Inside the Muscles- Best Chest and Triceps Exercises

Equalizer · May 14, 2010

Inside the Muscles: Best Chest and Triceps Exercises
by Bret Contreras
Every guy has his own theory about which exercises are the best and which exercises suck. Whether we're analyzing the biomechanics of an exercise (not very likely), "feeling the burn" (more likely), or simply doing a ton of sets and seeing how sore we get over the next few days (ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!), we all think we know the best movements to grow our muscles.

But do we really?

Bret Contreras wants to take you inside your muscles—without the freak accident that usually precedes such gross anatomy lessons—using EMG, a tool that measures how much muscle activity is going on with every movement you do.

After testing 20 different chest and triceps exercises, he's here to reveal the best of the best.

— NG

Editors Note: If you haven't yet read Inside the Muscles: Best Shoulders and Trap Exercises you may want to give it a quick look as it'll clear up any questions you may have regarding electromyography (EMG) and the experiments.

First, I apologize if I left out one of your favorite exercises. Don't take it personally. I performed these experiments in my garage, and while I have one of the baddest garage gyms in Arizona, I don't have a lot of machines. So you pec-deck folks can drop me some hate mail.

I'm also sorry I couldn't test more individuals. These experiments are very labor-intensive; in order to measure every exercise on every muscle part using a variety of subjects would be a project of colossal proportions. (And one I'd need a few thousand dollars and a keg of Guinness to perform.) Just remember this: people are different, but not that different. What's true for me is probably true for you.

Finally, I'm not going to make any judgments regarding the safety of any exercise. I realize that certain exercises pose greater risks to the joints than others, but every guy has the right to train however the hell he chooses. As lifters, we can choose to assume a lot of risk or little risk since we're the owners of our bodies.

Oh, one more thing: good form, a natural tempo, and a full range of motion were always used in these experiments.

Now that the pre-flight safety announcement list of warnings is over, let's get to it. Are you ready to build some huge pecs and horseshoe triceps?

What You've Been Waiting For! The Exercises.
Since this is a bodybuilding experiment, I never used a weight that was too heavy to perform at least five repetitions. The mean number is on top and the peak number is on bottom. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, please read "What Are Mean and Peak Activation?")

Exercise Upper Pec Mid Pec Lower Pec Tri Long Head
135 lb Bench Press 53.8
111.0 69.5
157.0 42.0
82.7 14.3
51.2
225 lb Bench Press 125.0
230.0 181.0
408.0 116.0
347.0 47.8
109.0
275 lb Bench Press 109.0
198.0 177.0
288.0 130.0
345.0 73.5
153.0
135 lb Incline Press 87.1
157.0 68.3
197.0 25.3
60.2 18.9
42.7
225 lb Incline Press 135.0
222.0 133.0
374.0 69.4
249.0 48.7
84.0
245 lb Incline Press 130.0
261.0 156.0
422.0 89.4
337.0 55.8
109.0
100 lb DB Bench Press 122.0
192.0 204.0
451.0 88.1
252.0 43.7
128.0
90 lb DB Incline Press 128.0
310.0 124.0
286.0 59.0
172.0 35.5
98.9
BW Dip 73.7
164.0 105.0
234.0 124.0
266.0 73.9
150.0
115 lb Dip 140.0
232.0 192.0
332.0 214.0
418.0 124.0
217.0
225 lb Close Grip Press 106.0
211.0 137.0
229.0 77.5
217.0 52.6
107.0
225 lb Wide Grip Guillotine Press 114.0
302.0 176.0
511.0 169.0
502.0 61.9
142.0
225 lb Floor Press 106.0
197.0 148.0
248.0 121.0
255.0 52.2
112.0
275 lb Floor Press 132.0
265.0 197.0
356.0 154.0
347.0 64.8
170.0
50 lb Fly 116.0
226.0 165.0
354.0 150.0
387.0 13.2
26.1
60 lb Fly 133.0
231.0 195.0
493.0 160.0
450.0 14.9
31.3
50 lb Incline Fly 125.0
249.0 135.0
344.0 77.3
257.0 12.6
20.0
100 lb High Pulley Crossover 107.0
201.0 168.0
311.0 153.0
397.0 9.6
19.1
100 lb Mid Pulley Crossover 154.0
252.0 154.0
271.0 124.0
251.0 11.5
23.1
100 lb Low Pulley Crossover 135.0
233.0 78.6
249.0 36.9
74.8 20.2
77.2
BW Push Up 109.0
204.0 124.0
252.0 101.0
194.0 24.0
38.7
BW CG Push Up 103.0
188.0 118.0
188.0 70.7
119.0 22.9
43.2
BW Elevated Push Up 96.6
156.0 102.0
232.0 52.7
167.0 24.0
46.6
BW Blast Strap Push Up 113.0
206.0 166.0
363.0 177.0
352.0 35.3
107.0
Purple Band Push Up 115.0
168.0 125.0
294.0 113.0
217.0 51.8
78.7
Green Band Push Up 151.0
239.0 162.0
268.0 121.0
238.0 59.3
125.0
100 lb DB Pullover 55.7
119.0 88.6
186.0 53.8
164.0 66.9
153.0
JC Band Press 143.0
272.0 45.7
91.0 53.0
127.0 21.0
52.6
95 lb Skull Crusher 45.6
89.5 21.5
48.6 70.7
118.0 116.0
172.0
120 lb Rope Extension 6.9
14.9 5.4
21.9 36.1
82.5 135.0
276.0
140 lb Cable Extension 9.3
21.3 9.3
18.7 78.2
172.0 132.0
255.0
Purple Band Extension 11.4
27.4 10.7
19.5 69.4
174.0 120.0
221.0
140 lb Cable Overhead Extension 19.4
41.0 19.2
130.0 40.6
126.0 109.0
206.0

