Mind muscle connection
What is the mind muscle connection?
Staying focused in the gym or at home is not always as easy as some might make it look. You might have had a stressful day or you made it just in time to finish a workout before the gym closes. Your mind starts to wander, maybe back to an issue you had at work or what you are going to make for dinner or even what you are going to do over the weekend. While your mind is wandering you are losing out on a very important aspect of your workout: the mind muscle connection.
Mind muscle connection is when you actively think and really squeeze the target muscle hard while you are doing an exercise. It is the distinction between just going through the motions versus creating a connection with your muscles.
Why is the mind muscle connection important?
The more you think about the target muscle, the more your strength and muscle memory gains will be. When we focus our mind and attention to our movement, the neurons within our brain fire and send signals to our muscle fibers to contract. This improves the strength of contraction and also the quality of movement. The simple act of consciously feeling a muscle work through a full range of motion can enhance muscle fiber recruitment and activation. And the more fully and effectively you engage your muscles, the more they’ll grow.
how to improve the mind muscle connection?
The mind muscle connection is especially useful in strength training and resistance training. Here is a few ways to improve the mind muscle connection:
MOVE SLOWER
Many people go through the exercises so quickly to get it over and done, but if you slow down and really focus and squeeze the muscle your mind muscle connection will improve.
DO A WARM UP
Make sure to do a warm up to warm up the muscles and joints and to also do activation exercises before you start with your workout.
DO ISOLATION EXERCISES
Isolation exercises is when you use only one joint in the exercise. When you do compound exercises (multi-joint) you might not be able to feel the mind muscle connection, because multiple muscles are working together to perform the exercise. For example use a leg extension machine instead of doing squats, this will help you focus on your quadricep muscles. You can focus your quads specifically when performing squats if you have the correct posture and your mind muscle connection is stronger.
USE CUES
Focusing on cues during an exercise can draw your attention to muscles to enhance activation. For example, while performing a squat, focus on centring your weight through your heels, this will engage the glute and hamstring muscles more. When you focus your weight more on the ball of your foot you will be targeting the quadricep muscles more. You can also elevate your heels or your toes to feel the same effects.
TEMPO TRAINING
Speeding up, slowing down or holding the position is a great way to really focus on the target muscle. I love using full range, pulses and hold in place to really burn out the muscle.
TURN OFF ALL DISTRACTIONS
Find a nice workout playlist, make sure you have everything for your workout and know what routine you want to do and focus. Make the best out of your workout.
SIGN UP FOR MY MIND MUSCLE CONNECTION PROGRAM
My mind muscle connection starts on the 1’st of May 2022 and there is availability for 50 people in the beginners program with no equipment and 50 spots for the more advanced with dumbbells and resistance bands.
Putting it all together
Your mind has plenty of ways to connect with your muscles during exercise. Utilise the tips above to help you make the most of your workout and to ensure that you target the specific muscles for each exercise to form a strong mind muscle connection.