Mind Muscle Connection

I’ve heard quite a few pro’s these days talk about how they utilize this technique.
Do you think it is a bunch of crap, or have you gained something from focusing on this?

It’s not like your controlling something with it per say, it’s just concentrating in the part you are working and feeling that part actually do the work and grow, just my .02.

AR

Its about putting your mind totally into the muscle your training and absolutely focusing on hitting the muscle as best you can with the lift.

for me, its a technique to keep good form. for instance you can definitely ‘feel’ when you are not arching your back on a squat, or if you are doing a full ROM pullup.

Yep definitely gained, I used to never get anything from rowing. I was never feeling the work being done with my back at all. I started focusing on that and now my back is getting bigger and the weights are going up.

My back has exploded with thickness and width as soon as I established that connection with it.

definitely dude, its a wicked focus technique. hardcore concentration

It’s the reason pro’s can ‘cheat’ a weight up or not even do full ROM and still put maximum tension on a muscle. In my opinion it is a good criteria for judging how advance one is together with strengh and years training…
The more mind-muscle connection one as the more stress one can produce on a muscle, and it will certainly improve any posing you do (if you do any for that matter.)

subtle differences in technique can be afforded from proper mind-muscle connection, e.g. think of the lat pull down…new trainees pull with their arms rather than using the arm as a handle to allow the lat to pull the weight OR think of someone benching without properly retracting the scapula the movement can be inadvertently shifted from a chest movement to an anterior deltoid movement cutting the chest out of the movement nearly entirely.

Anyone who doubts a mind muscle connection has use doesn’t know what the hell they’re talking about.

Is it safe to say there is a difference between moving weight from point A to point B and feeling the targeted muscles actually work in the process?

[quote]xb-C wrote:
Is it safe to say there is a difference between moving weight from point A to point B and feeling the targeted muscles actually work in the process?[/quote]

That’s exactly what everyone here is trying to get at. Mind muscle connection is feeling the targeted muscles and establishing a further connection with it and maximizing the stress put on the muscle when you’re working it.

I think this is the thing that distinguishes bodybuilding from other strength disciplines training-wise.

I’m kind of surprised a member from since 05 had to ask this.

[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
I’m kind of surprised a member from since 05 had to ask this.[/quote]

My bad jackass.
I figured since there were not any recent discussions about the topic, nor could I find any when I did a search I would start one.
Thanks for being so helpful.

[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
I’m kind of surprised a member from since 05 had to ask this.[/quote]

God forbid we discuss topic related to BODYBUILDING in a BODYBUILDING forum.

He didn’t ask ‘what is the mind muscle connection,’ he asked what peoples view points are on the subject, so what the fuck does his join date have to do with him starting a helpful discussion?

I rather see newbies log on and see threads like this, then most of the other shit in this forum.

Fuckin’ short people, always causin’ problems.

[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
I’m kind of surprised a member from since 05 had to ask this.[/quote]

I am surprised a douche bag from New York has pubes on his chin.

Lol. Wow.

I misread the OP.

Honestly a mistake this time.

I’m sorry.

I guess I can try to get it back on track :confused:

I found that flexing in the mirror really helps with mind-muscle connection. Or doing a movement and being able to see your muscles working. For example, doing concentration curls infront of a mirror is what really gave me the mind-muscle connection with my biceps. And doing pushups infront of a mirror watching my pectorals the entire time. Over time you learn how to time it and contract it by itself.

[quote]xb-C wrote:
Is it safe to say there is a difference between moving weight from point A to point B and feeling the targeted muscles actually work in the process?[/quote]

YES! for me.
The exercise that shows the biggest difference for me is the chin up(Palms facing me or each other). There are times when I use it as an arm exercise and times when I use it as a back exercise, and I definitely feel the difference. To the point where I can get either muscle to cramp later on that day or twitch the next, or even get a differnent number of reps on my sets.

On bicep day I focus on pulling from the elbows and concentrate on relaxing my back.

On back day I focus on pulling with my lats and minimizing as much as possible biceps, since the bicep is holding you up you can’t completely exclude it but you can minimize how much it fatigues so that your back goes first.

It also helps with flexing, and it helps to flex on your own.

I think it makes all the difference in the world, and if you don’t have a good mind-muscle connection not only will you make less progress, but you’re leaving your development up to chance.

It’s the difference between a sprinter racing with his eyes on the finish line, and one running with a blindfold on.

I had to improve my mind-muscle connection before I made any significant gains on my back, biceps, shoulders, and calves. My legs have always grown the easiest out of all my bodyparts because I was so intimately familiar with how they worked and felt and how each part of my thigh was used (from a martial arts background).