Hey folks! Let’s talk muscle growth. The science, the mistakes, and the recommendations. Most people, whether beginners or experienced lifters, find themselves wondering: “Am I doing too much?”.
Dr Mike here put it plainly: “Are you using the right number of exercises to get the most muscle growth, or are you overdoing it?”. Dr Mike Israetel, PhD in Sport Physiology and co-founder of Renaissance Periodization, is a well-respected professor in the bodybuilding community. He doesn’t only talk about workouts and fitness tips, he often dives deep into health and nutrition.
Too many exercises, and you might be wasting your time. Too few, and you’re not giving your muscles the stimulus they need to grow.
Let’s break down the key science and best practices for muscle growth, while keeping it real with some common mistakes we all make. If you’re struggling with your gains, stick around – you’re going to want to hear this!
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The Science Behind Muscle Growth
Muscle growth is a complex process that doesn’t happen overnight. To maximise it, we need to understand how muscles work and what they need to grow. Different muscles respond differently to training due to their structure and function. Some muscles are pretty straightforward; you hit them from one angle, and you’re good to go. Others, like the quads or shoulders, are more complex.
Let’s start with some basics:
- Multi-Joint Muscles Need Different Angles: Some muscles, like your quads and hamstrings, operate at more than one joint. For example, the quads work at both the hip and knee, so hitting them from different angles (e.g., leg press vs leg extension) is crucial to fully activate all parts of the muscle. If you’re only doing one movement, you’re missing out on optimal growth.
- Some Muscles Are Multi-Functional: Muscles like your shoulders (delts) work in different ways. You can’t just hit “shoulders” with one exercise. The front, middle, and rear delts all work differently. For instance, the front delts get a lot of action from pushing movements like bench presses, while the rear delts get hit when pulling (like during rows). The side delts? They need their own specific movements (like lateral raises).
- The Back Is A Complex System: Your back isn’t just one muscle; it’s a group of muscles. So, to properly train your back, you’ll need more than just pull-ups. Think about vertical pulling (pull-ups), horizontal pulling (rows), and movements that work your spinal erectors (deadlifts or good mornings).
So, already, we can see that to optimise muscle growth, we need a variety of exercises. But not too many, and not all at once.
Common Muscle Growth Mistakes
Now that we understand a bit of the science, let’s talk about mistakes. Many people fall into traps that hurt their progress. Are you guilty of any of these?
1. Doing Too Many Exercises for the Same Muscle
Let’s be real: You don’t need to be doing five different chest exercises in a single workout. A common misconception is thinking more exercises equal more gains. That’s just not how it works.
Most muscles don’t need more than 1-2 exercises per session. You’re better off doing 4-8 sets of quality work on those exercises rather than spreading yourself too thin across multiple movements. For example, if you’re training quads, you might do squats and leg extensions in one session. That’s enough to hit all parts of the muscle without overdoing it.
Remember, quality beats quantity. Dr Mike says, “If you’re using four or five exercises for a single muscle in a single session, there’s a lot of redundancy there.”
2. Not Varying Your Movements Throughout the Week
Another common mistake is hitting the same muscle the exact same way multiple times a week. Sure, squats are great, but if that’s all you do for legs, you’re going to hit a wall. Muscles respond best when they’re hit from different angles. Try alternating between squats, leg presses, and lunges with a dumbbell across your weekly sessions.
Mike suggests, “If you squat on Monday, maybe do leg presses on Thursday with different rep ranges.” Keeping things varied prevents staleness and keeps your muscles growing.
3. Thinking You Need to Do All Movement Types in One Session
It’s tempting to try and hit every angle of a muscle in one session. For example, chest day might look like: flat bench, incline bench, decline bench, and flyes – all in one workout! But this is overkill. Instead, spread these movements out across the week. You don’t need to tackle everything in one go. Not only does this save time, but it also reduces the risk of overtraining and injury.
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Best Recommendations for Building Muscle Effectively
Now that we’ve tackled the mistakes, let’s dive into some top recommendations to make sure you’re training in the most effective way possible.
1. Choose Exercises that Cover All Main Muscle Functions
The goal is to pick exercises that cover all the major movements a muscle is responsible for. For example, when training chest, make sure you’re including movements that target both the middle and upper pecs. A flat bench press hits the middle pecs, while an incline bench press focuses more on the upper pecs. You don’t have to hit every part of the chest every workout, but over the course of the week, make sure you’re covering your bases.
Here’s how to approach different muscle groups:
- Chest: Combine flat and incline presses.
- Back: Alternate between vertical (pull-ups) and horizontal (rows) pulling movements.
- Quads: Use a mix of leg presses and leg extensions.
- Hamstrings: Alternate between hip-hinge movements (like stiff-legged deadlifts) and leg curls.
2. Use Distributed Compound Exercises

