Monday is National Chest Training Day in gyms all around the globe. Invariably, you’ll see droves of exercisers cueing up for their turn on the bench press. But did you know the bench press is not the only way to build bigger pecs?
In fact, for some people, it might even be ineffective.
Arm length, chest depth, and shoulder mechanics mean that some people aren’t built to be great bench pressers and fail to experience gains from this super-popular exercise.
And what if you train alone or work out at home? Bench pressing without a spotter can be highly dangerous, and some people don’t have the space or the budget to build a well-equipped home or garage gym.
The good news is that you don’t need a ton of fancy, expensive equipment to build the chest of your dreams. In fact, your body and some space are all you really need. Get yourself some gymnastic rings and parallel dip bars, and you really have everything required to create a varied and challenging gym-beating home chest workout.
In this article, we reveal the best calisthenics chest exercises and workout so you can pump up your pecs at home.
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Calisthenics – The Basics
Bodyweight training, often known as calisthenics, is a time-honored workout method that’s making a grand comeback in today’s fitness scene. While gym workouts remain a staple for many, a growing number of fitness enthusiasts are opting for home routines or park-based sessions.
Some popular calisthenic exercises include:
- Chin-ups & pull-ups
- Inverted rows
- Front and back levers
- Push-ups
- Planches
- Muscle-ups
- Parallel bar and ring dips
- Bodyweight squats
- Single-leg squats
- Nordic curls
The term ‘calisthenics’ has its roots in the Greek words for beauty (‘kallos’) and strength (‘sthenos’). Combined, they give us “kalisthenes,” which has evolved into the term we recognize today.
From martial arts and gymnastics to military training, calisthenics has been a preferred training method. It’s an adaptable workout system suitable for various fitness objectives, be it muscle development, strength enhancement, cardio improvement, or fat reduction.
The benefits of bodyweight training include:
- Economical: With a focus on using your own body weight for resistance, there’s no need for pricey gym subscriptions or gear.
- Accessibility: Most calisthenic exercises can be performed almost anywhere, from parks and playgrounds to your home. Your calisthenic gym is never closed.
- Full-body Training: Calisthenic exercises often work multiple muscles simultaneously, ensuring a balanced workout and a better physique.
- Useable Strength: The exercises in calisthenics frequently resemble everyday movements, developing functional strength that’s useful in real-life scenarios.
- Agility, Balance, and Coordination: Calisthenics teaches you to master your body. With no machines to guide your movements, you’ll soon learn how to control your limbs and muscles with precision.
- Develop an Athletic Physique: Calisthenics can help you build a tight, lean body, resulting in a chiseled, athletic appearance.
- Enhanced Core Strength: Most calisthenic exercises involve your core, either directly or indirectly. If you’ve always dreamed of a firm, lean midsection, calisthenics could be the answer.
- Adaptable and customizable: Calisthenics exercises can be adjusted to suit any fitness level, ensuring ongoing progression from complete beginner to super-advanced.
- However, calisthenics isn’t without challenges:
- Initial Hurdles: Fundamental exercises like chin-ups can be daunting for beginners, possibly leading to early setbacks. Technical exercises like handstand push-ups, muscle-ups, and front levers can be hard to learn without hands-on coaching.
- May Not Be Optimal for Muscle Growth: While calisthenics does build muscle, it may be less effective than conventional strength training.
- Difficult to Isolate Specific Muscles: Unlike weight training, which allows for specific muscle targeting, calisthenics can pose challenges when trying to focus on particular muscle sections.
- Progression Can Be Difficult: In the absence of external weights, progressively upping the resistance can be a challenge, which might lead to plateaus and stagnation in muscle and strength development.
Best Calisthenics Chest Exercises
So, you want to pump up your pecs with bodyweight training? We’re here to help! These are the 17 best calisthenic chest exercises for shape, mass, and strength.
1. Standard Push-ups
The standard push-up is the foundation of chest calisthenics. They primarily target the pectoralis major but also work the triceps, anterior deltoids, and core. Perfecting your push-up technique will make the more advanced exercises in this guide easier to learn and master, not to mention safer.
Steps:
- Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Engage your core and ensure your back is flat. Look slightly ahead of you, not straight down.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground. Keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body.
