Building a strong mind-muscle connection is crucial for effective strength training. When you perform an exercise, it’s important to feel the muscle working and focus your attention on that specific muscle. This mind-muscle connection enhances muscle activation and can lead to better results. Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., explains in his book, Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy, that attentional focus during strength training has important implications for muscular hypertrophy.
Simply going through the motions of an exercise is not enough. To establish a mind-muscle connection, you need to maintain optimal form and emphasize contractions of the targeted muscle. Researchers have found that using an internal focus of attention enhances muscle activation. For example, directing your focus to a specific muscle during an exercise can increase electromyography (EMG) activity in that muscle. This highlights the importance of concentration and focus on the active muscle during each repetition and set.
There are several ways to develop a strong mind-muscle connection. One approach is through tempo reps, which involve controlling the timing of each phase of the exercise. Tempo reps can be particularly effective when performed slowly and include pauses at the peak contraction. This technique increases time under tension and amplifies the sensations within the muscle, enhancing the mind-muscle connection. Isometric holds, where you hold a weight or position under load, can also improve the mind-muscle connection. This static muscle action forces you to focus on the specific area being held and promotes positional strength and endurance. Additionally, ultra-high rep sets can be utilized to fatigue the muscle and increase attentional focus. By pushing the muscle to its limits, you develop a strong mind-muscle connection as you concentrate on maintaining proper form and squeezing the muscle with each repetition. Finally, flexing and posing can be an effective way to build the mind-muscle connection. By flexing the muscle group you’re targeting, you enhance the neural connection to that muscle. Practicing flexing and posing, whether in front of a mirror or with your eyes closed, can significantly improve your mind-muscle connection.
