A method for generating a population of skeletal muscle progenitor cells (SMPCs), the method comprising: a) culturing pluripotent stem cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium for a period of time from 40 days to 50 days, generating a population of SMPCs that express paired box protein-7, wherein said culturing comprises: i) culturing the pluripotent stem cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising a Rho-associated kinase inhibitor from day 1 to day 2; ii) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising a glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor from day 2 to day 3; iii) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium from day 2 to day 12, wherein the culture medium comprises neuronal lineage progenitor cells; iv) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising fibroblast growth factor from day 12 to day 20; v) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium from day 20 to day 35; vi) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising insulin-like growth factor-1 from day 35 to day 50, thereby generating a population of cells comprising at least 50% PAX7+ SMPCs; and (b) enriching for SMPCs that are nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR)-positive and Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (ERBB3)-positive. a) culturing pluripotent stem cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium for a period of time from 40 days to 50 days, generating a population of SMPCs that express paired box protein-7, wherein said culturing comprises: i) culturing the pluripotent stem cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising a Rho-associated kinase inhibitor from day 1 to day 2; ii) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising a glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor from day 2 to day 3; iii) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium from day 2 to day 12, wherein the culture medium comprises neuronal lineage progenitor cells; iv) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising fibroblast growth factor from day 12 to day 20; v) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium from day 20 to day 35; vi) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising insulin-like growth factor-1 from day 35 to day 50, thereby generating a population of cells comprising at least 50% PAX7+ SMPCs; and i) culturing the pluripotent stem cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising a Rho-associated kinase inhibitor from day 1 to day 2; ii) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising a glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor from day 2 to day 3; iii) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium from day 2 to day 12, wherein the culture medium comprises neuronal lineage progenitor cells; iv) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising fibroblast growth factor from day 12 to day 20; v) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium from day 20 to day 35; vi) further culturing the cells in a chemically defined liquid culture medium comprising insulin-like growth factor-1 from day 35 to day 50, (b) enriching for SMPCs that are nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR)-positive and Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (ERBB3)-positive.