Rhomboid major origin and insertion

Rhomboid major runs from the second to fifth thoracic vertebrae to the scapula.

What are the origin and insertion of rhomboid major?

Rhomboid major arises from the spines of the second to fifth thoracic vertebrae. It inserts on the medial border of the scapula, from the spine to the inferior angle. Its main action is retraction of the scapula. It is supplied by the dorsal scapular nerve (C4, C5). The attachments, actions and nerve follow Gray (1918).

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Every attachment and its bone

Origins 4

Origins of rhomboid major, with the bone each is on
Attachment	Bone
Spine of the second thoracic vertebra	Second thoracic vertebra
Spine of the third thoracic vertebra	Third thoracic vertebra
Spine of the fourth thoracic vertebra	Fourth thoracic vertebra
Spine of the fifth thoracic vertebra	Fifth thoracic vertebra

Insertion 1

Insertion of rhomboid major, with the bone each is on
Attachment	Bone
Medial border of the scapula, from the spine to the inferior angle	Scapula

Actions

The actions of rhomboid major, and which are its main ones
Action	What moves	Main or assisting
Retraction	The shoulder blade moves towards the spine	Main action
Downward rotation	The shoulder blade turns back down	Assists

Each action is stated in the anatomical position: standing, arms by the sides, palms forward.

Innervation

The dorsal scapular nerve (C4, C5).

Lifts that use rhomboid major

A prime mover produces the lift’s main joint action against the load; a synergist assists that action, or adds a secondary action the lift needs. Each role is the one the lift’s own page gives, for the technique that page states.

The lift records name rhomboid major and rhomboid minor together, as the rhomboids, so each role here is theirs together.

Prime mover in 1

Lifts in which rhomboid major is a prime mover, with what it does there
Lift	What it does there
Bent-over barbell row	Pulling the shoulder blades together

Synergist in 3

Lifts in which rhomboid major is a synergist, with what it does there
Lift	What it does there
Pull-up	Rotating the shoulder blades down and drawing them in
Chin-up	Drawing the shoulder blades in
Lat pulldown	Drawing the shoulder blades in and down

It is also a stabilizer in the back squat, conventional deadlift, sumo deadlift, Romanian deadlift, flat bench press, incline bench press and parallel-bar dip.

Sources

Gray (1918), Myology, the muscles connecting the upper extremity to the vertebral column

Each lift role is from that lift’s page in muscles worked by exercise, which names the sources it follows.

See it in 3D

Visualiser · Biology Muscle Origin, Insertion and Action Explorer Paint a muscle’s origin and insertion on real 3D bones, or click a bone to see what attaches to it. Visualiser · Biology Back Muscles Explorer 58 back muscle meshes, in six dissection layers. Visualiser · Biology Muscles Worked by Exercise 3D Explorer Choose a lift and a real body lights its prime movers, synergists and stabilisers, front and back, with the same muscles in 3D.