- Descend until your chest is just above the ground.
- Push through your hands, extending your arms to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Tips:
- Ensure your body remains in a straight line throughout the movement. Avoid sagging your hips or lifting them up.
- Breathe in as you lower down and exhale as you push up.
- For added stability, keep your feet hip-width apart.
2. Wide Grip Push-ups
Going wide with your hands during push-ups emphasizes your outer chest. This variation will add width to your pecs and provides a unique challenge for your muscles. A wider hand position also takes your pecs into a deeper stretch, which may lead to greater hypertrophy.
Steps:
- Begin in a plank position, but place your hands wider than your shoulders, almost at the edge of your exercise mat.
- Engage your core and keep your spine neutral.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your chest is close to the ground.
- Press through your palms to return to the starting position.
- Continue for the desired number of reps.
Tips:
- Ensure your elbows flare out slightly during the movement.
- Maintain a steady breathing pattern: inhale as you go down, exhale as you push up.
- Experiment with the width of your hands to see what feels most comfortable and effective.
3. Decline Push-ups
Decline push-ups target the upper chest and front shoulders more intensely than horizontal push-ups. Also, by elevating your feet, you put more weight on your hands and increase the tension on your pecs. This is a great exercise for more experienced calisthenic practitioners.
Steps:
- Place your feet on an elevated surface like a bench or step.
- Assume a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and ensure your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Bend your elbows and lower your upper body towards the ground.
- Push through your hands to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Tips:
- The higher the elevation, the more challenging the exercise.
- Keep your neck neutral; avoid straining it by looking too far up or down.
- Remember that the higher your feet are, the more difficult this exercise becomes, but the more work your shoulders have to do compared to your chest.
4. Incline Push-ups
Incline push-ups are a beginner-friendly exercise that reduces the weight on your arms, making them easier to perform. However, as well as being a little easier, they also emphasize your lower chest. Do a set of incline push-ups after decline or regular push-ups for a pump-inducing mechanical drop set.
Steps:
- Place your hands on an elevated surface like a bench or step.
- Step your feet back and assume a plank position. Engage your core and pull your shoulders down and back. Your body should be straight.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the bench.
- Press through your palms to return to the starting position.
- Continue for the desired number of reps.
Tips:
- The higher the incline, the easier the exercise.
- Ensure your body remains in a straight line throughout the movement.
- You can experience a similar effect by doing your push-ups on your knees.
5. Deficit Push-ups
Deficit push-ups increase your range of motion, providing a deeper stretch and more powerful contraction of the chest muscles. This variation can help break plateaus and make your workout more intense. However, they can also be hard on your shoulders, so take care not to descend too deep if the movement bothers your joints.
Steps:
- Place each hand on an elevated surface like push-up bars, dumbbells, or stacked weight plates.
- Assume a plank position with your body forming a straight line.
- Engage your core and keep your gaze slightly forward.
- Lower your body deeper than you would in a standard push-up, thanks to the added height from the platforms.
- Press through your palms, extending your arms to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired reps.
Tips:
- Ensure the platforms are strong and stable to prevent any accidents.
- Breathe in as you lower down and exhale as you push up for maximum power.
- Pause at the bottom of each rep with your pecs stretched to increase the effectiveness of the exercise.
6. Pseudo Planche Push-ups
Pseudo planche push-ups are an advanced push-up variation that targets the lower chest. Hailing from the world of gymnastics, pseudo planche push-ups put significantly more weight on your chest, shoulders, and arms. They will help prepare you for the full planche push-up if that’s an exercise on your exercise bucket list.
Steps:
- Start in a standard push-up position but with your hands turned outwards and slightly behind your shoulders.
- Engage your core and lean forward onto your tiptoes, shifting your weight onto your hands.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows and keeping your upper arms close to your sides.
- Push through your palms to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired reps.
Tips:
- The further you lean forward, the more challenging the exercise becomes.
- Keep your elbows close to your body throughout the movement.
- Focus on maintaining a straight body line from head to heels.
