Gastrocnemius Muscle

DEFINITION – What does Gastrocnemius mean?
Derived from the Greek words for stomach and leg, gastrocnemius refers to the ‘bulge’ of the calf and is in fact just half of that structure, otherwise paired with the soleus muscle. On its own, gastrocnemius is an extremely powerful bipennate, made up of white, type II fibers (fast twitch) and located at the rear area of the lower leg, where it runs from its twin heads atop the knee down to the heel. Rising up from the Achilles tendon on the posterior section of the heel bone, gastrocnemius extends via its lateral and medial heads to the femur’s lateral and medial condyles.
FUNCTION – Gastrocnemius Muscle
Running, jumping, and other similar explosive actions owe their power to Gastrocnemius. Flexing the leg at the knee joint and the foot at the ankle, traction is created on the femur which pulls it towards the tibia and causes the knee to bend.
RECEIVE 10% OFF YOUR FIRST THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE TREATMENT
Popliteus Muscle
Popliteus Muscle DEFINITION - What does Popliteus mean? Situated at the knee joint, the popliteus is a small muscle
Tibialis Anterior Muscle
Tibialis Anterior Muscle DEFINITION - What does Tibialis Anterior mean? Located mostly near the shin, on the horizontal side
Soleus Muscle
Soleus Muscle DEFINITION - What does Soleus mean? Running from lightly under the heel and up to the knee,