The Claim

In resistance-trained men, the biceps femoris muscle demonstrates significantly greater electromyographic activation during the single-joint kickback exercise compared to the multi-joint leg press, with a 76.0% higher activation (effect size = 2.27, p < 0.001), suggesting that isolated hip extension may be more effective for targeting this hamstring muscle.

Source: Electromyographic Comparison of Five Lower-Limb Muscles between Single- and Multi-Joint Exercises among Trained Men.

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
34score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Quantitative
1 study reviewed
In plain English

If you're a guy who lifts weights, doing kickbacks might work your back thigh muscle way more than the leg press — like 76% more, according to one study.

See the scientific wording

In resistance-trained men, the biceps femoris muscle exhibits substantially higher electromyographic activation during the single-joint kickback exercise (76.0% higher, effect size = 2.27, p < 0.001) compared to the multi-joint leg press, indicating that hip extension in isolation may be more effective for targeting this hamstring muscle.

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: Electromyographic Comparison of Five Lower-Limb Muscles between Single- and Multi-Joint Exercises among Trained Men.

    The study found that the kickback exercise activates the biceps femoris muscle in the hamstring much more than the leg press, which matches exactly what the claim says.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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