"Electromyographical (EMG) Research is an essential research tool allowing physiologists to determine the role of muscles during specific movements. EMG is a scientific method of measuring the level of excitation. This is done by placing electrodes over your body and recording the level of muscle activity induced by an exercise. A study was conducted to find which exercises cause the greatest amount of activity within each muscle group and, as a consequence, determine which exercises will produce the greatest gains in mass and strength. This study was conducted by Tudor O. Bompa, PhD & Lorenzo J. Cornacchia. Both men and women were used in the sudy and all subjects had at least two years experience with resistance training."

Here are the results of the best workout exercises study::
(100% would signify maximum muscle fiber stimulation)


Pectoralis Major (Chest)
Decline dumbbell bench press ----------------93%
Decline bench press, Olympic bar(OB)---------89
Push-ups between benches --------------------88
Flat dumbbell bench press -------------------87
Flat bench press (OB) -----------------------85
Flat dumbbell flyes --------------------------84

Pectoralis Minor (Chest)
Incline dumbbell bench press ----------------91%
Incline bench press (OB) --------------------85
Incline dumbbell flyes -----------------------83
Incline bench press (smith machine) ---------81

Medial Deltoids (Shoulder)
Incline dumbbell (db) side laterals ----- 66%
Standing db side laterals -------63
Seated db side laterals -----62
Cable side laterals -----47

Posterior Deltoids
Standing db bent laterals ----- 85%
Seated db bent laterals -----83
Standing cable bent laterals -----77

Anterior Deltoids
Seated front db press -----79%
Standing front db raises -----73
Seated front barbell press -----61

Biceps brachii (long head)
Preacher curls (Ob) -------------------- 90%
Incline seated Db curls (alternate) ------ 88
Standing biceps curls (Ob/narrow grip)--- 86
Standing Db curls (alternate) ----------- 84
Concentration Db curls ------------------ 80
Standing curls (Ob/wide grip)------------ 63
Sta
ding E-Z curls (wide grip) ----------- 61

Triceps brachii (outer head)
Decline extensions (Ob) ------------------ 92%
Triceps pressdowns (angled bar) ----------- 90
Dips with a bench --------------------------87
One-arm cable extensions (reverse grip) - 85
Overhead rope extensions ------------------ 85
Seated one-arm Db extensions (neutral grip)- 82
Close-grip bench press (Ob) --------------- 72

Latissimus dorsi (back)
Bent-over Bb rows ---------------------------93%
One-arm Db rows -----------------------------91
T-bar rows ----------------------------------89
Lat pulldowns to the front ------------------86
Seated pulley rows --------------------------83

Rectus femoris (quads)
Safety squats (90 degree angle, shoulder width stance) ----88%
seated leg extensions (toes straight) -------86
Hack squats (90 degree angle, shoulder width stance) ----78
Leg press (110 degree angle) ----------------76
Smith machine (90 degree angle, shoulder width stance) ----60

Biceps femoris (hamstring)
Standing leg curls --------------------------82%
Lying leg curls -----------------------------71
Seated leg curls ----------------------------58
Modified hamstring deads --------------------56

Semitendinosus (inner hamstring)
Seated leg curls ----------------------------88
Standing leg curls --------------------------79
Lying leg curls -----------------------------70
Modified hamstring deads --------------------63

Gastrocnemius (calf muscle)
Donkey raises -------------------------------80
Standing one-leg raises ---------------------79
Standing two-leg raises ---------------------68
Seated raises -------------------------------61

Marks1972 wrote:Leg Extensions higher than hack squats is suprising.

Marks1972 wrote:oh how should that be read then

is it 86% of the fibre os the quads are used, or 93% of the fibres used to perform the exercise are the quads and 7% other ?

Rab wrote:Good post MJ.

Im not so sure about some of the results EMG's give though

Im sure a while back, Cannuk posted stating that EMG testing found no difference in which muscles were recruited more or less when altering the width of the squatting stance.

health4ni wrote:

Rab wrote:Good post MJ.

Im not so sure about some of the results EMG's give though

Im sure a while back, Cannuk posted stating that EMG testing found no difference in which muscles were recruited more or less when altering the width of the squatting stance.

different squatting stance does affect different the portions of the muscles being recruited. For example, the quads are not just 1 muscle. And not even really 4; but there are portions to them. These "portions" get worked more or less depending on stance, ROM etc etc.

You can always get technical about exercises, hence this forum, and indeed such studies are great to help guide trainees to use the most bang for your buck exercises. Generally that means using DBs as much as possible, and compound exercises with large muscle group usage -> squats, oly lifts, chins, dips, DB presses, curls, extensions etc.

Remember: ALL exercises work to some extent. But why waste your time on tricep kickbacks when you could be doing Dips, as an example (and don't give me no bollox about "isolation" etc. There's shed loads more better triceps exercises than kickbacks).

[I know I know, you all love that I'm back lol]

health4ni wrote:

Rab wrote:Good post MJ.

Im not so sure about some of the results EMG's give though

Im sure a while back, Cannuk posted stating that EMG testing found no difference in which muscles were recruited more or less when altering the width of the squatting stance.

different squatting stance does affect different the portions of the muscles being recruited. For example, the quads are not just 1 muscle. And not even really 4; but there are portions to them. These "portions" get worked more or less depending on stance, ROM etc etc.

You can always get technical about exercises, hence this forum, and indeed such studies are great to help guide trainees to use the most bang for your buck exercises. Generally that means using DBs as much as possible, and compound exercises with large muscle group usage -> squats, oly lifts, chins, dips, DB presses, curls, extensions etc.

Remember: ALL exercises work to some extent. But why waste your time on tricep kickbacks when you could be doing Dips, as an example (and don't give me no bollox about "isolation" etc. There's shed loads more better triceps exercises than kickbacks).

[I know I know, you all love that I'm back lol]

MJWild wrote:Are decline extensions; kickbacks?

health4ni wrote:
You can always get technical about exercises, hence this forum, and indeed such studies are great to help guide trainees to use the most bang for your buck exercises. Generally that means using DBs as much as possible, and compound exercises with large muscle group usage -> squats, oly lifts, chins, dips, DB presses, curls, extensions etc.

Remember: ALL exercises work to some extent. But why waste your time on tricep kickbacks when you could be doing Dips, as an example (and don't give me no bollox about "isolation" etc. There's shed loads more better triceps exercises than kickbacks).

[I know I know, you all love that I'm back lol]

Gym-pig wrote:I think this was a lift from their book Serious strength training . Whilst I found it interesting I did wonder , like Wardie , what the value was in viewing muscles in isolation . Interesting , valid , but not the whole story .