What Is Muscle Confusion and Is It Actually Real?

 

Hey hey beautiful human!

Have you ever finished a workout and thought, “Wait… was that even hard enough?”

Maybe you were not sore the next day. Maybe the exercises felt familiar. Maybe you have heard someone say your muscles need to be “confused” or “kept guessing” if you want to keep seeing results.

And suddenly, repeating the same kinds of movements starts to feel like you are doing something wrong.

I get why it sounds convincing.

New workouts feel exciting. New exercises can make you sore. New formats can make you feel like you challenged your body in a completely different way.

But does your body actually need to be confused to change?

In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about muscle confusion, where this idea comes from, and what really matters if you want your workouts to keep working. We will also talk about why I give you five brand-new workouts every week inside Movement With Julie, while still bringing you back to the foundational movements your body needs to get stronger.

What’s Discussed:

  • What people really mean when they say “muscle confusion”

  • What soreness can make you assume about your workouts

  • How to know when your body needs a greater challenge

  • Where variety actually belongs in your workouts

  • Why Movement With Julie gives you fresh workouts without random programming

  • How to keep training interesting while still building strength

Inside the Movement With Julie app, you get five brand-new workouts every week so training stays fresh, fun, and challenging without you having to piece together random workouts on your own. I handle the programming, the variety, and the structure so all you have to do is open the app, choose your weights, and press play. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started.

If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 566: What Most Women Get Wrong About Progressive Overload. It is the perfect next listen if you want to understand how to keep challenging your body as you get stronger without feeling like you need to start over with a completely new workout every week.

If you want more from me, be sure to check out…

Transcript

(0:00) Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, (0:05) a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I give you a dose of real (0:11) talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally (0:16) loving your authentic self.

Stay tuned if you're ready to Embrace Your Real. Let's get (0:21) it. Let's go.

Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast. We're (0:33) going to be focusing on a fitness topic that I actually can't remember if we've ever talked (0:37) about on the podcast, which now that I think about it, I have no idea why. Regardless, we're (0:41) going to be diving into the topic of muscle confusion.

Maybe someone has told you that (0:45) you need to keep your muscles guessing. Maybe you've heard that if you do the same types (0:50) of exercises for too long, your body will get used to them and you'll stop seeing results. (0:54) Or maybe you finished a workout thinking that if you are not incredibly sore or sweaty (0:58) or doing exercises that you had never done before, you somehow did not challenge your (1:02) body enough.

That whole idea kind of falls under what people commonly call muscle confusion. (1:08) And the claim behind muscle confusion is basically that your muscles will eventually (1:12) adapt to a workout. And once they adapt, the workout will become less effective.

So in (1:17) order to keep getting results, you're supposed to constantly surprise your body with new (1:22) exercises or new workout formats or new rep ranges and new challenges so that your muscles (1:27) never have a chance to kind of know what's coming. There is one part of that claim (1:32) that is absolutely true. Your body does adapt to your training.

Where the muscle confusion (1:37) theory gets off track is the idea that adaptation is something that we need to avoid. Adaptation (1:44) is actually one of the main reasons why we strain train in the first place. So when (1:48) you repeatedly challenge your muscles, your body responds to that demand.

You become stronger, (1:54) you get better at performing the movement, and over time you can build muscle. And (1:58) those are all adaptations that we want to happen. So the goal of an effective strength (2:02) training program is not to constantly surprise your muscles before they can adapt.

The goal (2:07) is to continue giving them enough of the training stimulus that they have a reason to keep adapting. (2:13) And there is a really kind of important difference between those two things. And this is also (2:17) why I wanted to talk about muscle confusion because if you are inside my Moomoo with (2:23) Julie app, which is my dumbbell only workouts, you know that I give you five brand new (2:26) workouts every single week.

And there's a lot of variety in the app. And I absolutely (2:30) believe variety has a place in your workouts, but I'm giving you new workouts because I (2:36) want movement to say fresh, interesting, challenging, and something that you can actually look forward (2:41) to doing. I'm not sitting here trying to confuse your muscles every Monday morning.

(2:46) If you look underneath all of those different workouts, you will notice that we continuously (2:51) come back to the same foundational movement patterns. We squat, we lunge, we hinge, we (2:57) deadlift, we press, we row, we curl, we raise, and we work those major muscle groups again (3:02) and again. The variation changes how those patterns show up.

Yes, but the foundation (3:07) remains incredibly consistent. And so in today's episode, I want to explain what the science (3:13) actually tells us about muscle confusion, why your body adapting to exercise is actually (3:18) a good thing, and how you know when your muscles really need a greater challenge, and why you (3:24) can absolutely have variety in your workouts without needing to constantly confuse your (3:29) body. (3:30) Before we dive in, though, I want to share this review.

