Muscle contraction is the foundation of all movement and force generation in the human body. This article breaks down how the nervous system initiates contraction and how tension is produced through both active mechanisms like the cross-bridge cycle and passive mechanisms like titin. Understanding this process is essential for grasping how calisthenics and other forms of exercise actually work at a physiological level.
Understanding how muscles generate tension under different conditions is essential for analyzing movement and optimizing training. In this article, we explore the primary muscle action modes—concentric, eccentric, and isometric—as well as passive stretching, and how they influence force production and exercise performance. Grasping these distinctions provides a foundation for better exercise programming and deeper insight into calisthenics mechanics.