1. The best exercise for building overall chest mass:
dumbbell bench press.
Recent research conducted in Las Vegas by David Sandler (MS, CSCS) showed that the dumbbell press involves the front deltoid considerably less than the barbell bench press. This is because when you press with dumbbells, your arms move out more to the sides. Less shoulder involvement, however, means more stimulation of the chest muscles. The dumbbell press also stretches the pectoral muscle more, and the muscle works through a full range of motion.
2. Why are wide-grip cable pulldowns the best for developing lat width?Researchers at the University of Miami observed experienced gym-goers performing wide-grip pulldowns to the chest and behind the neck, medium-grip underhand pulldowns, and neutral-grip pulldowns with the palms facing each other. Electromyography of the lats was measured for each variation. It turned out that the lat muscle fibers were most active, and the greatest number of them was recruited, during wide-grip cable pulldowns to the chest. Medium-grip underhand pulldowns came in a close second.
3. The best exercise for building shoulder mass: dumbbell press (seated or standing).
A study carried out by StrengthPro found that the dumbbell press mainly activated the fibers of the middle deltoid, and fewer fibers of the front deltoid. Since the middle deltoid is the largest in area and mass (compared with the front and rear deltoids) and determines the width, shape and “fullness” of the shoulders, dumbbell presses should take a considerably more important place in shoulder training than they have until now.
4. The best exercise for building biceps mass: barbell biceps curls.
Biceps curls are done both with an EZ barbell and with a regular straight barbell. And although you should vary and use both to achieve well-developed arms, we recommend focusing primarily on curls with the regular straight barbell and using the EZ barbell from time to time for variety. A recent comparison pitted biceps curls with an EZ barbell against curls with a regular barbell; the participants in the experiment were two groups of bodybuilders. It found that, in sets of 10 repetitions, the regular straight barbell allowed more weight to be used for the curls than the EZ barbell. In quite a few cases, more weight means greater stimulation and growth potential for the muscles.
5. The best exercise for triceps mass: parallel-bar dips.
Chances are you are one of the many who do cable pushdowns for the triceps until failure. But when did you last do dips on parallel bars? The cable pushdown is a relatively isolated exercise for the triceps (lateral head), and it is also mostly a single-joint movement (exercise), which largely dictates that the weights you can use cannot be very heavy. When we talk about adding mass to the triceps, the “winning exercise” is definitely the parallel-bar dip. It does involve several joints (elbow, shoulder) and muscles (chest, shoulder, triceps), but in return it also means heavy training loads and weights that you can put on the triceps. With isolation exercises, the triceps may never get to experience the kind of weight (body weight + hanging added weight) that you can use in parallel-bar dips.
6. The best exercise for directly loading the quadriceps: front squat.
Most people who squat probably do back squats with heavier weights than front squats. It should be said, however, that the traditional squat with the barbell on the back involves the hamstrings and glutes considerably more. The front squat isolates the quadriceps considerably more than the back squat, because during the movement the body is much more upright (vertical).
7. The best exercise for developing the hamstrings and glutes: Romanian deadlift.
Anyone can go to the machine and do long sets of leg curls, but does that always make your hamstrings grow? The Romanian deadlift lets you load the glutes and hamstrings with considerably heavier weights. Keep doing your leg curls, but know that proper hamstring training also includes the straight-leg deadlift (Romanian deadlift).
8. The best exercise for building the upper trapezius: barbell shrugs.
Put some serious weight on the barbell and start shrugging – nothing builds the traps better than those heavy shrugs. Ask any big name, whether Ronnie Coleman or Johnnie Jackson; most of them have loved this old-school barbell shrug.
9. The best exercise for building calf mass: standing calf raises.
How much weight do you use for seated calf raises? We dare say it is certainly not as much as for standing ones. Building mass, however, means using as much resistance as possible while staying within a given repetition range that stimulates hypertrophy. You don’t have to be a genius: if you want thick calves, do standing calf raises first in your calf training. This exercise lets you use heavy weight and mainly stimulates the larger calf muscle (muscle group), the gastrocnemius.
10. The best exercise for the core (torso): the “plank”.
If you need to strengthen your core muscles, the best and simplest exercise is the good old “plank”. It requires no equipment and almost anyone can do it. It is essentially the same exercise known as the forearm plank. You get into a plank position, only you support yourself on your forearms and keep your body straight. Your rear is neither sagging nor sticking up too high; the “frame” is, so to speak, straight. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds, then rest and go again. Simple and effective.
To give you an idea, I have also looked up demonstrations of how the exercises are performed (for beginners).
To be continued…
Source of the article: Muscle & Fitness, December 2007, pp. 145-164.
Translated by: Janar Rückenberg
Come and train! ArtGym