She gave a five star review (3:33) and said second review because one is not enough. Miss Julie, my internet BFF, I've (3:38) had different chapters in my life the past four years, but the one thing that has been (3:42) consistent is you, your podcast, your movement with Julie app, and your IG. You are the (3:47) one constant thing that grounds me and motivates me forever grateful for you.

I'm forever (3:51) grateful for you. I love this so much. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day.

(3:56) And it's just, it really does encompass it, right? It encompasses life. Life is getting (4:00) ebbs and flows. You're going to have different seasons, but we do always have constants (4:05) in our life.

And one of those constants for you is my podcast and for that. I'm so thankful (4:10) for that. So thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in that review.

(4:13) If you could scooch over to Apple podcasts and leave a rating interview. She said this (4:17) is her second review. If you've left a review, maybe a couple of years ago, I would love to (4:22) have kind of a new review just on what an episode maybe that has spoken to you in the (4:27) last few months or just in general, how the podcast has helped you.

So thank you in advance (4:32) for doing that. All right, we're going to just dive right into it. Number one, muscle (4:36) confusion takes a real biological process and draws the wrong conclusion from it.

So (4:41) the first thing I want you to understand is why the idea of muscle confusion became believable (4:46) in the first place, because there is real science underneath part of the claim. Like (4:51) your body is incredibly good at adopting. When you start strength training and exercise (4:56) that feels really difficult at first will usually start to feel easier as you practice (5:01) it.

Like your nervous system becomes better at coordinating the movement. Your muscles (5:04) become better at like producing force. Your technique improves and eventually your body (5:10) can handle a level of resistance that used to be much more challenging.

There's even (5:14) something researchers call the repeated bow effect, which basically means that after (5:19) your body has experienced a particular exercise stress, it becomes better prepared to handle (5:25) a similar stress the next time. And that is one reason why brand new workouts might (5:30) leave you feeling incredibly sore the first time that you do it while repeating similar (5:35) movements later may cause much less soreness. And I think that this is where people started (5:40) connecting the dots incorrectly.

They noticed that a workout does not make them (5:44) sore anymore or a certain weight feels easier. And they assume that the workout has stopped (5:49) working. But if a weight that once felt incredibly difficult now feels easier, (5:55) congratulations, you've got stronger, your body did exactly what we wanted it to do.

(6:00) And soreness is not the scorecard for whether you have had an effective workout (6:04) either. A new unfamiliar movement can make you incredibly sore because your body has not been (6:10) exposed to it recently. Chasing that feeling though every week can make you believe that (6:14) you constantly need a brand new stimulus when what you really need is just enough (6:19) challenge to continue progressing.

So your body adapting does not mean that you have somehow (6:24) outsmarted your workout. It means that your training created an adaptation and now we can (6:29) build it from there. Number two, the science points us toward progressive overload rather (6:34) than constantly changing exercises.

The second thing that I want you to focus on is something (6:39) that you've heard me talk about many, many times in this podcast, and that is progressive (6:43) overload. Progressive overload is the gradual increase in the challenge you place on your (6:48) muscles over time. And this matters because your muscles respond to the demands that you (6:52) give them.

So if your body becomes capable of handling a certain training stress, eventually (6:57) you may need to increase that stress in some way if you want to continue progressing. (7:02) And this is where I really want you to understand the difference between increasing the (7:06) challenge does not require you to throw away the exercise. So let's say you've been doing (7:11) a squat with a 15 pound dumbbell at eight reps, and that used to feel incredibly (7:16) challenging.

After a few weeks, you do those eight reps with great form. And you (7:20) know, you probably have maybe, you know, at least three to five reps left in you, (7:25) your body's adapted. Now we have options.

You could use a heavier dumbbell, you (7:30) could perform more repetitions, you could improve your range of motion, you (7:34) could control the lowering part of the squat more intentionally. So doing it one, (7:39) two, three, four, five, pause, explode up, or you could eventually add more total (7:45) work. All of those things can increase the demand that you're placing on your (7:49) muscle.

And research has actually compared progressing by adding weight with (7:53) progressing by adding repetitions. And both approaches have produced increases in (7:58) muscle size and strength. So when I tell you progressive overload can happen in (8:03) many more ways than just simply grabbing a heavier dumbbell every week, there's (8:07) actually research behind that.

A newer research continues to support the basic (8:11) principle that progressively increasing the training demand can support muscle (8:16) growth. And this is why I would much rather have you ask yourself like, am I (8:21) continuing to challenge myself instead of have I done this exercise before? (8:25) Those are two completely different questions. Your muscles do not care (8:29) whether an exercise feels exciting and new to your brain.

They respond to the (8:34) actual demand that you are placing on them. Number three, there is science (8:39) supporting exercise variety, but more variety does not automatically mean (8:44) more results. The third thing I want to talk about is variety because I think (8:48) this is where the muscle confusion conversation can swing too far in the (8:51) other direction.

I absolutely believe that there is a place for changing (8:55) exercises and research does too. When researchers have looked into exercise (9:00) variation, they have found that systematically changing exercises can be (9:05) useful for strength and muscle development. Different exercise (9:08) variations can train muscles at different lengths, through different (9:12) ranges of motion, and with slightly different mechanical demands, which may (9:16) actually help to create more well-rounded muscular development.

But (9:21) here's the really interesting part. The research does not show that endlessly (9:26) changing exercises at random is better. A review looking specifically at exercise (9:32) variation found that some systematic variation may benefit strength and (9:37) regional muscle growth, while excessive random variation may actually interfere (9:43) with muscular adaptations.

So there really is a sweet spot. You can change (9:47) the variation of a squat, you can change your stance, you can change the (9:51) equipment that you're using, you can change the rep range or workout format, (9:55) you can move from a reverse lunge to a lateral lunge, from a traditional (9:59) Romanian deadlift to a staggered stance variation. Those changes are going to (10:04) give you variety while still allowing us to train at the same foundational (10:08) patterns and muscle groups.

And that's very different from what is going on (10:13) online every day. Choosing five completely random exercises because (10:18) you've never seen them before and assuming that they must be more (10:21) effective because they seem unfamiliar. I want to remind you that novelty and (10:26) effectiveness are not the same thing.

We can use novelty strategically and I (10:32) personally love using it because it makes training more enjoyable, but (10:37) there still should be a reason behind what you're doing. And that's what's (10:41) key here. Number four, repeating movement pattern is actually part of how (10:46) you get better at them.

So the fourth thing I want you to understand is why (10:49) we keep foundational movements woven throughout your training. Think about (10:53) anything else that you've ever wanted to get better at in your life. You would (10:56) never expect to become a better tennis player if you practice a completely (11:00) different sport every day.

You would never expect to become better at playing (11:04) the piano if you refuse to practice the same skills more than once. Your (11:08) body learns through repetition as well. So when you squat, when you lunge, when (11:12) you push, when you pull repeatedly, your nervous system becomes better at (11:16) coordinating those movements.

Your technique can improve and you can become (11:20) more stable and eventually handle greater loads and more challenging (11:24) versions of those patterns. That repetition is valuable. Research on (11:29) resistance training also shows that your body can build muscle across a (11:34) wide range of loads and programming approaches, especially when the training (11:38) provides a sufficient stimulus.

Heavier loads tend to have an advantage when (11:44) the specific goal is maximizing strength, but muscle growth can occur (11:49) across a broader range of loading conditions. So there's really no magical (11:53) exercise combination your body requires every week. There are basic (11:57) principles that matter, and we have a lot of flexibility in how we apply (12:02) them.

And this is exactly what I'm doing from week to week inside my (12:05) movement with Juliet. You might have five completely new workouts this week (12:09) and then five completely new workouts next week. But if you actually look (12:13) at the movement patterns inside of them, you're going to be seeing squats (12:17) in different forms.

You're going to be seeing different lunge variations. (12:20) You're going to be seeing deadlifts and other hip hinge movements. You're (12:24) going to be seeing presses and rows.

You're going to be doing raises, (12:27) curls, extension, and core work. Maybe the exercises are paired differently. (12:32) Maybe I changed the tempo.

Maybe one week we're doing a goblet squat, (12:35) the next week we're doing a sumo squat. Maybe we change the order or the reps (12:39) or the workout format. That variety is what keeps your training interesting.

(12:44) But underneath what we are doing is we are continuously practicing and (12:48) strengthening those same major movement patterns. And I do that very (12:52) intentionally. Number five, the best workout program gives your body (12:56) enough consistency to progress and enough variety to keep you engaged.

(13:02) The fifth thing I want you to take away from today's episode is that (13:04) you do not have to choose between doing the exact same workout forever (13:08) and completely reinventing your training every week. (13:11) There is a whole lot of room in between. (13:14) And I honestly think that's where the really good programming lives.

(13:17) I want enough consistency that your muscles continue receiving meaningful (13:21) training for the major movement patterns and muscle groups. (13:23) But I also want enough variety that you actually enjoy what you're doing (13:27) and actually want to keep coming back. (13:30) Because we can talk about the perfect sets, reps, exercise variations, (13:33) progressive overload strategy all day long, (13:36) but your program cannot work if you do not consistently do it.

(13:40) And that's one of the biggest reasons why I personally give you five brand new (13:43) workouts inside my Moot with Julie weekly workout program. (13:46) Because I know how much more fun it is to open the app and do something new. (13:51) I love wondering which exercises we're going to be doing that day as well.