The Winners
Based on this experiment, here are the top three exercises in terms of mean and peak activity for each muscle part:

Upper Pec

Mean Mid Pulley Crossover, Band Push Up, JC Band Press
Peak DB Incline Press, Guillotine Press, JC Band Press

Mid Pec

Mean DB Bench Press, Floor Press, Fly
Peak Guillotine Press, DB Bench Press, Fly

Lower Pec

Mean Weighted Dip, Blast Strap Push Up, Guillotine Press
Peak Guillotine Press, Fly, Weighted Dip

Medial Triceps

Mean Rope Extension, Cable Extension, Weighted Dip
Peak Rope Extension, Cable Extension, Band Extension

Confirmations
It's important to know that I used a powerlifting-style bench press: arched low back, good leg drive, arms at a 45-degree angle, slightly narrower grip, bar lowered to the lower chest. The form used for the guillotine press was straight from late Iron Guru Vince Gironda: feet on the bench, no arch, elbows flared out, wider grip, bar lowered to the neck. It's no surprise the guillotine press works much more pec than the bench press.

Looking at the entire pecs, we find much variety in movements. This jives with the old bodybuilder theory that the best workout should hit muscles from a lot of angles with different forms of resistance. We've always known the pecs respond to a good stretch, as shortened ranges of motion rarely build a nice chest.

I've long-suspected that pec isolation movements can rival compound movements in terms of pec activity. This study confirms that suspicion. Powerlifting gurus like Louie Simmons and Dave Tate have always discussed the importance of triceps specialization for a strong bench. This experiment lends support to their recommendations.

Surprises
Although I knew that the guillotine press worked much more pec than a bench press, I was surprised to find that a guillotine press with 225 pounds worked more pec than a bench press with 275 pounds! I found it very surprising that the floor press and band push up squeaked their way into the winner's circle, as they're the only movements in the entire winner's group that do not move the pecs into a stretch position.

Although I've always felt the JC band press worked a ton of pec (the bands typically place the most stress in the contracted position), I didn't expect it to work as much pec as it did. I can walk out really far with the JC bands and get a ton of tension in the movement, and the increased stabilization efforts may focus more tension on the pecs and less on the triceps. I was surprised that the barbell incline press and incline fly didn't make it into the winner's circle, especially for upper pec activity.

The pullover always gets the long head of my triceps very sore, so I was wondering if it would top the charts in muscle activity. But activation does not always equate to soreness, as stretch position exercises produce more soreness while contracted position exercises produce more of a pump.

I was actually very surprised at how much better triceps isolation exercises seem to work the triceps in comparison to compound movements. However, the body likes to grow proportionately; you rarely see a guy with huge arms and a puny torso, so don't neglect compound movements for triceps development.

What If?
During experiments like these, one is often left with much curiosity. What if I would have gone heavier on the guillotine press? I could have gone much heavier, as 225 is a relatively light weight for me on that exercise. The same goes for dumbbell bench press—I could have gone heavier.

How would the pec deck have faired? What if I would have placed the electrodes on the inner and outer pecs? Would the activity be the same, or can we isolate those areas as well? (Doubtful.)

What if I would have performed wide-grip weighted dips? What if I would have worn a weighted vest during blast strap push-ups? What if I would have measured the activation in the lateral head of the triceps? Would it have matched the activity in the long head of the triceps, or do they function much differently? What if Miley Cyrus was 18? Would she date a musclehead from Arizona?

Clearly more research is needed, as it's impossible to anticipate everything prior to an experiment, no matter how prepared and organized you seem.

The Best Damn Pec and Triceps Workout
Based on the results of this experiment, I bet the following would be one kick-ass workout that'd target the upper, mid, and lower pecs as well as the triceps. Enjoy!

Guillotine Press or Dumbbell Bench Press

Dumbbell Incline Press or Mid-Pulley Crossover

Weighted Dip or Fly

Rope Extension or Cable Extension

The dumbbell bench press had more muscle activation than the traditional barbell bench press.

