What is the strongest muscle in the body? We asked the artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT this question, and its answer will probably surprise you. Hint: You don’t train it much in the gym (unless you’re doing a lot of talking or gum-chewing there), but you do train it at the dinner table. We also asked A.I. to rank the top 10 strongest muscles in the human body, and there some more predictable “gym muscles” made the list, though A.I.’s order still has some surprises.
So, let’s get to the strongest muscles in the body.
NOTE: Everything that follows with a green background was written by A.I. We wrote everything else.
WHAT IS THE STRONGEST MUSCLE IN THE BODY?
The strongest muscle in the human body, based on different criteria, can vary. When we talk about strength, it’s typically the masseter muscle that’s considered the strongest. The masseter is located in the jaw and is responsible for the closing of the jaw during chewing. It can exert an incredible amount of force to crush food between the teeth. However, if we consider endurance, the heart muscle (the myocardium) is arguably the strongest, as it continuously pumps blood throughout a person’s lifetime without tiring.
Analysis: There really is no easy answer to this question, in part because muscles rarely work alone. The masseter frequently wins because your jaw is a relatively small lever and the muscles that close it can therefore create much force despite also being small. The much larger gluteus maximus (strongest butt muscle) and vastus lateralis (strongest quad muscle) are also contenders, depending on how one defines strength.
The external eye muscles are the fastest muscles. They make about 10,000 very rapid and tiny movements during an hour of reading.
And, as A.I. said, the heart is the great marathoner, always beating—awake, sleeping, faster under stress, never resting—as long as we’re alive.
TOP 10 STRONGEST MUSCLES IN THE BODY, RANKED
Ranking the muscles in the human body by strength can be subjective and dependent on various factors such as size, force production, endurance, and context. However, here’s a generalized list of some of the strongest muscles in the human body:
1. MASSETER
The jaw muscle responsible for closing the jaw during chewing.
The left and right masseter can create about 200 pounds of force on the molars when chewing. As the following A.I. illustration proves, there are a lot of muscles in your face, including those that help with chewing and talking.
2. QUADRICEPS
The group of muscles located in the front of the thigh that extend the knee and straighten the leg.
Grouping all front thigh muscles together is a bit of a cheat. The vastus lateralis on the outside of each thigh is the largest and strongest of the quad muscles.
3. GLUTEUS MAXIMUS
The largest muscle in the buttocks responsible for hip movement and stabilization.
After separating the vastus lateralis out of the quad muscles, we’d rank the gluteus maximus #2 (or #1, depending on how you define strength).
4. SOLEUS
A deep calf muscle involved in plantar flexion of the foot (pointing the toes downward).
This might come as a surprise, because the gastrocnemius is the flashier calf muscle. However, the soleus, which lies beneath the gastrocnemius, and is mostly hidden, is the larger and stronger of the two calf muscles. Like the masseter, your calf muscles create a lot of force over a short range of motion (raising up on your toes). They’re also excellent endurance muscles.
5. LATISSIUMS DORSI
A large back muscle responsible for extension, adduction, and internal rotation of the shoulder joint.
Your lats are another large muscle, but on such exercises as rowing and pulldowns they get a lot of help from other back muscles as well as the biceps and rear delts.
6. DELTOID
The shoulder muscle responsible for lifting the arm away from the body and shoulder stability.
There are three heads to both the left and right deltoid muscles. Each can create a lot of force working with the complex ball-and-socket shoulder joints, but we wonder if deltoid is ranked a little too high.
7. GASTROCNEMIUS
The superficial calf muscle involved in plantar flexion of the foot and knee flexion.
Here we have the weaker of the two calf muscles, but it’s also a powerhouse with great endurance.
8. PECTORALIS MAJOR
The chest muscle responsible for shoulder movement, such as flexion, adduction, and rotation.
The pecs had to make the top 10. Number eight seems about right.
9. HAMSTRINGS
The group of muscles located at the back of the thigh responsible for knee flexion and hip extension.
The biceps femoris is the strongest of the hamstring muscles.
10. TRAPEZIUS
A large muscle in the upper back and neck responsible for stabilizing and moving the shoulder blades.
We’d rank the traps higher. They’re capable of moving a lot of weight through the limited range of motion of shrugging. Think of how much weight you can barbell shrug for 10 reps versus how much you can overhead press.
These muscles vary in strength and function, and their ranking can change depending on the specific criteria used for assessment.
We definitely agree with A.I. on that final point, but it makes for an interesting list.
All Images: Easy-Peasy.AI
FURTHER READING
Most Weight Ever Lifted: Man’s Greatest Strength Feats