7. Archer Push-ups
Archer push-ups are a unilateral exercise that helps in building strength and balance on each side of the chest individually. This makes them an excellent move for identifying and fixing left-to-right strength imbalances as well as overloading one arm at a time. They’re also an excellent preparatory exercise for full one-arm push-ups.
Steps:
- Begin in a wide push-up position.
- As you lower your body, extend one arm out to the side while bending the other, directing most of your weight to the bent arm.
- Push through the bent arm to return to the starting position.
- Alternate sides for the desired number of reps.
Tips:
- Keep the extended arm’s fingers spread wide for better stability.
- Ensure your body remains in a straight line throughout the movement.
- Engage your core to prevent your hips from sagging.
8. One-Arm Push-Ups
One-arm push-ups are the ultimate test of upper body strength, challenging your chest, triceps, deltoids, and core. They’re a great option for anyone who wants a hardcore strength-building push-up workout without resorting to a weighted vest.
Steps:
- Start in a slightly wider than shoulder-width push-up position.
- Shift your weight over onto one arm and place the other hand behind your back. Engage your core and stabilize your shoulder.
- Lower your body using the strength of the single arm.
- Push through the palm to return to the starting position.
- Alternate arms or complete desired reps on one side before switching.
Tips:
- Move your feet further apart for better stability.
- Keep your body as straight as possible, resisting the urge to tilt.
- Engage your core and glutes for added stability and strength.
9. Dips (Parallel Bars)
Dips are a compound exercise that targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders. Unlike most push-up variations, which involve around 60% of your body weight, this exercise involves lifting closer to 90%, making them much more challenging. Dips work your entire chest but hit your lower pecs the most.
Steps:
- Grip the parallel bars and lift yourself up to an initial position where your arms are straight. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until they’re at about a 90-degree angle.
- Push through your palms, extending your arms to lift yourself back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired reps.
Tips:
- Lean slightly forward to emphasize the chest more.
- Keep your elbows close to your body to prevent strain on the shoulders.
- Make this exercise more challenging by wearing a weighted dip belt.
10. Ring Dips
Gymnastic ring dips add an element of instability to your workout, making the exercise more challenging for your pecs and stabilizer muscles. You’ll need to dig deep to stop the rings from swinging and swaying outward, increasing muscle engagement and the overall difficulty of this exercise.
Steps:
- Grip the gymnastic rings and jump or step up to a starting position with your arms straight. Push your shoulders down and back and brace your core.
- Bend your arms and lower your shoulders down to your hands, keeping your arms close to your sides.
- Once your upper arms are parallel to the ground or slightly below, push through your palms to return to the starting position.
- Continue for the desired reps.
Tips:
- Keep the rings close to your body throughout the movement.
- The shorter the ring straps, the less they’ll move, and the easier this exercise will be.
- Start with low to moderate reps, as the instability can be challenging, even if you’re proficient with regular dips.
11. Ring/Suspension Trainer Push-Ups
Using rings or a suspension trainer (e.g., TRX) adds an element of instability to the standard push-up, engaging the stabilizer muscles and increasing the challenge. Also, like deficit push-ups, using rings/straps means you can descend into a deeper push-up, taking your pecs through a more extensive range of motion.
Steps:
- Set up the rings or suspension trainer so the handles are just above the ground.
- Grip the handles and assume a plank position.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- Push through the handles to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired reps.
Tips:
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Engage your core for added stability.
- Adjust the height of the rings or handles for varying levels of difficulty. The shorter the straps, the easier this exercise becomes.
12. Ring/Suspension Trainer Flyes
Most calisthenic exercises for the chest are compound, i.e., they use your triceps as well as your pecs. This is an isolation exercise, so your pecs end up doing far more of the work, and your triceps act mostly as stabilizers.
Steps:
- Set up the rings or suspension trainer at chest height.
- Grip the handles and lean forward, extending your arms in front of you.
- With a slight bend in your elbows, open your arms wide.
- Squeeze your chest to bring your hands back together.
- Continue for the desired reps.
Tips:
- Maintain a tight core to prevent your hips from sagging.
- Keep the movement controlled, especially as you open your arms.
- Adjust your foot position closer or further from the anchor point to change the difficulty.