When you’re short on time, or if you’re looking to streamline your workout, compound exercises that hit multiple muscles are a game changer. Compound lifts, like deadlifts or squats, involve multiple joints and work several muscles at once.
Distributed compounds, like a close-grip bench press, are particularly efficient. Not only do they work your chest, but they also hit your triceps. It’s way more effective than doing separate sets of chest flyes and tricep pushdowns. Less time, more gains!
Here’s the deal: “What’s better: doing three sets of chest flyes and three sets of tricep pushdowns, or three sets of close-grip bench and then calling it a day?” Mike makes a solid point here. Efficiency is key!
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3. Adjust Your Exercises Based on Per-Session Volume
How many exercises you should do in a session depends on how many sets you plan to complete. If you only need to do 4 sets for your quads, one exercise like squats or leg presses is plenty. If your back workout calls for 12 sets, you’ll likely need 2-3 different exercises to cover all the muscles.
A good rule of thumb is:
- If you’re doing fewer sets for a specific muscle (around 2-4), stick to one exercise.
- For 4-8 sets, you can add a second exercise.
- When you’re pushing for more sets, incorporate 3 exercises to avoid burnout on just one movement, but you might also think of doing more sessions instead of adding more exercises to get the best stimulus and avoid injury and burnout.
How Many Exercises Should You Be Doing?
Let’s get practical. How many exercises do you really need to grow those muscles?
- Per Session: 1-2 exercises for most muscles should be your sweet spot. If you’re training quads, for instance, you might start with squats and then finish with leg extensions. That’s enough!
- Per Week: For optimal growth, 2-4 exercises per muscle group per week is typically sufficient. So, for example, your quads might get squats on Monday, leg presses on Thursday, and you could even throw in lunges if you’re feeling it. Keep things varied, but don’t go overboard.

Too many people make the mistake of doing way too much in one session. It’s not sustainable, and it can lead to burnout or injury.
Aim for fewer exercises but more quality sets.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
We’ve touched on a few of these already, but here’s a more detailed look at some common mistakes and how to fix them.
1. Using Too Few Variations Over Time
If you stick with the same few exercises for months on end, eventually, your body adapts, and progress slows. The solution? Rotate your exercises every couple of months. Keep things fresh so that your muscles never know what’s coming next. That said, don’t switch things up too frequently. Give your muscles time to adapt before making changes.
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2. Training Every Angle of a Muscle in One Session
No need to go crazy. As we mentioned earlier, if you’re hitting all the angles of a muscle in a single session, you’re just doing too much. Spread it out. Not only will this save you time, but it will also lead to better results because you’re not overtaxing your muscles.
3. Thinking More is Always Better
There’s a myth out there that doing more exercises means more muscle. But in reality, your muscles can only take so much before you hit diminishing returns. Focus on quality over quantity. If you’re spending hours in the gym doing set after set, it’s time to rethink your approach.

Conclusion: Quality Over Quantity
So, are you doing too many exercises for muscle growth? If you’ve been overloading your sessions with five or six different movements for each muscle group, the answer is yes. The key is to find a balance. Don’t do too much, but don’t do too little either. Stick to 1-2 solid exercises per session and keep your volume between 4-8 sets for most muscles.
Remember, less is more when it comes to building muscle. Keep things varied, focus on compound lifts, and adjust your plan based on how many sets you need to complete. By following these guidelines, you’ll get the most out of your training sessions without wasting time or energy.
Lastly, listen to your body. If something isn’t working or you’re not seeing progress, don’t be afraid to tweak your program. Muscle growth takes time and patience, but with the right approach, you’ll get there!
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