Are you making any of these mistakes?
Mistake 1: Ignoring Progressive Overload Progressive overload is the foundation of muscle growth. If you are lifting the same weights with the same number of reps and sets every week, your muscles have no reason to grow. Studies show that mechanical tension, created by lifting progressively heavier weights, is a primary driver of hypertrophy (Schoenfeld, 2010). The fix is to track your lifts and aim for incremental improvements. Increase the weight, reps, or sets slightly every session to ensure continued muscle growth.
Mistake 2: Over-Reliance on Machines Machines can be useful for isolation work but should not replace free weights. Research suggests that free-weight exercises engage more stabiliser muscles and lead to greater neuromuscular adaptation (Saeterbakken & Fimland, 2013). The fix is to prioritise compound, free-weight movements such as bench presses, pull-ups, and barbell rows, which stimulate more muscle fibres and improve functional strength.
Source: Victor Freitas / UnsplashMistake 3: Poor Exercise Selection Many lifters focus on exercises that are less effective for upper body development. For example, excessive bicep curls over compound pulling movements limits overall growth. Studies indicate that multi-joint exercises, such as pull-ups and rows, elicit greater muscle activation than isolation movements (Gentil et al., 2015). The fix is to structure your training around compound movements that maximise hypertrophy and overall muscle balance.
Mistake 4: Insufficient Training Volume and Frequency Training volume (sets x reps x weight) is critical for hypertrophy. Research suggests that muscle growth is optimised with at least 10–20 sets per muscle group per week (Schoenfeld et al., 2017).
Similarly, training a muscle group only once per week leads to suboptimal results. A study found that training a muscle twice per week results in greater hypertrophy compared to once per week (Schoenfeld et al., 2016). The fix is to distribute training volume evenly across the week, hitting each muscle group at least twice.
Mistake 5: Neglecting Diet and Recovery Training hard without proper nutrition and recovery will hinder results. A study on protein intake and muscle growth concluded that consuming 1.6–2.2g of protein per kg of body weight optimises muscle protein synthesis (Morton et al., 2018). Additionally, insufficient sleep reduces muscle recovery and growth due to disrupted hormonal balance (Dattilo et al., 2011). The fix is to prioritise a high-protein diet, consume adequate calories, and get at least 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night.
Key Takeaways:
Bibliography: Dattilo, M., Antunes, H.K., Medeiros, A., Neto, M.M., Souza, H.S., Tufik, S. and de Mello, M.T., 2011. Sleep and muscle recovery: endocrinological and molecular basis for a new and promising hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses, 77(2), pp.220-222.
Gentil, P., Oliveira, E., Rocha Junior, V.A., Do Carmo, J. and Bottaro, M., 2015. Effects of exercise order on upper-body muscle activation and exercise performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29(5), pp.1349-1356.
Morton, R.W., Murphy, K.T., McKellar, S.R., Schoenfeld, B.J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A.A., Devries, M.C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J.W. and Phillips, S.M., 2018. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), pp.376-384.
Saeterbakken, A.H. and Fimland, M.S., 2013. Muscle force output and electromyographic activity in squats with various unstable surfaces. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(1), pp.130-136.
Schoenfeld, B.J., 2010. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(10), pp.2857-2872.
Schoenfeld, B.J., Ogborn, D. and Krieger, J.W., 2016. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 46, pp.1689-1697.
Schoenfeld, B.J., Ogborn, D. and Krieger, J.W., 2017. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(11), pp.1073-1082.
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