Mind to Muscle Connection is important to establish to maximize growth. What I mean by that is that you're thinking of the muscle that you're working out/exercising - You're ONLY focusing on that Muscle performance - the movements, the strain you're putting the muscle on is directly on that muscle only, not using other body parts to assist that body part in work (secondary Muscles but they are still in use but hardly). This'll improve muscle damage!
Why It's Important
This is important to establish because if you're wanting to grow or if you're having troubles gaining mass, establishing the mind to muscle connection is a must. Some people can and cannot establish a connection because it's a lack of memory/knowledge of the muscle that has been used/activated/worked on. Meaning, you must first acknowledge how the muscle works and performs and you must think of the muscle - being the muscle first. Learning the movements can help because you can determine where and how it functions. Then once you understand the muscle, put yourself in the place/position of the muscle and exercise upon it/within it.
People who cannot establish the mind to muscle connection can easily fix that. Here are some tips:
Establishing Mind to Muscle Connection
- Posing - Posing with a particular muscle (Example: Bicep Flex) can help establish the mind to muscle connection - once posing, squeeze the muscle, and think about how the muscle flex's in order to be "the muscle" "activating the mind to muscle connection"
- Different angles - A lot of people including myself have a hard time activating some body parts such as Lats; Try using alternative exercises or different angles (hand placement, etc) to see if that can establish the connection
- Too Light/Heavy of Weight - Everyone's different; if you're using lightweights and cannot feel the muscle being worked, try using heavy weights and vice versa
- Isometric Holds - Holding an contracted part of a muscle that is on HOLD or a pause point (squeezing the muscle) in order to have blood rushing to that area/this helps me establish more of a connection
- Good Form - I find that using strict form improves the mind to muscle connection; focusing more on the movement rather than just lifting the weight just to lift.
No Establishment of Mind to Muscle Connection
You can really hurt yourself if you don't have a good sense of your body or how it works. Knowing yourself and the exercising can help improve your workouts and for gainz. There's been injuries in my case that I did not pay attention too and got hurt from it - now I only focus on mind to muscle connection to improve myself overall. Over-straining yourself with unnecessary movements, and/power/rage is not recommended - having a strict form and a good sense of mind to muscle connection with high intensity is the key for muscle growth!
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