Muscle Shapes
Muscle shapes determines function. This is true for everything. It is especially true for your muscles. There are over 650 muscles in the human body and each one has a unique shape and function.
Muscles can be classified into two broad categories of shapes, parallel and pennate. Each of those categories can be further broken down into more specific subgroups.
In parallel muscles, the fibers are arranged in a parallel manner the length of the muscle. This arrangement allows for a greater range-of-motion than a similar sized pinnate muscle.
The subgroups of parallel muscle include flat muscles (the obliques), fusiform (biceps brachii), strap (the sartorius), and convergent (the pectoralis major).
Pennate muscles have fibers that attach to its tendons at an angle (opposed to the parallel fiber orientation). This formation allows for a greater production of force due to a greater cross-sectional area.
The subgroups of pinnate muscle are unipennate (the biceps femoris), bipennate (the rectus femoris) and multipennate (the deltoids).
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About the author
Dwayne Wimmer founded Vertex Fitness Personal Training Studio in 2001, excited to bring a new concept about personal training to the people of Philadelphia’s Main Line in Pennsylvania. Driven by knowledge and results both, while a strength coach at Villanova University, he worked closely with world class athletes such as Brian Westbrook, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, on strength training and conditioning for optimal performance. Dwayne’s client base extends much further than world class athletes. Along with athletes, he works with adolescents to seniors, and he’s a highly acclaimed and sought out personal trainer who has received numerous awards, such as Best of the Main Line Personal Training Studio and Best Main Line Personal Trainer. A graduate of Missouri Western State University, Dwayne has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, with an emphasis in Coaching. Aside from personal training, he’s spent time as a physical education teacher, strength and conditioning coach, and a football coach, but has found his passion and home in the fitness industry, inspiring and reaching out to others. As a strong believer in continuing to learn, Dwayne has also taken classes at East Stroudsburg University toward a Masters Degree in Sports Management. He can add author to his list of accomplishments, having created a chapter in the upcoming book The Soul of Success with Jack Canfield, renowned for the Chicken Soup series. To get to the point where he is now, Dwayne has always been thankful for the support of his father, a man who always believed in his mission and saw the need for what it was that Dwayne envisioned. During his free time, Dwayne is an avid motorcyclist who enjoys viewing the amazing landscapes and finding good restaurants to enjoy that are off the beaten path. He also takes advantage of opportunities to travel and experience many other cities while attending fitness seminars and giving presentations about the industry he is so passionate about. As a way to give back to the community that has been a part of his entire life, Dwayne has created Vertex Fitness PUMPED (People United Making Progress through Education and Donations), which provides support to area non-profits through a community-wide outreach effort. At this time, they help three non-profits per year in the Philadelphia area. For more information from Dwayne, you may contact him at (610) 525-6604, dwayne@vertexfit.com