Different Exercises and Their Effectiveness

When working out, there are many exercises to choose from and more than one for each muscle group. There are some exercises that are more effective than others when training a muscle. Below are a few examples and differences of exercises that target the same muscle but provide a difference in quality of training.

Dumbbell Press vs Bench Press: Both exercises are technical exercises and require good form, stability, and multiple muscle groups to perform the lift correctly. Both exercises are similar, and they do complement each other to increase lifting power for each one. However, if this exercise is being used with the intent of chest activation, then Dumbbell Press requires more chest muscle recruitment than Bench Press.

The reason being is because of the exercise movement and isolated stability for each side of the chest (pecs). At the downward part of the movement, the chest receives a larger stretch, engaging more chest muscle fibers that are used to press the weight back to the top of the movement. This repeats with every repetition. The Dumbbell Press also engages more back and rotator cuff stability muscles that help in stabilizing weights when performing a pressing motion. This is beneficial as the rotator cuff muscles have a vital role in shoulder health.
The bench press is, however, a technical and high compound (multi-joint exercise) lift that is a useful metric to measure upper body strength.
Floor/Bench Chest Flies vs Machine Chest Flies: Chest flies are a beneficial exercise that engages chest muscle fibers and increases strength for compound lifts like the bench press. These are compound exercises as they are multi-joint movements to perform. They can also aid in increasing physical output and fitness performance for other compound exercises.

With these two exercises: Floor/Bench Chest Flies and Machine Chest Flies, Floor Chest Flies are a better alternative. This is due to the fact that they engage more stability muscles in the back and rotator cuff when performing them on the floor or bench, rather than in an upright position that takes away engagement of back stability muscles when performing Machine Chest Flies. This is a key difference to note as Floor/Bench Chest Flies are one of the most effective exercises for chest activation and muscle fiber recruitment but also engage back stability muscles. This can increase the strength of an individual’s rotator cuff (back muscles that connect to the shoulder), which is imperative for shoulder health. The shoulder is the most used joint in the upper body, and weak rotator cuff muscles are the number one reason for shoulder pain.

Wide Grip Cable Rows VS Narrow Grip Cable Rows: Cable rows are an effective exercise that increases pulling power and upper body strength. There are different variations to choose from, and each pulling position based on the grip selected engages different back muscles. For overall strength and balance, it can be beneficial to change the grip position to strengthen and engage different muscles.

The Wide Grip Cable Row is beneficial as it engages the rhomboids. These are part of the upper trapezius (traps). The rhomboids are important as they can create a significant amount of extra upper body strength that can be overlooked if they are not trained. They also have an important role in anchoring the scapulae, which helps in supporting the rotator cuff muscles. This aids in maintaining shoulder health.

The Narrow Grip Cable Row is also beneficial as it increases upper body strength as well but engages more latissimus dorsi muscles (lats). Both exercises should be utilized on training days as they offer different physical benefits.

Squatting vs Leg Press: There is a large difference between these two exercises when it comes to physical output in order to increase fitness performance. There is also a larger risk factor as well. Both exercises are used to increase leg strength and driving power, but Squats are a more effective exercise. This is because they require full body engagement and stability in order to press the overhead weight upwards. This creates 100% body output while engaging the quadriceps. A big part of Squats is quadriceps engagement. They are the lower body’s driving muscle for pressing motions. However, squatting is one of, if not THE most dangerous exercise someone can perform. They should be performed with low weight, proper form, and a weightlifting belt before moving on to heavier loads. The Leg Press still offers leg muscle activation and is also in a much safer position. It does not, however, substitute quadriceps engagement and physical output that the squat does.

CAUTION: Squatting is one of the most dangerous exercises and lifts an individual can perform and needs to be executed with proper form to avoid injury. Squatting injuries are one of the most common injuries in resistance training.

 

Compound Exercises vs Accessory Exercises: The difference between Compound Exercises and Accessory Exercises is that compound exercises require more than one muscle group to perform the movement (exercise). Whereas accessory exercises are isolated exercises and require only one muscle group to perform the movement. Compound lifts require more muscle groups and are multi-joint movements that require more energy expenditure to perform them. They should be prioritized at the beginning of a workout as they require more energy expenditure.

Accessory exercises are a valuable resource to strengthen different muscle groups that can improve compound lifting potential. They require fewer muscle groups and are single-joint exercises that require less energy to perform. They should be prioritized towards the end of a workout or after compound lifts. They are also a beneficial resource to prioritize a full workout day for as they can offer the body with more recovery time from compound lifts. This can help with increasing strength, lifting performance, and physical output.