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Fun Fact: Iliopsoas

Anatomy def: Iliopsoas muscles are flexors of the hip joints. Flexion draws together the bones of a joint thereby reducing the angle between them. 

Outlander def: Preferring the Highland Fling dismount, Claire and Jamie contract right iliopsoas muscles to hoist their right legs and skedaddle-from-the-saddle.

Learn about iliopsoas in Anatomy Lesson #7: Jamie’s Thighs – Ode to Joy!

Each iliopsoas is a composite muscle formed of iliacus and psoas. These muscles arise in the abdomen via pelvic bone and lumbar vertebrae, respectively. They descend into the thigh, unite and insert via a common tendon into the femur. 

As they contract, the thigh is raised toward the torso, or with the thigh fixed (held steady), the torso is flexed toward the thigh. We actually have nine hip flexors for each hip joint, but iliopsoas is strongest!

Fun Fact: If one is a proper anatomist (he he), psoas is more accurately termed psoas major.  Why? Because, there is a psoas minor – albeit only 25% of people have one. When present, it’s a pretty dinky muscle. It lies anterior to psoas major and contributes little to hip flexion.

And,  just so you know, the “p” in psoas is silent, so the word is pronounced “soas.”  

Read about thighs in Diana’s first splendid tome, Outlander! Does she mention iliopsoas muscle? No, but she does mention thighs. Woot! 

Claire notices Jamie’s thighs on that wild ride through the night near Cocknammon Rock:

My companion seemed to be having little trouble, in spite of being unable to use his right hand. I could feel his thighs behind mine, shifting and pressing occasionally to guide the horse. I clutched the edge of the short saddle in order to stay seated; I had been on horses before, but was by no means the horseman this Jamie was.

And, later after marriage vows have been made, Jamie recalls his thighs and praises Claire’s bottom <G>:

But then that ride through the dark together….with that lovely broad arse wedged between my thighs…

See Claire do the Highland High Kick in Starz ep. 102, Castle Leoch.  Gentleman Jamie follows suit as he dismounts to aid deceitful Geneva in Starz, ep. 304, Of Lost Things!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo credits: Sony/Starz

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Fun Fact: brachialis

Anatomy def: Brachialis is a muscle of the upper arm; covering lower half of humerus (upper arm bone) and ending on ulna (forearm bone), it flexes (bends) the elbow joint.

Outlander def: Brachialis, part and parcel of the big, beautiful bulge on Jamie’s right arm. The Highland Hero’s eye scans the sky for stormy weather. It’s gonna be a bad one – best batten down the hatches!

Learn about brachialis muscle in Anatomy Lesson #20, Arms! Arms! Arms! – Redux!

Contrary to popular opinion, biceps is NOT the most powerful flexor of the elbow joint. This honor goes to – drum roll – brachialis! Believe it or not, brachialis generates roughly 50% more power than biceps during elbow flexion. Truth!

Puir brachialis, lying deep and over shadowed by the honking biceps, it doesn’t get its fair share of attention from muscle builders or Outlander lovers.  

Read about arm muscles in Voyager book. Couldn’t find a quote for Jamie, but there is a splendid one of Claire as she assess her assets, <G> before venturing through the stones once more. Just try to remember —brachialis, that step-sister deep to biceps, performs MOST of the work during elbow flexion!

Dropping the towel, I looked myself over. Flexed my arms, raised them overhead, checking for bagginess. None; biceps and triceps all nicely defined, deltoids neatly rounded and sloping into the high curve of the pectoralis major. I turned slightly to one side, tensing and relaxing my abdominals—obliques in decent tone, the rectus abdominis flattening almost to concavity.

See the impressive bulge created by Jamie’s biceps and brachialis in Starz, Episode 313, Eye of the Storm!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credit: Sony/Starz