Electromyography

EMG can be collected through surface electrodes or fine-wire needle electrodes. EMG measures muscle activity during a task. EMG data can be misleading because it does not determine the optimal amount of muscle activity for a movement. Outside hypertrophy, EMG is presented as much less useful because more muscle activity is not automatically better. EMG is limited for explaining pain when it focuses narrowly on one muscle. High EMG readings alone do not make an exercise good for sport performance if the exercise is inefficient or risky. EMG is useful for hypertrophy when comparing exercises that load a target muscle.