13. Towel Slide Flyes
No gymnastic rings or suspension trainer? No problem! You can use a couple of towels on a smooth surface to replicate suspension trainer, dumbbell, and cable flys, providing a uniquely challenging workout for your chest.
Steps:
- Place two towels on a smooth surface, like a wooden or tiled floor.
- Assume a push-up position with each hand on a towel. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
- Slide your hands apart, lowering your chest towards the floor.
- Squeeze your chest to slide your hands back together and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired reps.
Tips:
- Keep your elbows slightly bent throughout the movement.
- Ensure the movement is controlled to prevent the towels from sliding out too quickly.
- Bend your legs and rest on your knees to make this exercise easier.
14. Planche Push-Ups
Planche push-ups are an advanced calisthenics move that requires significant strength and balance, targeting the chest, shoulders, and core. Don’t be surprised if you cannot do this exercise – it presents a considerable step up from almost every other calisthenic chest exercise.
Steps:
- Start in a push-up position but with your hands turned outwards and slightly behind your shoulders.
- Lean forward, lifting your feet off the ground and balancing on your hands. Your body should be parallel to the floor.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows.
- Push through your palms to return to the starting planche position.
- Repeat for the desired reps.
Tips:
- Engage your core and glutes for stability.
- Progress to this move by practicing the planche hold and pseudo-planche push-ups.
- Keep your gaze slightly forward to help with balance.
15. Maltese Push-Ups (on rings)
Maltese push-ups on rings are an advanced exercise that emphasizes the outer chest and requires significant strength, mobility, and stability. This exercise actually resembles a hands-to-the-hips fly more than a push-u. Still, Maltese push-up is probably a catchier name!
Steps:
- Set up the gymnastic rings close to the ground.
- Grip the rings and assume a plank position, but with your arms extended wide to the sides. Turn your wrists outward.
- Engage your core and lower your body by bending your elbows slightly and extending your arms to the rear.
- Push through the rings to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired reps.
Tips:
- Keep the rings stable throughout the movement to engage stabilizer muscles.
- Start with shorter sets, as this is a challenging exercise.
- You can also do this exercise using push-up bars instead of rings, making them slightly easier.
16. Explosive Clap Push-Ups
Explosive clap push-ups are a plyometric exercise that builds power in the chest and triceps. Extending your arms so forcefully that your hands leave the floor increases not only the difficulty of the movement but also the number of muscle fibers recruited per rep.
Steps:
- Start in a standard push-up position.
- Lower your body towards the ground.
- Explosively push through your palms, driving your upper body off the ground.
- While in the air, quickly clap your hands together.
- Land softly with your elbows slightly bent and immediately go into the next rep.
- Continue for the desired reps.
Tips:
- Ensure you maintain a straight body line throughout the movement.
- Do this exercise on a mat for safety and comfort.
- Focus on generating power with each push to get maximum height.
17. Isometric Chest Press
Isometric exercises involve lots of muscle tension but no actual movement. They’re ideal for firing up your muscles at the start of a workout or finishing them off at the end. And best of all, all you need is an immovable object to push or pull against, such as a towel.
Steps:
- Lie on your back with your towel under your upper back. Grip one end in each hand.
- Attempt to push your arms out in front of you against the tension offered by the towel.
- Continue until your muscles begin to fatigue.
Tips:
- Do not hold your breath, as doing so could cause faintness or high blood pressure.
- Adjust the position of your arms to hit your muscles from different angles.
- You can also do this exercise while standing:
Calisthenics Chest Workout
While any of these exercises could help you build a stronger, more muscular chest, you’ll get better results if you follow a structured plan. Do this workout 1-2 times a week as part of a body part split routine, where you train different muscles on different days, e.g.:
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
Chest | Back | Shoulders | Legs | Biceps | Triceps | Rest |
But, before you start your workout, prepare your body for what you’re about to do with a thorough warm-up. Begin with a few minutes of light cardio followed by dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for your shoulders, elbows, and upper back.
Note: Repetitions are listed only for guidance. Actual reps performed will depend on your current strength and fitness. So, do as many reps as possible, stopping 1-3 short of failure. Try to gradually do more reps as you get stronger.
# | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Recovery |
1 | Dips (ring or parallel bar) | 2-4 | 12-20 | 60-90 seconds |
2 | Archer push-ups | 2-4 | 12-20 per side | 60-90 seconds |
3 | Wide grip push-ups | 2-4 | 12-20 | 60-90 seconds |
4 | Ring/suspension trainer flyes | 2-4 | 12-20 | 60-90 seconds |
5 | Isometric chest press | 2-4 | 20-40 seconds | 60-90 seconds |
Chest Muscle Anatomy Overview
While it’s not essential, a basic knowledge of the form and function of your chest muscles can make choosing the best exercises and designing your workouts a little easier. So, let’s briefly examine the muscles that make up your chest and their critical functions.
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Pectoralis Major
The main muscle of your chest is the pectoralis major, which is usually abbreviated to pecs. This is the big, fan-shaped muscle that spans across the front of your upper torso.
The pectoralis major has three main parts or “heads”:
Clavicular Head: This is the upper part, originating from your collarbone (clavicle). When you hear people talking about their “upper chest,” this is what they’re referring to.
Sternal Head: This is the larger middle part of your chest that starts from the front of your sternum (breastbone).
Abdominal or Costal Head: This portion originates from the top of the abdominal wall. It’s usually referred to as the lower pecs.
These three heads work together, but it is also possible to emphasize each one by adjusting the angle of your arms relative to your torso. Pushing upward hits the clavicular fibers more, whereas pressing horizontally involves more of the sternal fibers. Pushing downward emphasizes the abdominal/costal fibers. However, it is impossible to fully isolate any of the heads, and they all work together.
The functions of the pectoralis major are:
- Horizontal flexion, i.e., pushing your arms forward.
- Adduction, i.e., drawing your arms down toward the midline of your body.
- Medial rotation, i.e., turning your upper arms inward.
There are also a couple of minor muscles that directly impact the appearance and function of your pecs:
Pectoralis Minor
The pectoralis minor is a smaller, triangle-shaped muscle located just beneath its larger counterpart. While not as large or powerful, the pectoralis minor plays a crucial role in stabilizing the scapula by keeping the shoulder blade against the ribs, ensuring smooth shoulder movements. It also assists in breathing, lifting the ribs during deep inhalations.
Serratus Anterior
The serratus anterior is a fan-shaped muscle located on the side of the chest and upper ribs. It’s essential for scapular movement and stability, helping to rotate and protract the shoulder blade. Well-developed, the serratus anterior has a distinctive “sawtooth” appearance on the side of the ribcage.
Anterior Deltoid
The anterior deltoid is the front segment of the three-part deltoid muscle, situated at the front of the shoulder. Its primary function is shoulder flexion, i.e., lifting the arm forward. While not a chest muscle, it works with the pecs during most pressing movements, making it a key player in exercises like dips and push-ups.
FAQ’s
Do you have a question about our calisthenic chest exercises and pec-building workout or bodyweight training in general? No problem, because we’ve got the answers!
1. Can you really build muscle with calisthenics?
While calisthenics may not be the ideal training method to maximize hypertrophy, you can still build muscle with bodyweight training. Provided you train with sufficient volume, intensity, and consistency, your muscles will adapt, i.e., get stronger and bigger, whether you do push-ups, chest presses, or bench presses.
In short, yes – you really can build muscle with calisthenics (1)!
2. How do I make my calisthenic chest workout progressive?
We have a saying in the fitness industry: “If you always do what you have always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” In other words, if you do the same exercises with the same sets and reps every time you work out, your progress will soon grind to a halt.
The best way to avoid these so-called plateaus is to gradually make your workouts more demanding, which is called progressive overload.
With calisthenics, your progression options include the following:
- Doing more reps.
- Doing more sets.
- Taking shorter rests between sets.
- Switching to a more challenging variation of your chosen exercise.
- Doing a more difficult exercise.
- Wearing a weighted vest.
Use any of these strategies to maintain your progress and avoid training plateaus and ruts. However, never force yourself to do more and compromise your form. Using poor form to push out more reps is basically cheating and of little benefit.