The Guillotine Press

Recommended: Weighted dips. Not Recommended: Short-shorts.

Screw the skull-crusher. Do rope extensions to really hit the triceps.

About Bret Contreras

Bret Contreras received his master's degree from Arizona State University and his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Bret invites you to follow or join him on his blog. You can download his e-book here.

© 1998 — 2010 Testosterone, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

PUBLISHED 02-22-10 10:49
Discuss | Rate | Add Favorite | Print Version

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Equalizer · May 14, 2010

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HOME Inside the Muscles: Best Back and Biceps Exercises
by Bret Contreras

Every guy has his own theory about which exercises are the best and which exercises suck. Whether we're analyzing the biomechanics of an exercise (not very likely), "feeling the burn" (more likely), or simply doing a ton of sets and seeing how sore we get over the next few days (ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!), we all think we know the best movements to grow our muscles.

But do we really?

Bret Contreras wants to take you inside your muscles—without the freak accident that usually precedes such gross anatomy lessons—using EMG, a tool that measures how much muscle activity is going on with every movement you do.

After testing 45 different back and biceps exercises, he's here to reveal the best of the best.

— NG

Editors Note: If you haven't yet read Inside the Muscles: Best Shoulders and Trap Exercises, you may want to give it a quick look as it'll clear up any questions you may have regarding electromyography (EMG) and the experiments. You might also want to read Inside the Muscles: Best Chest and Triceps Exercises.

First, I apologize if I left out one of your favorite exercises. Don't take it personally. I performed these experiments in my garage, and while I have one of the baddest garage gyms in Arizona, I don't have a lot of machines.

I'm also sorry I couldn't test more individuals. These experiments are very labor-intensive; in order to measure every exercise on every muscle part using a variety of subjects would be a project of colossal proportions. Just remember this: people are different, but not that different. What's true for me is probably true for you.

Finally, I'm not going to make any judgments regarding the safety of any exercise. I realize that certain exercises pose greater risks to the joints than others, but every guy has the right to train however the hell he chooses. As lifters, we can choose to assume a lot of risk or little risk since we're the owners of our bodies.

Oh, one more thing: good form, a natural tempo, and a full range of motion were always used in these experiments.

Now that the pre-flight safety announcement list of warnings is over, let's get to it. Are you ready to build big lats, thick traps, and bulging biceps?

What You've Been Waiting For! The Exercises
Since this is a bodybuilding experiment, I used weight that was light enough to allow me to perform at least five repetitions. The only exception was on the weighted chin and pull up movements; I used loads that represented my 3-rep max. The mean number is on top and the peak number is on bottom.

To refresh your memory, researchers typically use mean MVC for their data. It measures average activation throughout the entire repetition. Peak activation is a measurement of the highest point of activation during the repetition.

(For more on this, please read "What Are Mean and Peak Activation?")

