what it works with.

• Internal oblique

  The middle of the three flat muscles on each side of the abdomen. How it twists and steadies the trunk, where side strains tear it, how it thickens or thins, and what it works with.

• Latissimus dorsi

  The broad back muscle that runs from the lower spine and pelvis to the upper arm bone. What it moves, how and in whom it tears, how it adapts to training, and what it works with.

• Pectoralis major

  The large, fan-shaped muscle at the front of the chest. How its parts are built and supplied, where it tears, how it grows with training, and what it works with.

• Pectoralis minor

  The thin chest muscle beneath the pectoralis major that runs from the ribs to the shoulder blade. Where it attaches and how that varies, how it tears, what studies of a short muscle found, and what it works with.

• Rectus abdominis

  The pair of long, straight muscles down the front of the belly. How they bend the trunk, how they strain in throwing and racket sports, what studies found about their size in trained people, and what they work with.

• Serratus anterior

  The fan-shaped muscle on the side of the chest that holds the shoulder blade to the ribs and turns it upward. How it moves the shoulder blade, what happens when its nerve fails, how that tends to recover, and what it works with.

• Transversus abdominis

  The deepest flat muscle of the abdominal wall, wrapping the belly like a belt. How it squeezes the abdomen, the debate over its early switch-on in low back pain, how it changes with training, and what it works with.

Bones

• Ribs

  The twelve pairs of curved bones that, with the breastbone and spine, make the rib cage. How they move for breathing, how muscle pull cracks them in rowing, golf and throwing, and how long studies found they took to settle.

Exercises

• Barbell row

  A pulling exercise for the back. What studies measured it working, from the lats and back of the shoulder to the lower back and the side of the trunk, and what is known about how those muscles adapt.

• Burpee

  A bodyweight move from standing to a squat, a plank and back up, often with a push-up and a jump. What studies measured of its demand, what burpee training trials found, and how thin the evidence on its muscles is.

• Dead bug

  An exercise done lying face-up, lowering an opposite arm and leg. What studies measured in the abdominal and back muscles, and what trials of programmes that included it found.

• Farmer's carry

  Walking while holding a heavy weight in each hand. What the studies measured it loading, from the back and trunk muscles to the hips and spine, and how carrying in one hand compares.

• Hollow hold

  A held bodyweight position that works the front of the trunk. What studies of similar held positions measured in the abdominal and hip muscles, and what is known about how those muscles change with training.

• Mountain climber

  A bodyweight exercise used in interval circuits and some fitness tests. The muscle measurements nearest to it come from related knee-drive moves, and the training trials tested circuits that included it. What those studies did and found.

• Plank

  A face-down hold that works the muscles of the abdomen, back, hips and shoulders. What studies measured it loading, how its versions shift the work, and what is known about how these muscles adapt.

• Side plank

  A held position that works the side of the trunk and the hip. What studies measured it loading, from the obliques and quadratus lumborum to the gluteal muscles, and what is known about training those muscles.

Nerves

• Long thoracic nerve

  The nerve that runs down the side of the chest to the serratus anterior. Where it runs, how it is injured, and what series of people with a palsy of it report about recovery and surgery.

Conditions

• Pectoralis minor syndrome

  How sources describe squeezing of the arm's nerve network beneath the pectoralis minor, a chest muscle, and where they disagree; who it is reported in; and what series of tendon-cutting surgery and other studies found.

Exercises that load this area

Filed under another area, but connected to an entry here.

• Back extension

  An exercise that lifts the upper body from a face-down position, on a Roman chair, a bench or a table. What studies measured it loading, how set-up shifts the work, and what training changed.

• Band external rotation

  A shoulder exercise that turns the arm outward against a band, cable or weight. What it loads in the rotator cuff and deltoid, how arm angle, towel and load shift the work, how training changed and progressed it, and shoulder-pain trials.

• Bench press

  A barbell pressing exercise. What studies measured it working, from the chest and triceps to the shoulder, how bench angle and grip width change that, what ten weeks of training changed, and how studies progressed it.

• Bird dog

  A hold on hands and knees with one arm and the opposite leg lifted. What studies measured it loading in the back, buttock and abdominal muscles, and what training trials found.

• Box jump

  A jump up and forward onto a box. What the few box jump studies measured at take-off and landing, what jumps from the ground show about the muscles and tendons, and what injury surveys reported.

• Dead hang

  Hanging from the hands with the arms straight. What studies of climbers measured it loading, from the finger muscles to the back, how grip endurance changed with training, and what one bar-hang study showed about the spine.

• Deadlift

  A lift driven by the muscles that straighten the hip, knee and back. What the studies measured it loading, from the back and thigh muscles to the lower spine, and what is known about how the body adapts.

• Dip

  Lowering and raising the body on the arms, from a bench, bars or rings. What two small laboratory studies in men measured, the injuries case reports describe, and what one training trial found.

• Glute bridge hold

  Lying on the back and holding the pelvis up off the floor. What studies measured it working, from the buttock and back of the thigh to the back and abdominal muscles, and how variations shift the work.

• Kettlebell swing

  A hip-driven swing of a kettlebell between the legs and up to the chest or overhead. What small studies measured it loading, how style and bell weight change it, and what swing-only training trials found.

• Overhead press

  A pressing exercise that pushes a weight from the shoulders to overhead. What the studies measured it loading, how seat, bar and bar path shift the work, and what is and isn't known about training it.

• Power clean

  A barbell lift pulled fast from low down to the shoulders. What studies measured it loading, which loads gave the most power, how training with it changed people, and what weightlifting injury studies report.

• Pull-up

  Pulling the body up to a bar from a hang. What studies measured it loading, how grip and kipping shift the work, what changed with training, and what injury reports recorded.

• Push-up

  A bodyweight pressing exercise done face down on the hands. How much body weight studies measured on the hands, which muscles work, how hand position and unstable surfaces change that, and what training trials found.

• Shrug

  A shoulder exercise studied mainly for the trapezius. What studies measured it loading in the trapezius and nearby shoulder-blade muscles, and what trials of programmes that included it found.

• Sled push

  Driving a weighted sled forward by its handles. What the few pushing studies measured, how pushing differs from towing a sled, and what sled-training studies found on load, surface and speed.