The Mind-Muscle Connection

Posted May 6, 2010, 3:39 pm in Meet the Trainers

The Mind-Muscle Connection

Presented by: Richard Cleary-ISSA CPT-TPI

When people come to me telling me they want to develop more lean muscle, one of the first things I teach them is the mind-muscle connection. This is simply the ability to engage the mind on the muscles of the body that you’re exercising. It is not just a general engagement of the mind on the muscles being worked though. The purpose of focusing on the muscles is to recruit as much strength from the desired muscles as the exercise demands. If I am doing a dumbbell chest press, my main objective is to fully use all the strength I have in my chest muscles in 1 or 2 or at most 3 sets. My shoulders and arms are only along for the ride. They are supporting my objective of utilizing every chest muscle fiber I can. If I just push the dumbbell in the correct motion and form but do not actually make a voluntary connection between my mind and chest muscles I am selling myself short. I will limit the effectiveness of my repetitions and slow the journey down towards my goals.

I have seen this mind-muscle connection principle at work hundreds of times. I have worked with people for the first time who have been training chest for years, and when they apply the mind-muscle principle I am writing about here, a big smile comes on their face. They have made a deeper connection with the muscle than they ever have before. Not only is this more effective but it saves time. If I can fully work my chest in 1 or 2 sets per exercise instead of 3 or 4 I am using my time better and valuing my clients time better.

For application, start practicing thinking about the muscles that are supposed to be working on an exercise. Remember, what you need to do is generate or recruit as much strength from the proper muscles as possible. Use good form with a safe cadence. One of my favorite exercise specialist Paul Chek says, “That we can increase our strength up to 25% greater by applying this principle consistently”. More strength means more lean body weight and that means fat loss.