Muscle origin, insertion and action drill
39 muscles that massage programs teach first. Each question is new, and every answer shows the muscle's full attachments and actions.
Pick an answer. Each question is new.
Read the action from the attachments
A muscle pulls its insertion toward its origin. The biceps brachii runs from the scapula to the radius in front of the elbow, so it flexes the elbow; it crosses the shoulder too, so it also flexes the shoulder.
Then the whole exam
The free diagnostic has 15 questions across all seven content areas and takes 17 minutes. No account. You get your score in each area and a short lesson on the one to fix first.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an origin and an insertion?
The origin is the attachment that usually stays still when the muscle contracts, often the more proximal one. The insertion is the attachment that moves toward it.
How do you learn muscle origins and insertions?
Learn them by region, a few muscles at a time, and say each muscle's action from its attachments: a muscle pulls its insertion toward its origin, so the line between them tells you the movement. Short daily drills work better than one long session.
How many kinesiology questions are on the massage licensing exam?
The exam's content outline gives kinesiology about 12% of the 100 questions, and muscle locations, attachments and actions are one of its six headings.
Which muscles should massage students know first?
Start with the large muscles you will work on every day: trapezius, levator scapulae, rhomboids, the rotator cuff, latissimus dorsi, the gluteals, the quadriceps, the hamstrings and the calf.