(13:55) And I never want your strength training routine to feel like you're checking (13:58) the exact same boring box every Monday, every Wednesday, (14:01) and Friday for the rest of your life. (14:02) So I use new workouts to keep you engaged while the training principles (14:06) underneath those workouts remain very consistent. (14:09) You're still going to train your lower body.

(14:11) You're still going to train your upper body. (14:12) You're still going to challenge your major muscle groups, (14:15) and you're still going to return to those foundational movement patterns. (14:18) And most importantly, (14:19) I'm always encouraging you to choose weights that actually challenge you and (14:24) continue progressing as you become stronger.

(14:27) That is going to give you the best of both worlds because you get the (14:30) excitement of fresh workouts while still giving your body the repeated (14:33) progressive training stimulus that it needs. (14:36) So there you have it. (14:37) Those are the five things I really want you to understand about muscle (14:40) confusion and what is actually happening when your body adapts to your workouts.

(14:44) Let me do a quick recap. (14:46) Number one, muscle confusion is based on the idea that your body (14:49) adapts to exercise and therefore needs to constantly be surprised with something new. (14:55) Your body absolutely adapts, (14:57) but the adaptation is part of the process that we are trying to create.

(15:01) Number two, (15:02) progressive overload gives us a much better framework for continued progress. (15:05) As your body becomes stronger, (15:07) you continue increasing the challenge throughout the weight, (15:10) the reps, the control, the range of motion, (15:12) the volume and other training variables. (15:14) Number three, (15:15) exercise variety can be valuable when it's intentional.

(15:19) Research supports systematic variation while constantly rotating through (15:23) random exercises does not appear to give you some magic muscle building advantage. (15:29) Number four, (15:30) repeating foundational exercises helps you get stronger at them. (15:34) So squats, lunges, hinges, presses, (15:36) rows, raises, curls and other basic movement patterns continue showing up (15:41) because your body benefits from practicing and progressively challenging them.

(15:45) And last but not least, (15:46) a great program can give you consistency and variety. (15:50) You can have fresh workouts that keep you engaged (15:52) while still following the strength training principles your body needs to (15:56) keep and continue progressing. (15:59) I really hope that this helps you change the way that you're thinking about (16:02) whether a workout is quote unquote working.

(16:05) You do not need to wake up incredibly sore the next morning for it to be an (16:09) incredibly effective workout. (16:11) You do not need to find an exercise that you've never seen before to try to (16:15) challenge your body in a new way for it to be quote unquote effective. (16:18) You do not need your workouts to feel completely different every time you pick (16:21) up your dumbbells.

(16:23) I want you paying attention to whether you are challenging yourself, (16:27) whether you're becoming stronger, (16:28) whether your form and your control is improving and whether you're consistently (16:31) showing up because when the squat variation changes, (16:34) but you're still squatting when the deadlift changes, (16:36) but you're still hinging when the workout format changes, (16:39) but you're still training those same foundational patterns, (16:42) your body is getting both repetition and variety. (16:46) And that's exactly what I want for you inside my Moot with Julie community. (16:49) If you love this episode, (16:51) I know you'll also love episode five 66 what most women get wrong about (16:55) progressive overload because I go even deeper into how progressive overload (17:00) works and why there are so many different ways you can continue challenging (17:04) your muscles as you get stronger.

One final reminder, (17:07) your body adapting to your workout is a sign that your body is doing exactly (17:12) what it's designed to do. And when something becomes easier, (17:15) you have an opportunity to challenge yourself a little bit more and keep (17:19) building from there. If you want me to take care of your programming for you, (17:23) can join me inside my Moot with Julie app.

Dumbo only is all you need is a few (17:26) pair of dumbbells in a small space. You get five brand new workouts every single (17:30) week. I keep things fresh and exciting while continuing to weave in those (17:34) foundational movement patterns, squats, lunges, deadlifts, presses, rows, (17:38) raises, curls, and all of the other movements that help you to build a (17:42) stronger body.

(17:44) All you have to do is open the app and the workout is planned for you. (17:47) You can pick the 30 minute or the 60 minute there go at your own pace video (17:51) demonstrations for every single movement. (17:53) You can follow the link in the show notes to get started, (17:55) but that is all that I have for today's episode.

I hope that it was helpful. (17:59) I hope it gave you some clarity on muscle confusion. I love you so much.

(18:03) I mean it. And I'll talk to you in the next one. All right, sister, (18:13) that's all I got for you today, (18:14) but I have two things that I need you to do.

First thing, (18:18) if you are not already following me on the ground, be sure to do so. (18:21) Julie A led better. Yes, (18:23) it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, (18:27) healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart (18:31) in check.

The second thing, (18:33) be sure to subscribe to apple podcasts to never miss an episode. (18:37) Thank you so much for joining me. (18:40) It means the absolute world.

And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. (18:43) The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are (18:47) completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. (18:53) Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface.

(18:56) So go out there and embrace your real because you're worth it.

 
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