What Muscle Grows The Fastest?

Bodybuilding is a sport that requires patience. But on your journey to becoming the biggest guy in the world, you may be wondering- what muscle grows the fastest?

The muscle that grows the fastest is the quadriceps and chest. Truthfully, it is genetically different for most people. However, most people notice that their quadriceps and chest muscles grow the fastest. Generally, since these muscle groups have so many muscle fibers, they grow much faster than the rest.

But, this topic is a little more confusing than it sounds upfront. Let’s discuss it more in-depth.

What muscle grows the fastest? For most, it's the quads, chest, and for some- the back!
What muscle grows the fastest? For most, it’s the quads, chest, and for some- the back!

It’s Mainly Genetic

For most people, the muscle that’s going to grow the fastest is usually based on genetics.

Some people ultimately grow their biceps the fastest, some grow their hamstrings the fastest- it ultimately depends on your genetics.

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That’s why if you take two people, put them on the same workout program, they will look a little different and have some disparities in muscle mass.

For instance, my legs and traps grew faster than the rest of my muscles when I was on a full-body program. My arms, chest, and back all lagged behind- even though I was almost working them more!

Typically, The Quads and Chest Grow Fastest

For most people, genetically speaking, the quadriceps and chest grow fastest. Both of these muscle groups are absolutely massive, so they grow the fastest due to the higher amounts of twitch fibers. And most people’s genetics typically will have these grow fastest.

However, I have seen some people whose genetics have them grow their traps faster than the rest of their bodies. This is typically found in people of Scandinavian descent, but it can vary from person to person.

These Muscle Groups Are Worked Out More Frequently Than Others

One of the main reasons that the quads and chest grow faster than other muscles is just because they are worked out more frequently than the other muscles.

There are two main reasons for this:

  • Workout programs include these muscle groups, but typically don’t work out muscles like forearms/calves.
  • Many different exercises inadvertently activate the chest and quads.

Firstly, Most Programs Have You Work Chest/Legs All The Time

Simply put, most programs have you work chest/legs all the time. For instance, in Arnold’s Blueprint to Mass, you’ll work chest and legs twice a week- and you’ll often have 3-4 different exercises targeting those quads and your chest specifically.

Meanwhile, most programs won’t have you working out your forearms or calves as intense nor as often as you will be working out your quads or chest.

Because of this sheer difference in volume and intensity alone, it’s no surprise that most people say their quads and chest grow faster than anything else.

But, you may be thinking: What if I just increased the volume on everything else? Wouldn’t that make the other muscles grow faster?

Well, not exactly. This is due to muscle fiber differences, AND the fact that your quads and chest are activated in nearly every exercise you do.

Yep, Your Quads and Chest Are Activated in Nearly Every Exercise

As aforementioned, one of the main reasons that your quads and chest grow so fast is because they are activated in nearly every exercise.

If you’re even doing curls or overhead presses, your chest is being activated- albeit slightly. While it’s not the main focus, the muscle group is still put under tension and pressure. And over time, it really does add up.

For instance, when you bench press, you won’t really work out your biceps. But, when you work on your biceps, you’re activating your chest to stabilize your arms and shoulder region. Again, this isn’t anything crazy- but you need to understand that after years of bodybuilding that really starts to add up.

And it’s similar to the leg days. If you’re working on your deadlift, squat, or even other leg exercise variations you’ll almost always be activating your quadriceps in a very strenuous way- and your hamstrings may be left in the dust.

Part of the reason these muscles seem to grow so fast is just that they are worked out so much- even if you don’t realize it.

More Muscle Fibers = Faster Growth

Truthfully, the biggest factor of it all is that the more muscle fibers you have- the more growth you get.

And it’s seen in the quadriceps and chest the best, these are both massive muscle groups with an insane amount of muscle fibers. In fact, the quadriceps are estimated by some to have the most muscle fibers in the whole human body.

This is much different than a muscle group that seems slower to grow. For instance, your forearms just have much less muscle fibers than your quadriceps do.

The whole way muscle grows is by breaking down muscle fibers. And when you are working out your quadriceps, there are just so many muscle fibers being broken down at once, that when your muscle regrows, all of those muscle fibers grow back.

Some people have estimated that there may be close to a million muscle fibers in your quadriceps, meanwhile, the biceps only have on average 200,000 muscle fibers.

When it all comes down to it, the more muscle fibers you have = faster and more frequent growth

Conclusion of What Muscle Grows The Fastest

Simply put, for most people the quadriceps and chest will be the muscles that grow the fastest.

However, again- it does depend on your genetics. Some people have traps that grow much faster than the rest of their body, and some people have arms that just explode compared to the rest of their body.

But, usually- the more muscle fibers you have, the faster that muscle will grow. So think of bigger muscle groups like your chest, back, quads, et cetera.

Tell me in the comments below- what muscle grows the fastest on your body?

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