Exercise Long Head of Biceps Lat Mid Trap Lower Trap
BW TRX Inverted Row 20.3
33.4 51.1
82.6 25.3
41.8 25.6
43.7
BW TRX Feet Elevated Inverted Row 21.2
61.0 62.4
124.0 24.8
61.4 26.2
53.6
25 lb TRX Feet Elevated Inverted Row 27.7
100.0 54.7
138.0 52.2
98.8 57.2
101.0
BW Chin Up 43.2
100.0 80.5
133.0 32.2
71.4 44.6
101.0
BW Close Parallel Grip Pull Up 40.3
90.4 82.5
131.0 24.2
58.0 31.6
69.1
BW Wide Parallel Grip Pull Up 38.2
90.2 75.6
140.0 24.3
62.6 32.5
83.8
BW Wide Pronated Grip Pull Up 28.0
65.8 85.5
151.0 27.9
63.3 33.4
87.3
90 lb Chin Up 107.0
205.0 108.0
159.0 41.9
80.2 58.3
104.0
70 lb Wide Parallel Grip Pull Up 109.0
184.0 75.3
145.0 41.2
79.1 50.9
105.0
45 lb Wide Pronated Grip Pull Up 65.8
145.0 102.0
167.0 33.4
77.6 41.1
115.0
315 lb Rack Pull 7.4
23.8 89.4
152.0 71.7
114.0 47.6
86.1
405 lb Rack Pull 6.8
11.8 93.1
163.0 67.4
131.0 50.3
90.9
185 lb Overhand Grip Bent Over Row 8.6
25.5 68.7
130.0 62.2
125.0 51.0
110.0
185 lb Underhand Grip Bent Over Row 19.1
72.8 72.7
134.0 58.6
146.0 50.6
130.0
225 lb Overhand Grip Bent Over Row 18.4
75.7 76.8
140.0 67.5
146.0 52.4
112.0
225 lb Underhand Grip Bent Over Row 41.6
132.0 78.3
146.0 61.9
142.0 48.5
116.0
90 lb DB Bent Over Row 14.4
73.6 63.0
140.0 123.0
226.0 99.0
160.0
BW Overhand Grip Feet Elevated Inverted Row 14.9
100.0 48.6
119.0 54.5
107.0 53.4
103.0
BW Underhand Grip Feet Elevated Inverted Row 17.3
82.4 69.4
158.0 38.9
86.7 33.3
70.1
90 lb DB Chest Supported Row 28.1
135.0 87.4
150.0 68.2
134.0 59.8
120.0
12 lb Prone Trap Raise 18.3
39.0 11.0
22.1 72.5
238.0 72.8
170.0
25 lb Prone Trap Raise 33.9
94.1 15.9
30.4 94.2
186.0 81.6
165.0
50 lb DB Elbows Out Chest Supported Row 42.6
78.8 24.6
87.8 100.0
194.0 71.9
180.0
Blue Band Seated Row 27.5
103.0 75.8
128.0 53.9
103.0 52.9
77.7
280 lb Underhand Grip Pulldown 22.3
54.6 71.2
129.0 22.7
55.0 32.6
74.0
240 lb Wide Grip Pulldown 16.2
52.9 63.5
108.0 29.0
56.6 38.8
69.5
240 lb Behind Neck Wide Grip Pulldown 23.7
74.6 67.0
117.0 23.6
63.8 32.3
85.6
260 lb Narrow Parallel Grip Pulldown 22.9
51.4 58.7
97.5 29.9
62.6 42.2
87.4
80 lb Pullover 2.1
3.8 63.1
106.0 20.0
35.0 14.7
22.3
100 lb Straight Arm Pulldown 2.6
5.3 65.1
109.0 19.5
39.4 21.5
39.8
120 lb Straight Arm Pulldown 3.2
9.8 73.1
131.0 17.1
33.5 20.6
37.9
220 lb Seated Row 16.0
69.7 48.0
115.0 29.8
55.0 28.7
52.1
200 lb Wide Grip Seated Row 24.0
61.9 28.6
58.4 50.6
116.0 40.0
70.1
120 lb Low Pulley Face Pull 20.5
66.4 15.8
43.3 43.3
84.6 45.9
79.4
120 lb Mid Pulley Face Pull 18.2
77.5 20.5
51.4 45.8
83.0 53.1
97.5
120 lb High Pulley Face Pull 10.9
51.5 23.6
85.1 46.3
82.6 54.1
87.9
Band Face Pull 13.2
28.7 14.1
29.6 37.0
68.3 60.3
109.0
100 lb One Arm Row 33.1
85.1 77.2
143.0 84.3
129.0 66.8
139.0
150 lb Standing Cable One Arm Row 18.8
52.6 72.0
131.0 40.3
73.4 41.1
77.5
JC Band Row 10.2
46.3 55.0
96.3 30.7
73.7 35.9
54.5
60 lb DB Curl 52.9
118.0 21.0
72.7 68.7
161.0 43.8
88.8
95 lb BB Curl 64.9
98.3 14.0
23.2 50.6
88.3 34.2
57.6
115 lb BB Curl 77.1.0
119.0 15.7
46.0 62.6
102.0 42.5
69.1
135 lb BB Curl 94.7
138.0 17.2
50.9 66.8
106.0 44.9
69.7
155 lb BB Cheat Curl 93.9
136.0 21.3
53.1 73.0
150.0 47.9
105.0
85 lb Reverse Curl 34.0
77.8 12.0
20.0 64.6
93.2 49.5
65.8
50 lb Hammer Curl 47.8
98.1 11.8
18.3 52.3
109.0 37.7
84.5
60 lb Hammer Curl 54.9
105.0 15.1
22.8 55.4
92.4 43.0
77.1
115 lb Easy Bar Curl 74.7
146.0 11.7
19.2 72.4
110.0 56.1
78.4
50 lb One Arm Preacher Curl 80.0
145.0 12.5
26.7 48.9
95.4 37.3
71.9
50 lb Concentration Curl 76.1
143.0 20.9
54.1 47.3
85.6 33.9
63.1
30 lb DB Incline Curl 53.6
109.0 15.8
34.7 26.8
61.1 20.6
46.3

The Winners
Based on this experiment, here are the top three exercises in terms of mean and peak activity for each muscle part:

Biceps

Mean Weighted Wide Parallel-Grip Pull-up, Weighted Chin-up, BB Curl
Peak Weighted Chin-up, Weighted Wide Parallel-Grip Pull-up, EZ-Bar Curl

Lats

Mean Weighted Chin-up, Weighted Pronated Wide-Grip Pull-up, Rack Pull
Peak Weighted Pronated Wide-Grip Pull-up, Rack Pull, Underhand-Grip Feet Elevated Inverted Row

Mid Trap

Mean DB Bent-Over Row, DB Elbows Out Chest-Supported Row, Prone Trap Raise
Peak Prone Trap Raise, DB Bent-Over Row, DB Elbows Out Chest-Supported Row

Lower Trap

Mean DB Bent-Over Row, Prone Trap Raise, DB Elbows Out Chest-Supported Row
Peak DB Elbows Out Chest Supported-Row, Prone Trap Raise, DB Bent-Over Row

Confirmations
This series of experiments was the most predictable of the ones I've performed. Almost all great backs are built by heavy chins, pull-ups, bent-over rows, and deadlifts. We've always known that chins and pull-ups hit the biceps hard and that deadlifts and bent-over rows work the entire back. A few years ago, Alwyn Cosgrove recommended training your upper back if you want bigger biceps; judging by the upper back activity involved in heavy barbell curling, it seems that Mr. Cosgrove was right.

