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The Concise Book of Muscles
A clear, simple guide for students of anatomy as well as an excellent resource for athletes, massage therapists, and anyone interested in the workings of the human body, this user-friendly book is organized around six muscle groups. They include muscles of the face head, and neck; the trunk; the shoulder and upper arm; the forearm and hand; the hip and thigh; and the leg and foot. Each of the groups is given a distinctive color to make it easy to identify, and each muscle is shown in its relationship to the skeleton. Each gets a complete profile, including origin/insertion, action of the muscle, which nerve controls it, movements that use it, and exercises and stretches that strengthen it. The Concise Book of Muscles shows students exactly how to locate and identify specific muscles, highlighting those that are heavily used and therefore subject to injury in a variety of sports and activities. This expanded edition of a leading anatomy reference book includes 20 muscles not previously covered, adding greater depth to the original edition while remaining accessible and affordable.
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 19, 2023
Good anatomy book when needing a review on the major important muscles of the body.
Highly recommend to those in the kinesiology field.
Highly recommend to those in the kinesiology field.
October 26, 2016
Amazing
I'm a personal trainer but didn't major in exercise science. This book has helped me tremendously. I knew only about the major muscle groups but didn't understand the purpose of their origins and insertions. Now when I train clients I teach them how to concentrate on which bones they need to move in order to flex the desired muscle.
I'm a personal trainer but didn't major in exercise science. This book has helped me tremendously. I knew only about the major muscle groups but didn't understand the purpose of their origins and insertions. Now when I train clients I teach them how to concentrate on which bones they need to move in order to flex the desired muscle.
May 3, 2013
Technically a re-read, but one of my favorite go to muscle anatomy books. Short and sweet with the essentials.
March 12, 2020
This is an excellent book to learn about anatomy and the musculoskeletal system. It’s technical and concise and this book also provides exercises to strengthen or stretch the muscle in reference. What I really enjoy about this book is that the author took the time to write detailed descriptions about the origin of the muscles, where they are inserted, the nerves that the muscles encapsulate, and associated action and application of the muscles. I finally have a greater appreciation for the exercises I’ve been doing in the gym.
March 13, 2022
I used this as reference material for helpful tips on understanding some exercises/stretches in yoga and other tight muscles. It wasn’t a book I necessarily “read” in the traditional sense. I purchased the kindle version and unfortunately I don’t know how to zoom into certain photos in the book (the book is a lot of detailed graphics on muscle anatomy). I would have preferred to have a paper copy of this book, it would have been helpful.
April 26, 2026
Love this book - it’s so well set out and easy to learn from. I got this for anatomy study but have enjoyed reading it outside of that too. The stretches at the bottom of each page are a great addition too.
September 5, 2017
Less detail (graphically) than I'd like. While this is about normal for the genre I have seen better
September 6, 2019
Easy-to-understand book about the muscles of the body and how they work. Perfect for those learning anatomy.
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December 9, 20214th ed
February 23, 2026
quiero tener una copia para mí.
July 29, 2012
40 hours of anatomy later.
December 5, 2012
exactly what it says. useful.
January 11, 2018
This book contains more detail than any non-medical student will ever need. It's perfect for the casual strength training enthusiast who wants to understand muscle movements.
January 19, 2011
For Yoga Teacher Training....but who couldn't love a title like this?
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews










