Muscle Mind Connection
MUSCLE-MIND CONNECTION
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• Unfolding the Muscle- mind connection⠀
It’s the ability to focus the tension you create during exercise on a specific muscle or region of muscles in the body.⠀
When you focus on using specific muscles to create contractions, the brain calls upon a greater percentage of high muscle fibers to complete the task. By creating tension in the right muscles, your body is better able to gain strength and size in all the right places.⠀
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• Focused Attention⠀
Two types of attention are important during exercise: internal focus and external focus. Internal focus is when you concentrate on the specifics of what your body is doing. For example, during a crunch your mind focuses on contracting the anterior abdominal muscles while flexing the spine.⠀
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An external focus is how your body relates to the environment during exercise. On a leg press machine, for instance, the external focus is to push the platform away from your torso with your feet. Though external and internal focus improve performance, evidence shows that internal focus plays a more integral role in muscle growth and development.⠀
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• Time Under Tension During Resistance Training⠀
Time under tension during resistance training is a key component for muscle building. The more time under tension you spend during a lift, the stronger and bigger your muscles grow. Time under tension can be increased in various ways.⠀
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One way is to pause during peak contraction. For example, you can hold a glute squeeze at the top of a bridge, pause during the flexed position during a bicep curl, or hold at the bottom of a push-up.⠀
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Another way is to slow down the eccentric, or elongating portion of the exercise. Adding a 3-second eccentric movement improves your mind-muscle connection because your mind automatically focuses on controlling the slowed down the movement.⠀
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• Turn off Distractions⠀
Turning off distractions, including your phone and television, allows your brain to focus on the task at hand. Music is a great way to energize your body and get into your workout, but you may be better off leaving it while treadmill.⠀
