Tip 3 Ways to Master the Mind-Muscle Connection Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip 3 Ways to Master the Mind-Muscle Connection Get more muscle growth with internal focus of attention Here' s how by Michael Warren May 1, 2018April 15, 2022 Tags Bodybuilding, Tips, Training Bodybuilders have always talked about the importance of the mind-muscle connection. It's a variation of the idea of "internal focus of attention" which comes from the field of motor learning. It's the process of actively thinking about the target muscle during training and then feeling it work through the full range of motion. According to theory, this strategy maximizes stimulation of the muscles you're trying to target while reducing the involvement of secondary movers. There have been numerous studies that have confirmed mind-muscle connection does in fact increase activation of the target muscle as measured by electromyography. However, until recently there have been no studies to investigate whether adopting a mind-muscle connection actually had a beneficial effect on growth. The New Study A study by Schoenfeld et al. examined 30 untrained college men who performed 4 sets of arm curls for 8-12 reps on 3 non-consecutive days per week. One group was coached to focus on technique and mind-muscle connection; the other group was given coaching cues not relevant to mind-muscle connection. After 8 weeks, subjects who used mind-muscle connection had almost double the muscle growth in the biceps brachii compared to those using an external focus (12.4% vs. 6.9% respectively). The study found that participants made superior biceps gains by using an internal focus of attention. Three Things to Do There are three methods that can help improve your mind-muscle connection: Posing: Regardless of whether you're stepping on stage, practice flexing and contracting the body part you're wanting to build. Mirrors: Watching the muscle work can help you build the mind-muscle connection. Isometric Holds: Focus on contracting the muscle in a static position when loaded. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Tip JM Floor Press The floor variation of this powerlifting accessory exercise builds triceps size and lockout strength on the bench press. Arms, Exercise Coaching, Powerlifting & Strength, Tips John Gaglione November 15 Training Crack Open My Cranium Crack open his cranium is exactly what some of you might want to do to Chad after reading this article. It seems the boy has gotten used to being flamed and now he's just beggin' for it! Training Chad Waterbury June 11 Training 3 Dead-Ends and a Loophole Some of you might have enjoyed the Diary of a Steroid User series as much as I did. It was an interesting, unapologetic, honest portrait of what it's like when an average Joe uses steroids. But however much I enjoyed it, I cringed when I read some of the "pyramid" workouts outlined by the anonymous author Training Jack Reape May 5 Training Pushing the Limits A Pain Roundtable Push past the pain barrier to test your mettle. Dan John, Martin Rooney, Craig Weller, and Dan Twight show you how. Motivation, Training Stephane Robert May 4