EXERCISE SELECTION

Everything FitChef knows about exercise selection.

The exercise you pick decides which part of the muscle grows. Here's the evidence behind the choice.

The papers we actually read

Every claim above traces back to a peer-reviewed paper. No shortcuts. No cherry-picking. 3 studies analyzed on exercise selection.

Curls vs Compounds: Same Total Muscle, Different Shape Isolation and compound exercises build identical total muscle across 7 studies (ES = 0.07, I² = 0%). But within a… Rosa et al. · 2023 · Strength & Conditioning Journal · n=193

Do Machines Build Muscle? 13 Studies, 1,016 People Machines and free weights produce identical muscle growth across 13 studies and 1,016 people (SMD = -0.055, p = 0.751).… Haugen et al. · 2023 · BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation · n=1,016

Leg Press vs Leg Extension: They Don’t Build the Same Quad Leg press and leg extension both grew the quad — but in opposite regions. The front quad grew nearly twice… Burke et al. · 2025 · Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise · n=28

3 studies → 0 verified claims → 0 flagship guides → 0 quick reads. Every link traceable. Every source cited.

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