These Exercises Are Essential for Muscle Growth

If you’re reading this, I can already tell you want to get some muscle, and you’re serious about it, too, at least to an extent. If that description fits, you’re in the right place. Join me as we go over the best exercises for muscle growth. 

What Are the Most Important Exercises for Muscle Growth? 

Oops! I have some bad news. The truth is there are no essential exercises for muscle growth. But you should still stick around because I’m about to explain how to get the best results from any exercises or equipment that you have access to. 

You see, resistance training exercises just cause the body to respond to force and tension. Your muscles don’t know which exercise you’re performing; they are just responding to the stimulus that you have applied to them. For example, your pecs cannot tell a barbell bench press from a dumbbell bench press. They only understand that they have to respond to the force and resistance (in the form of weights) you’re moving against them.  

Does this Mean I Can Do Any Exercise I Want? 

Like most questions related to resistance training, the answer to this is not simple. Nonetheless, let’s consider two factors that will point you in the right direction. 

• The exercise has to hit the targeted muscle or muscle groups. For example, you can’t only perform squats and expect to have a broad chest because squats don’t target the chest muscles directly. This is a tad obvious, so let’s move on to the second consideration. 

• It is expedient to perform the most optimal exercise you can. There are a million exercises for training any muscle group, but some are better than others. It is important to find the best possible exercise you can perform for any muscle group, as that will result in better and safer growth. 

For example, in a recent post, I examined bicep training, comparing barbell curls to dumbbell curls. The conclusion was that dumbbells are generally better. Does this mean you should never use barbells for curls? No. It just means that dumbbells allow you to train the biceps better and safer, leading to better results and joint health. 

Don’t Obsess Over the Best Exercise

Here’s what to do: work with what you have as best as you can. The most important thing when you train for muscle and strength growth is to actually provide the muscles with tension. So, use any tools and equipment you can access to achieve this goal. 

However, also make sure you’re getting the best out of your training by being intentional. The example with dumbbells and barbells for bicep curls applies here. If you don’t have access to dumbbells, you can get an excellent arm pump from doing curls with barbells, too. But if you have access to dumbbells, I’d suggest using them instead. 

So, create a balance between training optimally and using what you have. As said earlier, during resistance training exercises, the body is simply responding to force. The muscles in your legs can’t tell the difference between a leg press and a hack squat. As long as you train properly, you can build great lower-body muscles, performing either exercise. 

Lastly, remember to follow other resistance training principles like training with intensity and training to failure or close to failure. These will go a long way in helping you achieve your fitness goals.