Muscles

From the 2018 Ghosh Yoga Immersive

1. Muscles only pull

2. Concentric and Eccentric Contraction

• When a muscle contracts and becomes shorter, that is concentric contraction
  • ex. The upward motion of a bicep curl
  • The contraction of abdominal muscles during a sit up
• When a muscle contracts and gets longer, that is eccentric contraction
  • ex. The lowering of the arm in a bicep curl
  • Lowering yourself down in a pushup

3. Reciprocal Inhibition

• Muscles on one side of a joint relax while the muscles on the other side contract.
  • The muscles that relax are called the antagonists
  • The muscles that contract are called the primary movers

4. Hypertonic vs. Hypotonic

• Tonic refers to tone when the muscle is resting
• Hypertonic means that the muscle has increased muscle tone and is less flexible
• Hypotonic means that the muscle is underdeveloped and too flexible