Tag: Anatomy

Pictured above is the flexor digitorum longus muscle. It stabilizes your foot & ankle for balance by pulling all of your toes except the big toe toward the bottom of your foot. If contracted hard enough, it pulls the bottom of your foot toward the back of your lower leg like when you point your toes. It attaches underneath the soleus muscle along most of the back of the bigger of your lower leg bones (the tibia), and its tendon runs down the back inside of your ankle and attaches to the bottom of all the toes except the big toe.

If this muscle locks up it will feel tight and possibly painful along the center portion of the back of your lower leg, and your toes will not move well. This muscle and the flexor hallucis longus are BIG contributors to hammer toes, claw toes, and other general lower leg and foot pains. Rarely will this muscle lock up without the other toe flexor muscle needing attention too (the flexor hallucis longus). The soleus muscle ALWAYS needs attention if your flexor muscles are locked up, and your toe extensors will also likely need some TLC on the front of your lower leg deeper than the anterior tibialis.

The flexor digitorum longus muscle is displayed on the right leg. On the left leg the muscles located in the back of your lower leg are layered, showing how some of the muscles are covered by the others. All of the muscles are see-through so that you can appreciate the location and size of each muscle relative to the others. You can access detail for all the muscles in the body with our Coach membership.

Click here for a list of all the muscles.

Muscles that cross or attach to the hip or thigh bone (femur) and attach below the knee joint and DO NOT attach to the knee cap (patella)

1. Sartorius
2. Gracilis
3. Biceps Femoris
4. Semitendonosis
5. Semimembranosis
6. Gastrocnemius
7. Popliteus
8. Plantaris

Lower Leg
The following muscles attach across or below the knee.
Click the appropriate link for your interest.

Muscles that cross the knee

1. Gastrocnemius
2. Popliteus
3. Plantaris

Muscles that pass or attach between the knee & ankle

1. Gastrocnemius
2. Popliteus
3. Plantaris
4. Soleus
5. Peroneus Longus
6. Peroneus Brevis
7. Flexor Digitorum Longus
8. Flexor Hallucis Longus
9. Posterior Tibialis
10. Anterior Tibialis
11. Extensor Digitorum Longus
12. Extensor Hallucis Longus

Good luck working out those tight knots.

If you have any questions, please post a comment. We try to respond within 24 hours.

We're here to help you get more out of your training!

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Pictured above is the flexor hallucis longus muscle (the 'big toe flexor'). It stabilizes your foot & ankle for balance by pulling your big toe toward the bottom of your foot. If contracted hard enough, it pulls the bottom of your foot toward the back of your lower leg like when you point your toes. It attaches underneath the soleus muscle on the lower 2/3 of the back of your lower leg bones moreso on the smaller outer bone (the fibula), and its tendon runs down the back inside of your ankle and attaches to the bottom of only the big toe.

If this muscle locks up it will feel tight and possibly painful along the lower portion of the back of your lower leg, and your big toe will not move well. This muscle and the flexor digitorum longus are BIG contributors to hammer toes, claw toes, and other general lower leg and foot pains. Rarely will this muscle lock up without the other toe flexor muscle needing attention too (the flexor digitorum longus). The soleus muscle ALWAYS needs attention if your flexor muscles are locked up, and your toe extensors will also likely need some TLC on the front of your lower leg deeper than the anterior tibialis.

The flexor hallucis longus muscle is displayed on the right leg. On the left leg the muscles located in the back of your lower leg are layered, showing how some of the muscles are covered by the others. All of the muscles are see-through so that you can appreciate the location and size of each muscle relative to the others. You can access detail for all the muscles in the body with our Coach membership.

Click here for a list of all the muscles.

Muscles that cross or attach to the hip or thigh bone (femur) and attach below the knee joint and DO NOT attach to the knee cap (patella)

1. Sartorius
2. Gracilis
3. Biceps Femoris
4. Semitendonosis
5. Semimembranosis
6. Gastrocnemius
7. Popliteus
8. Plantaris

Lower Leg
The following muscles attach across or below the knee.
Click the appropriate link for your interest.

Muscles that cross the knee

1. Gastrocnemius
2. Popliteus
3. Plantaris

Muscles that pass or attach between the knee & ankle

1. Gastrocnemius
2. Popliteus
3. Plantaris
4. Soleus
5. Peroneus Longus
6. Peroneus Brevis
7. Flexor Digitorum Longus
8. Flexor Hallucis Longus
9. Posterior Tibialis
10. Anterior Tibialis
11. Extensor Digitorum Longus
12. Extensor Hallucis Longus

Good luck working out those tight knots.

If you have any questions, please post a comment. We try to respond within 24 hours.

We're here to help you get more out of your training!

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Pictured above is the peroneus brevis muscle. It stabilizes your foot & ankle for balance by pulling the back of the bones that lead to your pinky toe toward your outer ankle bone (everts your foot). It attaches to the lower 1/3 of the outside of your lower leg bone and its tendon runs behind the outside of your ankle and attaches to the bone on the outside of your foot that leads to your pinky toe.

If this muscle locks up your ankle will feel tight and possibly painful along the backside of your ankle and the bottom 1/3 of the outside of your lower leg. Rarely will this muscle lock up without the peroneus longus needing attention too. The soleus muscle ALWAYS needs attention if either of your peroneal muscles are locked up.

The peroneus brevis muscle is displayed on the right leg. On the left leg the muscles are layered, showing how some of the muscles are covered by the others. All of the muscles are see-through so that you can appreciate the location and size of each muscle relative to the others.

Click here for a list of all the muscles.

Muscles that cross or attach to the hip or thigh bone (femur) and attach below the knee joint and DO NOT attach to the knee cap (patella)

1. Sartorius
2. Gracilis
3. Biceps Femoris
4. Semitendonosis
5. Semimembranosis
6. Gastrocnemius
7. Popliteus
8. Plantaris

Lower Leg
The following muscles attach across or below the knee.
Click the appropriate link for your interest.

Muscles that cross the knee

1. Gastrocnemius
2. Popliteus
3. Plantaris

Muscles that pass or attach between the knee & ankle

1. Gastrocnemius
2. Popliteus
3. Plantaris
4. Soleus
5. Peroneus Longus
6. Peroneus Brevis
7. Flexor Digitorum Longus
8. Flexor Hallucis Longus
9. Posterior Tibialis
10. Anterior Tibialis
11. Extensor Digitorum Longus
12. Extensor Hallucis Longus

Good luck working out those tight knots.

If you have any questions, please post a comment. We try to respond within 24 hours.

We're here to help you get more out of your training!

Favorite