3. Is calisthenics training safe?
All strength training is safe, presenting a very low risk of injury (2):
- Injury rate for exercise and exercise equipment: 5.3 injuries per 1000 hours
- Injury rate for football: 11.7 injuries per 1000 hours
- Injury rate for basketball: 8.2 injuries per 1000 hours
- Injury rate for soccer: 7.1 injuries per 1000 hours
- Injury rate for baseball: 6.7 injuries per 1000 hours
And while no studies specifically compare calisthenics with conventional strength training, it’s safe to say that most bodyweight exercises are potentially safer than those performed with heavy weights. After all, while you can get crushed under a barbell during bench presses, that can’t happen during dips or push-ups.
However, it’s important to remember that any exercises performed incorrectly or too often can cause acute and chronic injuries. Make sure you exercise your common sense along with your muscles to keep your risk to a minimum.
4. How many times a week should I train my chest?
While you may get reasonable results from training your chest once a week, most people do best when they hit each major muscle 2-3 times per week. This provides a good balance between training and rest/recovery.
However, optimal training frequency will depend on several factors, including your age, experience, diet, sleep habits, and weekly physical activity levels. Try hitting each muscle twice a week and then dial things up or down depending on your progress and how you feel.
In many instances, less training produces better results as it allows for greater recovery between workouts.
5. Do you have any other calisthenics workouts I can do alongside this one?
We sure do! In fact, our library of calisthenic exercises and workouts is growing by the week. Use the following plans to create a weekly calisthenics training plan:
- Calisthenic legs
- Calisthenic back
- Calisthenic shoulders
- Calisthenic biceps
- Calisthenic triceps
- Calisthenic abs
Alternatively, try one of these tried-and-tested FREE calisthenic training programs.
6. What is the best diet for successful calisthenics?
There is no single best diet for calisthenics. Providing whatever you eat matches your needs and training goal, your diet should work. For example, eat more calories and adequate protein to build muscle, or reduce your calorie, carb, and fat intake to lose fat.
Therefore, the best diet for calisthenics is the one that matches your goal and that you can stick to for the foreseeable future. Short-term fad diets are not the solution!
7. Does it matter how many reps I do to build muscle?
Bodybuilders typically train in the 6-12 rep range to build muscle, also known as the hypertrophy training zone. However, studies now reveal that you can build muscle with much higher reps – 30 or more – and still trigger muscle growth (3).
However, to build muscle with lighter loads and higher reps, you MUST take your sets to within a couple of reps of failure. Easy workouts where you stop your sets well short of failure will not be effective.
This is good news for calisthenic enthusiasts who often have to rely on high reps to fatigue their muscles.
Closing Thoughts
You’re now locked and loaded (chest salute, anyone?) with an arsenal of the best calisthenics exercises for powerful, muscular pecs. Incorporate these dynamic moves into your existing chest regimen, or fully embrace the calisthenics way with our tried-and-tested bodyweight workout. Whichever route you take, a chest transformation awaits.
Still concerned that you can’t sculpt a statuesque chest with just calisthenics? Think again! Just take a look at the rock-hard pecs of elite MMA fighters. Their physiques are undeniable proof of what bodyweight training can achieve.
No weights, no machines, no hefty fees – just you, your dedication, and the knowledge from this article. Building a standout chest is within your grasp; your success hinges on how you put this wisdom to work. So, echoing a sentiment we all know well – let’s get to work and make it happen!
References:
- Kotarsky CJ, Christensen BK, Miller JS, Hackney KJ. Effect of Progressive Calisthenic Push-up Training on Muscle Strength and Thickness. J Strength Cond Res. 2018 Mar;32(3):651-659. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002345. PMID: 29466268.
- Horton R. GBD 2010: Understanding disease, injury, and risk. Lancet. 2012 Dec 15;380(9859):2053-4. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)62133-3. PMID: 23245595
- Lasevicius T, Ugrinowitsch C, Schoenfeld BJ, Roschel H, Tavares LD, De Souza EO, Laurentino G, Tricoli V. Effects of different intensities of resistance training with equated volume load on muscle strength and hypertrophy. Eur J Sport Sci. 2018 Jul;18(6):772-780. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2018.1450898. Epub 2018 Mar 22. PMID: 29564973.