We've long suspected that lat pull-downs are inferior to chinning for lat activation, and now we have some data to support this claim (although the comparisons aren't really fair as I went heavier on the chins).

Some say that wide-grip pull-ups are better than underhand-grip chins for lat development, but they're actually very close. The weighted chin-up edges out the weighted pull-up in mean activity, and the weighted pull up-edges out the weighted chin-up in peak activity. Quid pro quo.

I was always a bit skeptical of the prone trap raise and wondered how it stacked up to heavy chin and rowing movements for mid and lower trap activation. I've got to hand it to vintage TMUSCLE contributor Don Alessi, who included the prone trap raise in several different programs almost a decade ago, as well as shoulder guru Eric Cressey, for recommending this exercise. It's a kick-ass isolation exercise for the mid and lower traps.

I've never been a big fan of the wide-grip seated row, since the range of motion seemed too short. This experiment lends validity to my hunch. I also thought the dumbbell elbows out chest-supported row was an extremely underutilized exercise for the mid and lower traps. Right again.

Surprises
Biceps isolation movements didn't top the charts in mean or peak activity! What?! I've always recommended biceps isolation movements over triceps isolation movements, but according to my experiments, it may be wiser to isolate the triceps since the biceps appear to get worked thoroughly during compound movements. (Still, I think it's wise to incorporate some biceps isolation movements.)

I was shocked that weighted parallel-grip pull-ups went toe to toe with weighted chin-ups in biceps activity. Both of them landed in the top two spots for mean and peak biceps activity.

I often wondered if the increased range of motion in the dumbbell bent-over row led to increased lat activation over the barbell bent-over row. This experiment cemented my belief. (I used a 45-degree angled hand position on this exercise and raised the dumbbells up a couple of inches higher than I do when I use a barbell.)

The TRX and blast strap feet elevated inverted row didn't seem to activate as much overall back muscle as the overhand and underhand grip barbell counterparts. Maybe it's because my torso met the barbell at the upper abdomen, which increased the lever length. In the TRX row, I raised my body closer to the shoulder joint.

I was shocked that some of the movements I love didn't perform as well as I expected, specifically the dumbbell chest-supported row and the band seated-row (seated rows using a jumpstretch strong band and a v-handle). I really feel these movements working the entire upper back region, but according to this experiment, they're inferior to other exercises.

What If?
During experiments like these, one is often left with much curiosity. Why didn't I test corner rows (aka T-bar rows) and power cleans? Why didn't I make Dan John happy and test the power curl (a combo of the power clean and barbell curl)?

Now that the study is over, I'm pissed at myself for not going heavier on rack pulls. I could've pulled 405 for 12 reps.

What if I had used a 5RM and increased the load to around 475? Similarly, I can go heavier on one-arm rows. What if I would have used 140 pounds or 160 pounds and "cheated" a bit? How would the common chest-supported row machine have fared in this experiment? What about various row machines and Hammer Strength lat machines?

I could've gone much heavier with dumbbell pullovers but it was difficult to get into position without touching the electrodes to the bench (which would have interfered with the readings). I could've gone heavier with dumbbell bent-over rows and dumbbell elbows-out chest-supported rows, too.

And perhaps the biggest question: Why the hell didn't I test the king of all back exercises, the conventional deadlift?

The Best Damn Back and Biceps Workout
Based on the results of this experiment, I bet the following would be one kick-ass workout that'd target the lats, mid, and lower traps as well as the biceps. Enjoy!

Weighted Pull Up, Weighted Chin Up, or Weighted Parallel Grip Pull Up
Dumbbell Bent Over Row or Weighted Feet Elevated Inverted Row
Dumbbell Elbows Out Chest Supported Row or Prone Trap Raise
Deadlift or Rack Pull
Barbell Curl or EZ-Bar Curl

Pull-ups and chin-ups are the best exercises for your lats and biceps.

The Prone Trap Raise

The best biceps isolation exercise was the barbell curl. The EZ-bar curl was a close second.

Jim Wendler performing the elbows out dumbbell chest-supported row.

About Bret Contreras

Bret Contreras received his master's degree from Arizona State University and his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Bret invites you to follow or join him on his blog. You can download his e-book here.

