These diagrams show the major muscle groups of the human body. Aerobic and cardio exercise focuses on improving your heart and lung fitness, but it also works many of your body’s muscles. Strength and resistance training, and flexibility exercise both focus on the muscles, with individual exercises usually targeting specific muscle groups.
The exercises in this section cover a range of muscle groups. An exercise professional can help you plan a weekly program that covers all the muscle groups and focuses on any areas that may need particular care or attention.
The muscle groups (front view)
The muscle groups (back view)
→ READ MORE: Aerobic and cardio exercise
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Key resource
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More resources
Kirsten Adlard, Accredited Exercise Physiologist, The University of Queensland, QLD; Dr Diana Adams, Medical Oncologist, Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre, NSW; Grace Butson, Senior Physiotherapist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Kate Cox, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Wai Yin Chung, Consumer; Thomas Harris, Men’s Health Physiotherapist, QLD; Clare Hughes, Chair of Cancer Council’s Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical Activity Committee; Jen McKenzie, Level 1 Lymphoedema Physiotherapist, ESSA Accredited Exercise Physiologist, The McKenzie Clinic, QLD; Claudia Marck, Consumer; Dr David Mizrahi, Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Research Fellow, The Daffodil Centre at Cancer Council NSW and The University of Sydney, NSW; Prof Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, WA; Jason Sonneman, Consumer.
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