AFAA Personal Trainer Certification Practice Exam 2025 - Free Personal Trainer Practice Questions and Study Guide

The latissimus dorsi is a large muscle in the back that is primarily responsible for movements such as shoulder adduction, extension, and internal rotation. To identify the muscle group that opposes the actions of the latissimus dorsi, it's important to consider the primary movements it performs.

The anterior deltoids, which are located in the front of the shoulder, play a significant role in shoulder flexion and are involved in movements that lift the arms forward and upward. When the latissimus dorsi contracts to pull the arm down and backward, the anterior deltoids would be involved in opposing that downward and backward motion by lifting the arm forward. Thus, the anterior deltoids act as antagonists to the latissimus dorsi in this context.

In contrast, the rectus abdominis is a muscle of the abdominal wall that primarily flexes the trunk and stabilizes the pelvis, but it does not directly oppose the actions of the latissimus dorsi. The pectoralis major, while it assists in some shoulder movements, particularly flexion, does not act directly against the latissimus dorsi in the same way the anterior deltoids do. The gluteus maximus is mainly involved in hip