HDH
TID Board Of Directors
- Sep 30, 2011
- 3,386
- 2,815
Achieving a mind to muscle connection for me is a great way to feel the muscle being worked. It started for me while giving a good squeeze on the isometric holds. It wasn't something intended, I was concentrating and squeezing with the right amount of weight and it just happened.
Unfortunately, the iso holds were the only place I was "feeling" it. I found that an immediate hard squeeze wasn't the way to go but a soft squeeze to a hard squeeze or flexing over a second or two would let me get a better feel at the beginning.
The next step for me was feeling it through the negative. When I slowed the negative down and kept the squeeze throughout, I kept the connection. I also found that coming back up and holding the squeeze allowed the connection to continue throughout the entire rep. During the movements, I found it best to keep a more medium squeeze to keep the connection until the hold which a harder squeeze was possible.
If you're not sure if you have it or not, you probably don't. When you have it, you'll know it. Concentration on the muscle is a very big factor, hence, "mind to muscle".
The weight can't be to heavy or to light. If it's to heavy, it recruits the surrounding muscle groups and doesn't allow enough tension for the target muscle to be isolated and felt. If it's to light, it still doesn't allow enough tension. It works with compound movements as well with special attention to the weight being used. It gets much easier over time and specific weight doesn't matter as much and rep schemes can be switched up but of course, to heavy or light can still play a big factor in not achieving it.
Now I can start at the beginning of a rep with a squeeze, start slow holding the squeeze, speed up and increase the squeeze with the speed into the hold. It's like one increase of speed and squeeze movement, hold the squeeze tight and slow it through the negative.
I have also found that over the period of a few sets it becomes harder to keep the connection but lowering the weight slightly can help to keep it.
It's an awesome feeling. Some are easier than others, it's still a work in progress for me. Shoulders are pretty much out except some isolation. My shoulders aren't to good these days but I've learned to work with them. It's quite achievable for anyone willing to take a step back from what your used to and you could possibly take a couple steps forward.
For anyone that's doing it, how did you get started?
H
Unfortunately, the iso holds were the only place I was "feeling" it. I found that an immediate hard squeeze wasn't the way to go but a soft squeeze to a hard squeeze or flexing over a second or two would let me get a better feel at the beginning.
The next step for me was feeling it through the negative. When I slowed the negative down and kept the squeeze throughout, I kept the connection. I also found that coming back up and holding the squeeze allowed the connection to continue throughout the entire rep. During the movements, I found it best to keep a more medium squeeze to keep the connection until the hold which a harder squeeze was possible.
If you're not sure if you have it or not, you probably don't. When you have it, you'll know it. Concentration on the muscle is a very big factor, hence, "mind to muscle".
The weight can't be to heavy or to light. If it's to heavy, it recruits the surrounding muscle groups and doesn't allow enough tension for the target muscle to be isolated and felt. If it's to light, it still doesn't allow enough tension. It works with compound movements as well with special attention to the weight being used. It gets much easier over time and specific weight doesn't matter as much and rep schemes can be switched up but of course, to heavy or light can still play a big factor in not achieving it.
Now I can start at the beginning of a rep with a squeeze, start slow holding the squeeze, speed up and increase the squeeze with the speed into the hold. It's like one increase of speed and squeeze movement, hold the squeeze tight and slow it through the negative.
I have also found that over the period of a few sets it becomes harder to keep the connection but lowering the weight slightly can help to keep it.
It's an awesome feeling. Some are easier than others, it's still a work in progress for me. Shoulders are pretty much out except some isolation. My shoulders aren't to good these days but I've learned to work with them. It's quite achievable for anyone willing to take a step back from what your used to and you could possibly take a couple steps forward.
For anyone that's doing it, how did you get started?
H
