When it comes to exercise selection, sometimes the most common moves aren’t always the most effective for muscle growth. And while all movement is good movement in our books, when you have hypertrophy goals and wish to absolutely maximise your chances of gaining mass, it may be time to make some programme tweaks.
Exercise scientist Dr Milo Wolf highlights three exercises you might want to reconsider if you’re chasing those maximum results in the gym.
3 Overrated Muscle-Building Exercises
In first place, the standing curl is a staple for arm day, but Dr Wolf argues it doesn’t offer the biggest return. ‘It’s convenient and trains the elbow flexors well, but it’s overrated,’ he says. ‘Most people would benefit more from incline curls for a deeper stretch, or preacher curls for more resistance at long muscle lengths. Both exercises also offer more support.’
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In other words, smarter variations can hit the biceps harder by increasing range of motion with increased tension, while reducing unwanted swing.
On paper, leg extensions are quad-focused and fairly low risk. But the machine setup often limits their potential. ‘It isolates the knee extension and blasts the quads without stressing your back,’ says Dr Wolf. ‘But traditional setups mostly train the short range and shorten the rectus femoris at the hip. Instead, try using yoga blocks for more range, sliding the seat back to stretch the rectus femoris and adding partials after failure. Or, just do sissy squats instead.’
A simple tweak in setup – or swapping the move entirely – could mean enhanced quad development.
3. Hip Thrust
It’s hard to scroll Instagram without seeing a hip thrust. But despite the hype, Dr Wolf believes they’re limited: ‘Great for glutes, but not much else. A study by Plotkin and colleagues found little growth in the hamstrings, quads, or adductors. If you want complete leg development and don’t have hours to train, focus on squats, split squats and Romanian deadlifts instead. They give you far more bang for your buck.’
For anyone on a tight schedule, compound lifts may build stronger legs in less time.
The Bottom Line
Even the most popular movements have limitations. By rethinking your exercise selection and leaning into variations that load muscles through a greater range, your training can deliver efficient and effective muscle growth.
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