Muscle Memory Cheat Sheet

This cheat sheet covers two aspects of Muscle Memory hacking in

preparation for your level 3 Anatomy and Physiology Exam:

1. Muscle Groups
2. Learning (and remembering) Muscle Detail – Visual Process

This cheat sheet will give you some hints and reminders about
the processes we followed, as well as a few relevant mock
questions.

PART 1:
Muscle Groups
You need to know the following muscle names and identify them
as being part of the correct muscle group. As a bonus, identify
the key responsibility of that muscle action and any key
differences within the group.

Quadriceps:

Rectus Femoris – (longest, crosses knee and hip)

Vastus Medialis
Vastus Lateralis
Vastus Intermedialis
Key Responsibility: Knee Extension

Hamstrings:

Biceps Femoris – (longest, crosses knee and hip)

Semitendinosis
Semimembranosis
Key Responsibility: Knee Flexion

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Adductors:

Adductor Magnus
Adductor Longus
Adductor Brevis
Pectineus
Gracilis
Key Responsibility: Hip Adduction

Abductors:

Gluteus Minimus
Gluteus Medius
Piriformis
Tensor Fascia Latae
Key Responsibility: Hip Abduction
NOTE: Gluteus maximus does abduct the hip, but isn’t a major
abductor

Rotator Cuff:

Infraspinatus
Supraspinatus
Subscapularis
Teres Minor
Key Responsibility: Shoulder Stability.
NOTE: Teres Major is NOT a rotator cuff muscle as it does major
joint actions.

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Inner Core Unit:

Diaphragm
Transversus Abdominus (TVA)
Pelvic Floor – (hammock like muscle running front to back in the
pelvis)
Multifidus
Key Responsibility: Spine Stability, posture, reduce tension on
the bones and ligaments of the spine.
NOTE: Rectus Abdominus is NOT part of Inner Core Unit

PART 2:
Learning Muscle Detail – Visual Process
Using your flashcards (either electronically or printed out) select
one image to work with at a time.

For foundational knowledge – use just the first 3 steps

For exceptional knowledge – do all 6 steps

You may need to go through some of these steps multiple times,

and some muscles will feel easier to remember than the others.

1. Look at the flashcard and just pay attention to the name

and location of the muscle including the shape of the
muscle. Is it on the front or back of the body? What shape is
it? Is the shape consistent or are there a few part of it that
particularly eye catching?

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Close your eyes, or turn over the flashcard and recall the
name, location and shape of the muscle. Test yourself by
looking at the flashcard again.

2. Look at the flashcard and just pay attention to the muscle

fibre direction. Is it diagonal, is it vertical, is it horizontal?

Close your eyes, or turn over the flashcard and recall the
muscle fibre direction. Can you see it in your mind’s eye?
Can you also still see the shape of the muscle and the
name? Test yourself by looking at the flashcard again.
Repeat this if you need to until it looks clear in your head?

3. This time look at the flashcard and notice where the muscle
stops and starts – the image has an O for origin and an I for
Insertion. In your own words give a name or description to
the area it attaches to bone for both Origin and Insertion.
Usually the Origin is closest to the Heart, but watch out for
the core muscles when it changes around.

Close your eyes, or turn over the flashcard and recall the
origin and insertion in your words. Test yourself by looking
at the flashcard again.

4. Now you can recall the origin and insertion in your own
words, look at the official names of the origin and insertion
points, and relate these to what you saw. So if you said
back of pelvis, but it says iliac crest, relate these two
phrases together to help you remember where that bony
landmark is and which is origin and insertion.

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Close your eyes, or turn over the flashcard and recall the
origin and insertion in the official terms. Test yourself by
looking at the flashcard again.

5. Looking at the flashcard, now notice what joint(s) this

muscle crosses. This is important as it will help you
remember the joint actions later.

Close your eyes, or turn over he flashcard and recall the

joints crossed. Whilst you are here, also recall the origins
and insertions of the muscle one more time.

6. The final step – look at the flashcard and read the joint
actions. As you read the joint actions imagine the line of
fibre on the muscle shortening, imagine the origin and
insertion getting closer together to create that joint action.
Then physically do those actions, ideally touching the
muscle that you are working so you can feel it concentrically
contract (get shorter) to create that joint action.

Close your eyes, or turn over the flashcard and recall the
joint actions.

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MOCK QUESTIONS:
Check your knowledge using these mock questions. Answers are
on the last page:

1. Which muscle is on the posterior thigh and crosses both

Knee and Hip?
2. Which muscle attaches the humerus to the scapula?
a. Triceps Brachii
b. Transversus Abdominus
c. Subscapularis
d. Rhomboids
3. Which muscle group is responsible for knee extension?
a. Hamstring
b. Quadriceps
c. Adductors
d. Gastrocnemius
4. What is the role of the infraspinatus?

5. Which of the following is not a rotator cuff muscle:

a. Teres Minor
b. Teres Major
c. Supraspinatus
d. Subscapularis

Answers are on the following page:

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Answers:
1 = Bicep Femoris
2=C
3=B
4 = Shoulder Stability
5=A

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