Muscle

How it is used

Used everywhere in sport: you build, work, stretch, pull or tear a muscle. Trainers name muscle groups (chest, back, legs) and say an exercise works or targets a muscle. Muscle mass and muscle strength are common terms in sports science.

Example sentences

1. This exercise mainly works the muscles of the upper back.

2. He pulled a muscle in his calf during the sprint.

3. Building muscle takes time and consistent training.

Common collocations

• build muscle
• pull a muscle
• muscle group
• muscle mass
• muscle cramp

Related terms

• tendonA tough band of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone, such as the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle.
• strainAn injury in which a muscle or tendon is overstretched or partly torn, often in the hamstring, calf or groin.
• strength trainingExercise in which muscles work against resistance, such as weights, machines, bands or body weight, in order to become stronger.
• hamstringOne of the three muscles at the back of the thigh that bend the knee and extend the hip; the group is usually called the hamstrings.
• body compositionThe proportions of fat, muscle, bone and water that make up the body, often expressed as body fat percentage and lean mass.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• muscle · Anatomy & Physiology

More terms: Muscles & the Body

• quadriceps
• core
• abs
• glutes
• flexibility
• mobility
• ligament