© 1998 — 2010 Testosterone, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

PUBLISHED 03-15-10 09:42
Discuss | Rate | Add Favorite | Print Version

Home | Free Articles | Forums | Store | Search | About Us

© 1998-2010 Testosterone Publishing, LLC
Privacy Policy | Acceptable Use Policy | Technical Support | [email protected]

Equalizer · May 14, 2010

Inside the Muscles: Best Shoulders and Trap Exercises
by Bret Contreras

Every guy has his own theory about which exercises are the best and which exercises suck. Whether we're analyzing the biomechanics of an exercise (not very likely), "feeling the burn" (more likely), or simply doing a ton of sets and seeing how sore we get over the next few days (ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!), we all think we know the best movements to grow our muscles.

But do we really?

Bret Contreras wants to take you inside your muscles—without the freak accident that usually precedes such gross anatomy lessons—using EMG, a tool that measures how much muscle activity is going on with every movement you do.

After testing 25 different shoulder and trap exercises, he's here to reveal the best of the best.

— NG

Before we get started, I want to say I'm not going to make any judgments regarding the safety of any exercise in this article. I realize that certain exercises pose greater risks to the joints than others, but every guy has the right to train however the hell he chooses. As lifters, we can choose to assume a lot of risk or little risk since we're the owners of our bodies. So keep that in mind before you type me nasty letters.

Now, are you ready to learn the best exercises to build boulder shoulders and monster traps?

I'll clear up a few science-y things first and then hit you with the results! (If you skip down to view the exercises first, I don't blame you. But make sure to come back up here to read how it works!)

What The Heck Is EMG Anyway?
EMG measures the electrical activity of muscles during exercise. While EMG doesn't directly measure muscular tension, the two should be very similar (although slightly off-set), as the electrical activity that EMG measures is simply a measurement of the nervous system's signal to the muscles. Increased EMG activity is indicative of the nervous system's attempt to produce more muscular force. (That's a good thing, by the way.) I used a Myotrace 400 from Noraxon to measure the EMG of every exercise.

What's MVC?
MVC stands for Maximum Voluntary Contraction. It's a measurement of how hard a muscle can contract isometrically. When you record MVC, you simply position your body in an advantageous position and squeeze your muscle as hard as possible. You can also push against an immovable object.

Each muscle has its own position that will yield the highest electrical value. The first step in measuring EMG activity is recording MVC. Following this recording, every subsequent exercise performed will be compared to MVC as a percentage.

What Are Mean And Peak Activation?
For each exercise I tested, I received data that showed both the mean activation and the peak activation.

Researchers typically use mean MVC for their data. I used to think that mean activation was more important as it measured the average activation throughout the entire repetition. However, muscles are not always active throughout the entire range of motion of an exercise, especially during compound lifts.

For example, one muscle might be very active down low in the stretched position, while another muscle becomes more active up top in the contracted position of the same exercise.

For this reason I believe that peak MVC is a more important figure. Peak activation is a measurement of the highest point of activation during the repetition.

Still, I believe that mean activation might be more important for bodybuilding purposes in providing constant tension, occlusion, and "the pump," while peak activation might be more important for sport-specific purposes in providing maximum tension at a certain moment for peak force production.

Got it so far? Good.

How Is It Possible To Exceed 100% of MVC?
I would hope that a guy like myself with 18 years of lifting experience could exceed MVC (which is an isometric contraction) through dynamic barbell, dumbbell, band, or bodyweight exercises. If we couldn't exceed MVC through lifting, then we'd build a strong case for isometric bodyweight training (a la Charles Atlas) for bodybuilding purposes.

The reality is that strength training exercises will typically cause peak activation to far exceed MVC. If the exercise is really good, mean activation can exceed MVC as well. When this happens, it simply means that the average activation throughout the repetition is higher than the average activation recorded from a maximum isometric voluntary contraction.

People Are Different, But Not That Different.
Having measured the EMG of several individuals, I've realized that everyone is different, but not that different. The two most influential factors in muscle activation differences are anthropometry and form.

For example, taller individuals tend to exhibit more glute activity during squats than shorter individuals. This makes sense when you think about it, since they have farther to travel. As another example, a powerlifting-style bench press will yield much less pec activity than a bodybuilding-style bench press since the elbows are kept tucked.

Although the length of one's body segments and the manner in which one performs an exercise can impact muscle activation, it's surprising how similar most individuals' activations are when it comes to strength training.

More Research Is Needed.
The data used in this article was obtained from one individual (me) during a week-long series of experiments. I'd hook up the electrodes to the muscle parts I wanted to measure and then perform all the exercises in one session to allow for the greatest level of accuracy.

The only exception was for the glutes, quads, adductors, and hamstrings, which required three different tests: one for strength exercises, one for explosive exercises, and one special test for the different areas of the glutes. (Shut up. I'm the Glute Guy after all!)

