What Muscles Do You Work When Playing Basketball? Which Body Parts Get the Most Benefit?

Basketball for fitness and strength building

What muscles are we training when playing basketball?

Depending on the sport you play, certain areas of the body will be called upon more than others, but what about when you play basketball? Will you tone and refine your figure by playing basketball? Below is a list of the muscles and muscle groups strengthened and sculpted when playing basketball!

Upper limbs (shoulders, arms and forearms)

• Shoulder muscles: These are the muscles that link the arm to the rest of the body. They include the rotator cuff muscles (subscapularis, infraspinatus, petit rond, supraspinatus), trapezius, deltoid, grand dentle and angular. These muscles enable arm and shoulder mobility (rotation, elevation).
• Biceps: These muscles, located on the front of the arm, are surrounded by two joints (scapulohumeral, elbow). The biceps comprise two muscles(long biceps and short biceps) that help flex and rotate the arms.
• The triceps : Located on the inner side of the arm, they comprise three muscles (vastus lateralis, vastus internus and long head of triceps) which complement the flexor role of the biceps brachii. The triceps allow forearm extension.

Trunk and pelvis (Chest, stomach and back)

• The pectorals: The pectoralis major, pectoralis minor and pectoralis major are located in the thorax region, ensuring arm mobility and stability in the shoulder region.
• Abdominals: These are made up of several layers of muscle (rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, transverse) whose function is to flex and rotate the trunk.

Lower limbs (glutes, thighs and calves)

• Buttocks: Located at the intersection of the lower limbs and the trunk, the gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus) are among the largest and most powerful muscles in the body. In particular, they provide mobility for the thigh and support for the pelvis.
• Quadriceps: Located at the front of the thigh, the quadriceps is made up of 4 muscles (vastus femoris or rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius). These muscles facilitate flexion of the thigh over the hip, as well as extension of the leg over the thigh.
• Hamstring muscles: Located on the back of the thigh, there are four hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semitendinosus). They ensure leg flexion and thigh extension.
• Calf muscles: also known as the sural triceps, the calf muscles comprise 3 muscle fascicles, including the soleus and gastrocnemius. These muscles help extend the foot down the leg

Basketball is an excellent sport for working the whole body. If the numerous movements on the court and the jumps strengthen the leg muscles (thighs and calves) and the glutes. The upper body is not left out. Dribbling, passing, shooting and dunking, the various movements of the ball call on the muscles of the shoulders, arms, pectorals and abs.