exercise grading

Using a grading system to rank exercise activities.

In particular, it is often used to rank strength exercises targeting the same muscle group, with the following criteria:

• Muscle contraction: high tension and eccentric exercises (stretch) often preferred for hypertrophy
• Feel: e.g. with a smooth resistance curve, a good mind-muscle connection, and not causing any risk of injury or pain
• Progressive overload: the simpler it is to increase volume or intensity, the better

I should be noted that grading is dependent on the targeted muscle group. There may also be variations according to personal preferences (especially for the Feel criterion). Besides, it may be conditioned to the equipment available (bodyweight, free weights, cable, machine, etc.). Finally, an exercise can have a bad grading for muscle strengthening but still be effective as an endurance exercise (e.g. combination exercise).