By no means am I trying to suggest that this article should be the definitive Bible on muscular development. Each time I embark on a new series of EMG experiments I learn a tremendous amount of information. I will continue to experiment and share my findings as I acquire new bits of knowledge.

Althought it's clear more EMG research and experimentation is needed to confirm the results of my studies, this article is (I hope) very telling in terms of exercise efficiency.

Can An Exercise Target a Specific Portion of a Muscle?
My EMG research indicates that the bodybuilders were right: various exercises can stress different parts of muscles.

For years we've known the different heads of certain muscles such as the deltoids and pectoralis major function differently from one another. However, my research indicates that muscle fibers within a muscle can function differently from one another even if they don't have separate heads. For example, during my research I noted that the upper rectus abdominis and lower rectus abdominis function differently.

I suspect that this is true of all muscles, as muscles often have varying fiber angles and attachment points, numerous motor units, and sometimes varying nerve suppliers.

This might explain why lifters tend to see better results when they incorporate variety into their routines rather than sticking to just one exercise per muscle or movement pattern.

The Second Rep
Another significant finding that I encountered is that during a heavy set, the second rep nearly always produced higher EMG readings than the first rep. Perhaps the nervous system "figures out" how to better recruit the muscles following the first repetition. This might explain why Olympic lifters and powerlifters see better results when they perform multiple (albeit low) repetitions rather than just heavy singles, or just why the I, Bodybuilder program seems to be so effective.

What You've Been Waiting For! The Exercises.
Since this is a bodybuilding experiment, I never used a weight that was too heavy to perform at least five repetitions. The mean number is on top and the peak number is on bottom. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, make sure to read "What Are Mean And Peak Activation?" above.)

Exercise Upper Trap Anterior Delt Lateral Delt Posterior Delt
45 lb Standing Military Press 60.1
117.0 65.5
145.0 8.9
23.7 4.0
8.3
135 lb Standing Military Press 56.1
99.0 120.0
266.0 23.9
68.0 7.6
16.7
155 lb Standing Military Press 47.4
82.3 131.0
315.0 25.4
86.6 7.8
18.8
175 lb Standing Military Press 53.4
81.2 150.0
281.0 34.0
87.7 9.6
21.5
155 lb Standing Behind Neck Press 66.5
94.0 146.0
318.0 45.7
88.7 13.9
23.6
70 lb DB Standing Military Press 51.6
93.0 174.0
432.0 43.3
111.0 14.5
43.1
135 lb Seated Shoulder Press 65.6
98.1 120.0
221.0 23.8
58.9 7.9
14.9
185 lb Seated Shoulder Press 67.2
91.6 190.0
311.0 48.7
94.3 13.2
19.9
165 lb Seated Behind Neck Press 72.1
110.0 274.0
471.0 69.5
106.0 17.6
27.8
80 lb Seated DB Shoulder Press 60.5
106.0 162.0
328.0 43.5
87.3 13.8
21.4
50 lb DB Upright Row 58.4
113.0 60.6
119.0 56.1
102.0 54.3
103.0
60 lb DB Upright Row 38.2
59.9 57.8
146.0 61.6
96.3 71.1
138.0
75 lb Cable Upright Row 60.7
109.0 37.4
92.6 46.5
87.6 54.0
147.0
135 lb BB Upright Row 53.7
67.4 96.6
204.0 68.0
102.0 80.9
155.0
95 lb BB Upright Row 64.3
91.9 69.9
125.0 54.7
100.0 65.6
139.0
30 lb Lateral Raise 49.2
83.2 80.8
170.0 73.4
148.0 63.5
113.0
40 lb Lateral Raise 41.7
77.3 113.0
191.0 83.1
141.0 73.3
134.0
50 lb Lateral Raise 44.9
101.0 114.0
213.0 84.3
124.0 66.3
133.0
40 lb Cable Lateral Raise 75.5
150.0 55.2
163.0 58.4
136.0 64.2
121.0
30 lb DB Front Raise 66.4
104.0 105.0
202.0 49.4
76.1 39.5
84.5
55 lb BB Front Raise 64.4
101.0 99.3
170.0 36.8
70.5 31.1
74.3
30 lb DB Bent Over Rear Delt Raise 31.2
79.0 13.8
42.7 46.9
103.0 94.2
182.0
50 lb DB Bent Over Rear Delt Raise 40.3
87.6 19.4
41.6 60.5
108.0 94.7
153.0
25 lb DB Prone Rear Delt Raise 43.9
91.1 18.7
53.3 64.3
126.0 88.9
152.0
30 lb Cable Scarecrow 50.9
98.8 29.1
68.7 62.8
130.0 93.8
167.0
BW Push Up 11.6
29.9 88.3
175.0 12.9
24.5 5.7
12.1
225 lb Bench Press 4.8
20.5 97.8
201.0 7.0
17.3 5.8
8.4
BW Dip 3.3
9.8 21.1
39.2 3.1
4.7 9.8
20.6
225 lb Incline Press 40.5
69.1 184.0
390.0 24.9
45.5 7.9
11.7
BW Pull Up 17.8
56.3 14.1
35.4 4.5
14.4 19.1
53.2
BW Chin Up 12.7
42.9 15.1
74.7 6.4
33.0 17.2
64.9
BW Hanging Row 12.9
24.4 12.2
33.2 35.7
79.6 87.1
182.0
100 lb DB Shrug 29.2
57.7 9.1
22.2 20.2
39.7 42.6
93.6
50 DB Shrug 39.5
62.9 10.3
23.3 11.9
21.6 27.2
54.1
120 lb Face Pull 69.7
101.0 16.8
29.2 55.0
92.8 87.1
159.0
Band Face Pull 60.1
77.1 21.1
37.1 90.7
152.0 144.0
252.0
225 lb BB Shrug 76.1
118.0 17.0
31.5 9.9
18.5 29.6
66.0
225 lb Behind Back Shrug 39.5
67.1 11.6
21.1 19.3
38.2 45.1
71.6
315 lb BB Shrug 81.9
145.0 18.0
32.1 24.6
46.8 48.3
72.8

