The superficial muscles of the back are groups of muscle tissues that are attached to the skeleton of the shoulder girdle. They are in two layers. The upper layer is the trapezius muscle and the latissimus dorsi, the lower layer is the large and small rhomboid muscle.
Structure of the trapezius muscle
This is a broad, flat muscle that occupies a position in the upper back at the back of the lower neck. It has a shape similar to a triangle. Its base is facing the spinal column, while the apex is turned towards the acromion. If you examine the trapezius muscles on both sides of the back, they will resemble a geometric figure "trapezium". For this they got their name. The trapezius muscle is divided into three parts:
- upper (neck area);
- middle (upper part of the shoulder blades);
- lower (bottom of the shoulder blades and the area below them).
The muscle has short tendon bundles. They form a diamond platform only in the region of the upper thoracic and lower cervical vertebrae. The muscle bundles converge radically towards the scapula. Here they are attached to its axis, as well as to the acromial end of the clavicle and directly to theacromion. In the area of attachment, between the place of attachment of the ascending bundles and the spine of the scapula, there is a small dry bag. It is located between the bone and the tendon itself. At the point where the trapezius muscle joins the acromion, there is an acromial subcutaneous bursa. She is quite large. It lies on the posterior surface of the acromion.
Trapezius muscle: functions
This muscle has many functions, but the main one, of course, is the movement of the scapula, which provides raising, lowering and rotation of the upper limbs. Let's consider everything in detail:
- with simultaneous contraction of all parts of the muscle, in the condition of a fixed spine, the shoulder blade approaches it;
- with simultaneous contraction of the upper and lower fibers, the bone is rotated along the sagittal axis;
- upper muscle bundles lift the scapula;
- the muscle, when contracted on both sides, contributes to the extension of the cervical region, this allows you to tilt your head back;
- with one-sided compression, the front part of the head turns slightly in the opposite direction.
How does the trapezius muscle swing?
So, the trapezius muscle is in the upper back. By its size, it is safe to say whether a person is engaged in strength physical training or not. If the volume of the trapezium begins to grow, the girth of the neck also increases. It becomes more powerful and embossed. Achieve tothe trapezius muscle of the back has acquired a more massive and impressive appearance, not too difficult. To do this, there is a whole range of traction exercises. The training of this muscle occurs by lowering and raising the shoulders with weights, for example, using a barbell or dumbbells. The lower part is swayed by the method of mixing-breeding under the load of the blades. But do not train this muscle group separately. This can lead to a visual narrowing of the shoulders. It needs to be downloaded in a complex.
