EMG Analysis Technique
An electromyography (EMG) machine is a diagnostic tool used to evaluate the function of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. It measures the muscles' electrical activity at rest and during contraction.
The process typically involves placing small electrodes on the skin over the studied muscle or inserting a needle electrode directly into the muscle. The EMG machine records the electrical signals generated by the muscles and displays them as waveforms on a monitor. This information is crucial for diagnosing nerve disorders, muscle diseases, and injuries. It helps healthcare professionals assess how well the muscles and nerves are functioning and can guide treatment decisions. The research below was conducted using this science-backed approach with EMG machines.
What is Maximum Voluntary Contraction
Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) refers to the maximum force that a muscle or muscle group can produce voluntarily. It is typically assessed during strength testing, where the individual exerts maximum effort to contract the muscle. MVC is important in evaluating muscle function, as it provides a benchmark for muscle strength and can be used to identify any deficits or improvements in muscle performance due to training, rehabilitation, or other interventions.
In research and clinical settings, MVC is often measured using electromyography (EMG) to capture the electrical activity of the muscles during the contraction. By comparing the electrical signals and the resulting force produced, researchers can gain insights into the efficiency and health of the neuromuscular system. MVC is crucial in various applications, including sports science, rehabilitation, and muscle physiology.
What is Mean and Peak Activation
Researchers typically use mean MVC for their data. I used to think that mean activation was more critical as it measured the average activation throughout the entire repetition. However, muscles are not always active throughout an exercise's entire range of motion, especially during compound lifts.
For example, one muscle might be very active down low in the stretched position, while another 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 measures 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.” In contrast, peak activation might be more critical for sport-specific purposes in providing maximum tension at a particular moment for peak force production.
Study One
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) and scientists at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse conducted the first study I used. They used an EMG to measure the activity of the pectoralis major during nine popular chest exercises to determine which one was best.
They used fourteen male participants, ages 19 to 30, all with some degree of strength training experience (for more information on the study, click here).
For weighted exercises (Bench Press, Pec Deck, Incline Dumbbell fly, bent-forward cable crossovers), they used 80% of the participant's predetermined 1RM (one rep maximum). They were quoted as saying the following to summarise their study:
“We took nine of the most common chest exercises performed by men and women and tested which one elicited the highest level of muscle activation,” said ACE Chief Science Officer Cedric Bryant, Ph.D. “According to the EMG results, three exercises (barbell bench press, the pec deck machine and cable crossovers) were far and away the winners in terms of chest muscle activation.”
After analysing the data, the researchers decided the pectoralis major was most activated during the barbell bench press. Therefore, data-wise, all other exercises were statistically compared to that exercise and reported as a percentage of that value.
They discovered that the Pec Deck ( 98% muscle activation compared to the barbell bench press) and the bent forward cable crossover (93% muscle activation compared to the barbell bench press) elicited nearly equivalent muscle activation to the Barbell Bench Press. Likewise, ratings of perceived exertion for each of the three exercises were comparable, as seen below in the Table outlining each of the nine exercises' average EMG and RPE compared to the Barbell Bench Press.
Therefore, from this study, I would state the three optimal exercises are:
Barbell Bench Press - Average EMG 100
Pec Deck Fly Machine - Average EMG 98
Bent-Forward Cable Crossovers - Average EMG 93
Study Two
A second study by Boeckh-Behrens & Buskies(2000) used EMG testing to measure the degree of muscle activation in comparison to the reference exercise, the barbell Bench Press. The study identified that the Cable Cross-over was the second most effective pectoral exercise to the barbell bench press, followed by the Butterfly Machine (Peck Dec Fly Machine) as the third most optimal chest exercise, respectively, as seen in the table below.
Interestingly, in a second area of this study by Boeckh-Behrens & Buskies (2000), the EMG was used to measure activation of the different regions of the chest muscle with the bench set up at different inclines. The results show that the Inverse (decline) bench press at -15 degrees is the most effective exercise for the pectoralis major.
Study Three
This study conducted by Built With Science (click for the link) selected a sample size of three participants; the weight chosen for each exercise was 70% of each lifter's one repetition maximum (1RM). The study objective was to find the best chest exercises for:
Upper chest
Middle chest
Lower chest
Here’s a list of all the chest exercises the study tested to determine the best chest exercises:
Push-ups
Banded push-ups
Standing cable fly
High to low cable fly
Seated cable fly
Chest dips
Barbell bench press
Incline barbell bench press
Flat dumbbell press
Incline machine press
15-degree incline dumbbell press
30-degree incline dumbbell press
45-degree incline dumbbell press
Decline dumbbell press
Pinch press
Pec deck machine
The study placed the EMG electrode sensors on the chest's upper, middle, and lower portion to rank each exercise based on how well it worked for each area. To ensure they could standardise the data, the study used the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) measurement, representing the maximum activation a muscle can reach.
The study gathered this value before testing the exercises for each participant; therefore, they could accurately compare the chest exercises against each of our maximum values. This gives us an accurate sense of how well a particular exercise works for our chest muscles. Getting this value wasn't easy. But we did it anyway, and we were ready to test.
Best Exercise for Each Section of the Chest
Upper Chest Activation: 15 Degree Incline Dumbbell Press - (60.9% of MVC)
Mid Chest Activation: Seated Cable Fly - (69.2% of MVC)
Lower Chest Activation: Seated Cable Fly - (101.2% of MVC)
Study Four
Study four categories of the best chest exercises, barbell, dumbbell, machine, and bodyweight exercises, using EMG studies.
Barbell Exercise: Flat Barbell Bench Press - EMG studies confirm that this exercise produces high activation in the pectoralis major, particularly the middle chest.
Dumbbell Exercise: Incline Dumbbell Press - EMG studies show that an incline of 15 to 30 degrees optimally activates the upper chest without involving the shoulders too much. While both barbell and dumbbell presses target the chest, the dumbbell press has a slight edge regarding increased range of motion, allowing for better muscle engagement.
Machine-Based Exercise: Peck Deck Machine—The pec deck machine ranks the highest in terms of EMG chest activation. Its unique advantage is its ability to isolate the chest muscles effectively by minimising the involvement of secondary muscles like the triceps or deltoids. This isolation is particularly effective for hypertrophy, as it maximizes chest tension throughout the movement.
Bodyweight Exercise: Dips - Chest dips are particularly effective at targeting the lower chest. According to EMG studies, leaning slightly forward while performing dips increases the involvement of the pectoral muscles by placing the shoulders in an extended position.
Best Chest Exercises Using Study Results
Using all the study results from their Electromyography assessments of participants finding the optimal exercises based on either peak or average muscle activation during a sample of chest exercises, the below are the optimal chest pectoral exercises:
Overall Chest Exercise: Barbell Flat Bench Press
Mid Chest Exercise: Cable Crossover Flys
Upper Chest Exercise:15-degree Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Lower Chest Exercise: Bodyweight Chest Dips
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