The Winners
Based on this experiment, here are the top three exercises in terms of mean and peak activity for each muscle part:

Front Delt

Mean: Seated Behind Neck Press, Seated Military Press, Incline Press
Peak: Seated Behind Neck Press, Standing DB Military Press, Incline Press

Mid Delt

Mean: Band Face Pull, Lateral Raise, Seated Behind Neck Press
Peak: Band Face Pull, Lateral Raise, Cable Lateral Raise

Rear Delt

Mean: Band Face Pull, Bent Over Rear Delt Raise, Prone Rear Delt Raise
Peak: Band Face Pull, Bent Over Rear Delt Raise, Hanging Row

Upper Trap

Mean: BB Shrug, Cable Lateral Raise, Standing Military Press
Peak: Cable Lateral Raise, BB Shrug, Seated Behind Neck Press

Confirmations
It's no surprise that variations of military presses and incline presses appear to be the best front delt exercises. It's also no surprise that variations of lateral raises and presses top the charts for mean and peak mid delt exercises.

Naturally we'd expect to see variations of rear delt raises and rows topping the charts in mean and peak rear delt activity. Finally, it's not shocking to see the barbell shrug at the top of the list in mean upper trap activity.

Now let's move into the stuff that shocked the hell out of me.

Surprises
I always figured the front military press worked more anterior deltoid than the behind-the-neck press, but I was definitely wrong.

And while I knew band face pulls worked the delts, I always assumed they were targeting the rear delts. I was very surprised to find that the band face pull worked more mean and peak lateral delt than any other exercise!

(It's important to know that I perform the band face pull in a special manner, making it a mixture between a face pull and a pull-apart. I grab hold of the bands with my hands about three inches apart, and as I perform the face pull motion, I pull the band apart vigorously.)

I was also very shocked to find the band face pull worked more mean and peak rear delt muscles than any other exercise, as I assumed a rear delt raise or row variation would have outperformed them.

Finally, although I was aware the upper traps got worked through a variety of shoulder exercises, I had no idea as to the magnitude of upper trap activity that was involved in typical shoulder exercises like military presses and lateral raises. I mean, the cable lateral raise topped the charts in peak upper trap activity, beating out heavy shrugs!

What If...?
During experiments like this, one is often left with much curiosity. What if I would have performed a close-grip bench press or close-grip incline press? Would they have elicited a lot of front delt activity?

What if I would have experimented with different types of grips on dumbbell military presses or different form alterations of lateral raises? How would that have impacted mid delt activity?

What if I would have done different rowing exercises or different form alterations of rear delt raises? Would they have elicited a lot of rear delt activity?

What if I would have performed push presses with a controlled eccentric? What if I had placed the electrodes in a different spot on the upper traps? How would machine exercises faired? Just who the hell is John Galt?

Clearly more research is needed, as it's impossible to anticipate everything prior to an experiment no matter how prepared and organized you seem.

The Best Damn Shoulder and Trap Workout
Based on the results of this experiment, I bet the following would be one kick-ass workout that'd target the front, mid, and rear delts as well as the upper traps. Enjoy!

Seated Behind the Neck Press
Band Face Pull
Cable Lateral Raise
Barbell Shrug

Editor's Note: Would you like to see more articles like this? Let us know in the comments and we may just run one for every body part!

While flexing didn't make the list of top exercises,
we're sure it doesn't hurt.

The best shoulder exercise? Maybe.
(But you have to maintain better form.)

The barbell shrug is one of the best exercises
you can do for your traps. (Duh.)

The exercise that surprised us, the cable lateral raise elicits more muscle activity in the upper traps than shrugs!

About Bret Contreras

Bret Contreras received his master's degree from Arizona State University and his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Bret invites you to follow or join him on his blog. You can download his e-book here.

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PUBLISHED 02-16-10 10:58
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