New Research Finds That Exercise Selection Can Enhance Muscle Growth
Does exercise selection have a part to play when building muscle? New research says it could.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise, observed 30 30 experienced lifters over a course of eight weeks. Each participant was randomly assigned one of four lower body exercises, twice a week, to perform on their right side. On the other leg they performed the two remaining exercises. The exercises used were:
Leg press
Leg extension
Straight-leg toe press
Seated calf raise exercises
The researchers found that leg extensions increased hypertrophy of the rectus femoris (middle of the quad) and the leg press increased hypertrophy of the vastus lateralis (outer part of the quad). For the calves, the straight leg plantar flexion exercises increased the muscle size of the medial gastrocnemius (inner part of the calf) and lateral gastrocnemius (outer part of the calf) more than seated calf raises.
This isn't the first study to compare different calf exercise variations. A recent study published in Frontiers in Physiology compared standing and seated calf raises and analysed the differences in muscle growth between the two. The researchers concluded that standing calf raises were significantly more effective in increasing hypertrophy compared to seated calf raises.
What Do the Results Mean?
Quite simply, seated calf raises are out, standing calf raises are in (unless you prefer them, in which case go for it).
The results also showed that the rectus femoris muscles (middle of the quad) outcomes favoured the single-joint exercise (leg extension) and the vastus lateralis (outer part of the quad) outcomes favoured the multi-joint exercise (leg press). Including both in your programme would be best for quad growth. The results show that exercise selection can effect different muscles within groups, to varying degrees.
For beginners, consistency with a well-rounded program is key. However, for experienced lifters, exercise selection becomes crucial for maximising muscle growth. If your goal is to develop specific muscles for aesthetic reasons, you can tailor your exercises based on recent research to achieve your desired results.
Ideally, aim to include exercises that hit the major muscle groups (multi-joint, compound exercises) along with exercises that target specific muscles (single-joint, isolation exercises) in your programme. You can choose exercises based on your preferences, experience and injury history.
While the research is interesting, especially for advanced lifters with aesthetic goals, it's still ok to include exercises just because you enjoy them and feel like you get the results you want from them.
The Best Exercises to Build Each Muscle
To get the most out of your programming, here are our top articles for building muscle, with full lists of exercises to choose from:
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