Free tool

Interactive muscle map and exercise guide

A clickable map of the muscular system. Tap any muscle on the front or back of the body to see what it does and which exercises train it.

Evidence-checkedEdited by Chris Mann Dip.IOPNHow we check this

Every figure and rating this tool shows comes from one set of tested rules, the same ones used across the Hub and our AI tools, with the method and sources named on the page.

Advertising never decides what we write or recommend. If something is wrong, we correct it and record the change.

Editorial standards Evidence policy Corrections

Short answer: Select a muscle group to see its anatomical name, the joint actions it controls, the main compound and isolation exercises that train it, and how much weekly training the evidence supports.

Tap a muscle on either body, or pick one from the list.

Front

Back

Front of the body

Chest

Pectoralis major and minor

What it does: Brings the upper arm across and in front of the body, as in pushing.
Compound exercises: Bench press, Dumbbell bench press, Push-up, Machine chest press
Isolation exercises: Cable fly, Pec deck
Weekly sets: The 2026 American College of Sports Medicine position stand found more muscle growth with higher weekly volume and summarised the evidence as favouring around 10 or more sets per muscle group per week. Muscle can still grow with fewer sets, and no single best number is established. Check your weekly sets.

Read: How to build your chest →

How to use this interactive muscle map for workout planning

Use the map as a checklist for your plan. Go through each muscle and ask whether at least one exercise in your week trains it directly. Gaps show up quickly: many routines have plenty of chest and front-shoulder work but little for the rear shoulders, hamstrings or calves.

Whatever split you follow — full body, upper/lower or push/pull/legs — the aim is the same: every major muscle trained hard most weeks. The workout builder lays this out for you.

Muscular system diagram: front and back muscle groups

The front of the body holds the main pushing and knee-straightening muscles. The back holds the main pulling and hip-extending muscles.

Upper-body push: chest (pectorals), front shoulders (anterior deltoid), triceps.
Upper-body pull: lats, traps and upper back, rear shoulders (posterior deltoid), biceps.
Knee straightening: quadriceps.
Hip extension and knee bending: glutes and hamstrings.
Trunk: abs, obliques and the lower back (erector spinae).

Muscle anatomy chart: compound vs isolation exercises

Compound exercises move more than one joint and train several muscles at once — squats, presses, rows and deadlifts. They are an efficient base for any plan.

Isolation exercises move one joint and target one muscle — curls, lateral raises, leg curls and calf raises. Add them for muscles that compounds do not train fully, such as the side shoulders, biceps, hamstrings and calves.

Muscle groups chart: how many sets per muscle per week

The 2026 American College of Sports Medicine position stand found more muscle growth with higher weekly training volume, and summarised the evidence as favouring around 10 or more sets per muscle group per week. Muscle can still grow with fewer sets, and no single best number is established.

Read how many sets per muscle per week for the full evidence, or count your own with the weekly sets checker.

Balancing front and back muscles

Front (anterior) muscles are the ones you see in the mirror, so they often get more attention. Matching your pushing work with a similar amount of pulling work, and training the hamstrings and glutes as well as the quads, gives a more even plan.

Frequently asked questions about muscle anatomy and training

Which muscle groups should be trained together?

Group muscles that work together. Push days pair chest, shoulders and triceps; pull days pair back and biceps; leg days cover quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. Upper/lower and full-body plans work just as well.

Can you train the same muscle two days in a row?

It is usually easier to recover if you leave a day or two between hard sessions for the same muscle. If you train on back-to-back days, alternate muscle groups, for example upper body one day and lower body the next.

How do I know if I am doing too much for a muscle?

Warning signs include your weights or reps dropping for several sessions in a row, and soreness that is still there when you next train that muscle. If either happens, do fewer sets for a week or two.

Do compound exercises train smaller muscles enough?

They train them a lot — triceps in pressing, biceps in pulling, glutes in squats. Many people still add a few direct sets for the arms, side shoulders and calves to make sure they get enough work.

What do anterior and posterior mean?

Anterior means the front of the body (chest, front shoulders, biceps, abs, quads). Posterior means the back (traps, lats, lower back, glutes, hamstrings, calves).

Is this muscle map medical advice?

No. It is a training guide for healthy adults. If you have pain or an injury, speak to a doctor or physiotherapist.

A woman doing a cable straight-arm pulldown, with her back and shoulder muscles clearly visible.

Was this tool helpful?

Educational information for adults aged 18 and over. It does not diagnose, treat or manage any medical condition. If you have a health condition, or symptoms that worry you, speak to your doctor or a health professional.