mind-muscle

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blastthru23

Moderator

We've all heard of this concept, the mind-muscle connection, and the importance of having such connection. 

Over the last 7 weeks, I've been training in the higher end of rep ranges, utilizing techniques that i was familiar with, but never really practiced those techniques, or perhaps training style writ large. A couple weeks ago, i started getting a new sensation in my muscles, especially my back as i have been training back twice weekly. Then a week ago, i trained with a trainer for the first time, and this where things started getting really interesting. 

He focuses on the stretch, peak contraction, and holding at peak contraction to put it in a nut shell. Since that day, I've been focusing a lot on those points during my training sessions. Anyhow, last evening, I was revisiting many of the exercise he worked with me on. I really felt the stretch, the contraction and the hold. After a few exercises, and when i had completed a set, i felt this feeling i hadn't really felt since i was in India. My mind had become clear, no thought, just breath, heart beat, and awareness. I dove into the next set, feeling the warmth of the stretch, sending an afferent message to my brain and into awareness. I could FEEL the entirety of the latissimus dorsi, the sheeth of muscle spread over my back. Then i could almost sense the efferent signal from my brain to the muscle telling it to contract, the pulse of the action potential at each synaptic gap. The contraction so full and complete, slow focused concentric and the subsequent eccentric movement. 

I discovered the importance of the stretch insofar as at this point, the muscle send a message vis-a-vis the afferent nerves which are activated by sensory stimuli. This important because this is how we FEEL the muscle that we intend to contract. The we feel the contraction rather than merely moving the weight for the sake of moving it. We instead activate our muscle fibers, excite  them to action. We move our muscle with intention of activating the muscle, the weight moves because of this. It's this gap of attention and intention that I was missing.

I understood the mind-muscle connection intellectually, but last evening, i felt it. And, my friends, it's amazing!

 
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Mister A

Guest

Great read, Blast.

I have had experiences like that before. It's fitting to explain this to you because I know you'll understand what I'm talking about. As I look back on my life and my journey into myself, I can recall, with startling accuracy, all the times I felt I had reached a new state of awareness. These spiritual awakenings have been seldom and separated by years, but they stand out in my memory like high rises in a sea of one story flats.

I know I'm not a yogi nor am I even a disciplined spirituality seeker. I have been at times, but always move away from it for whatever reason. However I am quite certain these events were transcendent. That I was tapped into something within my consciousness inaccessible by average thinking.

This thread brings up a very interesting point for me. In exactly the same manner that I can recall those points of transcendence, I can also recall the times I entered a meditative state in the gym. The way the memories stand out to me are identical. Seldom, separated by years, but I remember them with startling accuracy. And just as I reached transcendence momentarily within a mediation session, I reached it momentarily within a workout session. The parallels continue as I can compare the focus on my breathing to the focus on my muscular contractions. And again as I pass the need to actively focus and become at one with my breath; the same thing happens when I lose the need to count reps and "think" about the exercise, but rather unify my mind with my body and simply let the latter take over. Awareness comes as my mind steps away from the workout, the exercise, the set, the rep. I enter into that state of observation through the witness. I'm pretty sure that what is happening is that, through an intense devotion to the moment, my consciousness literally becomes the execution of the repetition. Just as my consciousness takes on my breath, so it does the act of contracting my muscles. My mind becomes so entrenched in the target muscle that it feels like the target muscle is all I am. I am individual fibers, actually. It becomes so specific and so focused that nothing else exists.

I'm thinking that this is where we should be trying to reach every workout. 

 
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SemperFi

Well-known member

Thanks for sharing. Always great to hear about members who are growing, improving and succeeding.

The central nervous system plays an important role in what we call the 'mind muscle connection'. I personally do not use that term because for me it happens from an emotional state. I don't meditate on it or even think about it. I get excited about the movement and it just happens. Not all the time but certainly the majority of the time. It is much easier doing certain exercises. I don't go heavy on flat bench because I can never find that emotional state that I am looking for. 

I find my training to lack in intensity without the emotion and many times will leave the gym if the level of excitement that I need is absent.

SEMPER FI

 
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Big Nasty

New member

That is some deep level shit, love it! Thanks for sharing. I too have been focusing on the deep contractions, higher reps etc and its damn sure a different mind-muscle connection than the mental focus of strictly going heavy. Cant say Ive hit the level of experience that you have but hope to attain someday at each workout. Good stuff! 

 
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SemperFi

Well-known member

I have not gotten there yet Blast and never will. Training is my obsession and my discipline but it is not the thing in my life that occupies the position of supreme importance.

 

SEMPER FI

 
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ESmetalhead

New member

Sounds like you are describing a flow state it can be achieved by almost any activity and can be very specific to an individual.  Obviously mediation, but it could be MMA, running, stand up comedy or art almost anything.  He used the flow state he gained surfing to overcome debilitating Lyme disease and wrote a book about it.  I think we have all experienced at one time or another.  Here is a good discussion about it on the JRE  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5NnQeXv9k  

they digress and get to the subject about 15 mins in

 
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Ragnar1008

New member

Great thread blast... I recently found a peer reviewed study that confirmed the benefits of applying the MM connection in stimulating hypertrophy. If I can find it all post it up love the training forums on MG. I've been implementing the Fly/Press superset routine you PM'd me twice a week for the past three weeks and am hooked! Insane pumps and I went from pressing 60 lbs DB 8x to 60 lbs DB 20x with ease. Thanks mate.

 
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Ragnar1008

New member

Also meant to say - I'm a big proponent of the MM training technique but I find it's benefits maximized only when your performing an exercise that is intended to only hit one primary muscle group... e.g. bb curls, skull crushers, pec deck, etc...

 
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THE MOOSE

Well-known member
You can take it a step further by meditating the sets and work out the night before! Everything from the weights you're using to what you're wearing. Imagine yourself doing a personal record or reps with the weight you've never done before. You'd be surprised with what the body can achieve after the mind conceives it. When you've already done it in your mind it's much easier to do with the body. Try it folks!
 
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