5 Common Mistakes Holding Back Your Lower Body Muscle Gains
Building strong, muscular legs is a goal for many gym-goers, but it can be easy to make mistakes that hinder your progress.
From incorrect training techniques to poor recovery practices, there are several common pitfalls that can slow down lower body muscle gains. In this article, we’ll examine five common mistakes that might be holding you back and provide evidence-based advice to overcome them.
Mistake #1: Neglecting Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is the foundation of muscle growth and strength development. Failing to gradually increase the intensity, volume, or frequency of your workouts can cause your progress to stagnate. The principle of progressive overload was first studied by Dr. Thomas DeLorme in the 1940s, who demonstrated that systematic weight increases led to more significant strength gains compared to static loading (DeLorme & Watkins, 1948).
When you lift the same weight for the same number of repetitions over time, your muscles no longer receive the stimulus required to grow. Instead, ensure that you’re challenging your muscles by gradually increasing the resistance, reps, or sets you perform.
One way to incorporate progressive overload is by adjusting the volume (sets x reps) or intensity (weight lifted). Research from Schoenfeld et al. (2016) indicates that higher training volumes are positively associated with greater hypertrophy in trained individuals. You can also manipulate frequency, as a study by McLester, Bishop, and Guilliams (2000) found that twice-weekly training was superior to once-weekly training for muscle size gains.
Post Comment