5-4-3-2-1 and Similar Protocols. Feeling the Muscle?

When I do a routine like 5-4-3-2-1 or high set, low rep training, you are clearly training many muscles with most of the exercises. Is is important to feel the muscles that are the prime movers, or to move the weight smoothly? Is there some strategy that helps to feel the target muscles? If you get heavy enough that you lose a feel for muscles should you back down?

You wont feel the muscles as much BUT it has to feel smooth; meaning that you need to be technically efficient. If you feel it more in the joints on tendons, you are not doing it right.