Fitness

So I have a similar routine (push, pull, leg/ab), but different workouts and set/rep combination

One of the cool things about the present is we no longer have to guess which exercises are most effective at stimulating muscle development.

By using a technique called Electromyography (EMG), which measures the electrical activity of muscles during exercise, we have a good proxy for how much of the muscle is being used.

Results are below, hopefully they help you in further refining your workout plan (all numbers are % of muscle stimulated)

Lower Chest

• Decline dumbbell bench press – 93
• Decline bench press (olympic bar) – 89
• Push-ups between benches – 88
• Flat dumbbell bench press – 87
• Flat bench press (olympic bar) – 85
• Flat dumbbell flyes – 84

Upper Chest

• Incline dumbbell bench press – 91
• Incline bench press (olympic bar) – 85
• Incline dumbbell flys – 83
• Incline bench press (Smith machine) – 81

Lats / Back

• Bent-over barbell rows – 93
• One-arm dumbbell rows – 91
• T-bar rows – 89
• Lat pulldowns to the front – 86
• Seated pulley rows – 83

Side Deltoid

• Incline dumbbell side laterals – 66
• Standing dumbbell side laterals – 63
• Seated dumbbell side laterals – 62
• Cable side laterals – 47

Rear Deltoid

• Standing dumbbell bent-over laterals – 85
• Seated dumbbell bent-over laterals – 83
• Standing cable bent-over laterals – 77

Front Deltoid

• Seated front dumbbell press – 79
• Standing front dumbbell raises – 73
• Seated front barbell press – 61

Biceps

• Biceps preacher curls (olympic bar) – 90
• Incline seated dumbbell curls (alternating) – 88
• Standing biceps curls (olympic bar/narrow grip) – 86
• Standing dumbbell curls (alternating) – 84
• Concentration dumbbell curls – 80
• Standing biceps curls (olympic bar/wide grip) – 63
• Standing E-Z biceps curls (wide grip) – 61

Triceps

• Decline triceps extensions (olympic bar) – 92
• Triceps pressdowns (angled bar) – 90
• Triceps dip between benches – 87
• One-arm cable triceps extensions (reverse grip) – 85
• Overhead rope triceps extensions – 84
• Seated one-arm dumbbell triceps extensions (neutral grip) – 82
• Close-grip bench press (olympic bar) – 72

Quadriceps

• Squats (parallel depth, 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 squats (90 degree angle, shoulder-width stance) – 60

Hamstrings

• Seated leg curls – 88
• Standing leg curls – 79
• Lying leg curls – 70
• Stiff Legged Deadlifts – 63

Calves

• Donkey calf raises – 80
• Standing one-leg calf raises – 79
• Standing two-leg calf raises – 68
• Seated calf raises – 61

RECTUS ABDOMINIS

Mean: Chin Up, Hanging Leg Raise, Ab Wheel

Peak: Chin Up, Hanging Leg Raise, Swiss Ball Crunch

INTERNAL OBLIQUE

Mean: Ab Wheel from Feet, Ab Wheel from Knees, Bodysaw

Peak: Ab Wheel from Feet, Bodysaw, Tornado Ball Slam

EXTERNAL OBLIQUE

Mean: Ab Wheel from Feet, Hanging Leg Raise, Bodysaw

Peak: Turkish Get Up, Hanging Leg Raise, Bodysaw

ERECTOR SPINAE

Mean: Kneeling Cable Lift, Landmine, Reverse Hyper

Peak: Kneeling Cable Lift, Tornado Ball Slam, Lumbar Extension