In today’s blog, you’ll learn how to remember the three hamstring muscles and their origins and insertions
You’ll discover:
- What are the Hamstring Muscles?
- Which 3 muscles make up the Hamstring group?
- What do I need to know about Hamstrings for the exam?
- How to Remember the Three Hamstring Muscles
- You take your body into the Level 3 anatomy exam
- Test your knowledge with 3 Mock Questions and answers
- How to learn and remember the muscles for your exam
Before I share a super-easy way to remember the hamstrings, let’s first understand where they are located and what the Hamstring muscles are called?
Where are the Hamstring Muscles?
The hamstring group is located on the back of the thigh,
All three muscles originate on the ischium which is your sits bone
and then cross the hip and knee, before inserting on the Tibia and Fibula (just below the knee joint).
Which 3 muscles make up the Hamstring group?
The Hamstring Group is made up of three muscles:
- Biceps Femoris
- Semimembranosus
- Semitendinosus
What do I need to know about Hamstrings for the exam?
The other week whilst I invigilated a Level 3 Anatomy & Physiology exam and I saw a guy fiddling under the desk
I know what you’re thinking?
STOP IT. It’s wasn’t that… lol
His left hand was touching and locating his bicep femoris tendon.
[there’s a mock question about this in the P.S. section below as well]
In the exam the other week, one of the anatomy questions needed you to remember the Three Hamstring Muscles…
In fact, this muscle group and topic often comes up by the way 🤫
and knowing the hamstring muscles:
🦵 their locations
🦵 origins, insertions
🦵 Joint actions and what exercises work them are key.
How to Remember the Three Hamstring Muscles?
Anyhoo… let’s go deep on this hamstring A&P
If you sit down. Take your left hand and place it behind your left knee.
you’ll feel two tough, bouncy, connective bands of tissue on the inside and outside of your leg.
These two connective bands you can feel are two of the three tendons of the hamstrings that cross the knee and insert on to the lower leg.
The tendon you can feel on the outside of your knee is for the Biceps Femoris. This inserts on the Fibula head.
and the tendon you can feel in the inside of your knee is the semitendinosus. This inserts on the medial edge of the tibia.
now let’s geek out a little here… you in?
the specific area/region the semitendinosus inserts on the tibia is called:
the Pes anserinus (“goose 🦆 foot 👣 “) refers to the conjoined tendons of three muscles that insert onto the anteromedial (front and inside) surface of the proximal tibia.
The muscles are the sartorius, gracilis and semitendinosus sometimes referred to as the guy ropes of the leg. Moving on…
The third hamstring… the semimembranosus is much flatter and sits underneath the other two hamstrings on the back of the leg.
I always remember this as semimiddleosus… aka it’s the middle hamstring.
You won’t be able to feel the tendon of this hammy unlike the other two.
Key Revision Takeaway:
You take your body into the exam
It sounds silly, doesn’t it? Of course, you take your body into the exam
However, consider that touching the body parts that are asked in the exam questions allows your brain to connect a kinaesthetic understanding and helps you bring back key parts of your revision
To the front, your mind and tip of your pen to score the correct answer.
Therefore, you take the best anatomical guide into your fitness exam that gives you all the answers you’ll ever need.
It means you can use your body on exam day, to remember the Three Hamstring Muscles… and all the rest of the muscles too.
just like the guy touching himself under the table to locate his biceps femoris… you can too.
Slow down in the exam.
You have plenty of time to think about the questions and the possible 4 answers and locate what the exam is asking of you on your body.
there are 26 muscles at level 2 A&P and 50 at level 3 A&P… muscles is usually the module that most learners struggle with?
which is why we have created the Level 2 and Level 3 Muscle Memory Flashcards. All the muscles clearly outline on done-for-you flashcards so you can just focus on revising and not making your own.
Yes – let me see the L2 Flashcards or L3 Flashcards
Test your knowledge with 3 Mock Questions
Look at the 3 Mock Anatomy and Physiology Test questions below and jot down your answer on a scrap paper or as a note in your phone.
Then scroll down to reveal the answers.
1) What is the function of the tendon?
A. To connect muscle to bone
B. Connect bone to bone
C. To connect muscle to muscle
D. Absorb key minerals
2) What is the Origin of the Bicep Femoris
A. Fibula
B. Ischium
C. Tibia
D. Femur
3) What is the Insertion of the Semitendinosus
A. Tibia
B. Fibula
C. Ischium
D. Femur
Answers:
Q1: Answer = A
Q2: Answer = B
Q3: Answer = A
If you want more mock questions like this, then you can download more Free Mock Questions: DOWNLOAD NOW
How to learn orgins and insertions?
Learn, Revise & Remember All 50 Muscles In The Level 3 Anatomy & Physiology Exam.
(and the BEST part…You can do all this in as little as 5-minutes a day)
Each flashcard gives you a clear image and six clear muscle facts:
- Name and Location
- Origin and Insertions
- Muscle Actions
- Joints Crossed
- Primary Planes Of Movement
- Exercise Examples
Dedicated to More
Hayley “Remember the Three Hamstring Muscles” Bergman
Parallel Coaching
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