Can’t Feel The Right Muscles Activate During A Lift? Fix It By Improving Mind Muscle Connection!

(1:22)- What is the mind-muscle connection?
(2:18)- How Do I Increase Mind-Muscle Connection?
(3:21)- Activating your internal belt!
LINK: www.youtube.co....
(5:39)- Can Your MMC Get Worse Over Time?
(8:38)- Tips To Improve Your Mind-Muscle Connection!
READ FULL ARTICLE WITH PHOTOS
muscularstreng...
Command your muscles to grow! Is this something fun we like to say out loud, or is there some hidden truth to this statement? It’s no secret that beginners have a hard time “feeling” specific muscles when they exercise and the most common question I receive is:
“How do I feel a bench press in my chest when I only feel it in my arms?”
The reason why many people have a hard time “feeling” specific muscles being engaged has to do with their “Mind Muscle Connection (MMC) and I have a news flash for you, it’s not ONLY beginners that have a hard time with this.
What Is The Mind Muscle Connection?
MMC is your ability to increase the number of muscle fibers being recruited when lifting. The more muscle fibers you are able to recruit the stronger you will be on your lifts and the more muscle you will be able to break down to stimulate growth. But this is much more than just feeling the muscle working or visualizing the contraction. It’s a real occurrence that happens inside your body that influences neuromuscular dynamics during resistance training.
The MMC occurs at the neuromuscular junction. What happens is your brain releases a chemical neurotransmitter called 'Acetylcholine' to communicate with muscles in the body. Once released at the neuromuscular junction it crosses the "synapses" which is the tiny space that separates the nerve from the muscle where it binds to receptors on the surface of muscle fibers. This is what causes the muscle contraction. Now, if you think about how a single muscle head is made up of many individual muscle fibers you are actually increasing the number of muscle fibers being recruited when you perform a lift by improving your MMC. This will result in more quality muscle contractions which means more strength and growth resulting from your workouts.
How Do I Increase My MMC?
While the majority of us believe in the Mind-Muscle Connection, there are still those who believe that if you just focus on proper form when performing an exercise the right muscles will do their job automatically. This couldn’t be farther from the truth and I am going to explain why. Let’s take a look at some of the big compound lifts such as a squat, deadlift or bench press. There is much more going on here than “I pick things up and put them down”. On deadlifts and squats for example you need to push through your hips with a massive force to complete the exercise. But you won’t lift nearly as much weight unless you learn how to contract your glutes during this portion of the movement. The same can be said for the bench press. You are not just lying on a bench and lifting a bar. You need to plant your feet, flex your glutes, retract your shoulder blades and then learn how to drive through your feet to press the bar. All three exercises also heavily depend on activating your internal belt as well which is a whole other story.
But don’t feel overwhelmed guys, targeting muscles gets easier with practice. A great way to get started would be to spend some time flexing your muscles in the mirror to learn how to activate them independently of each other. You must understand that until you can improve your MMC, you are at a significant disadvantage when compare to an advanced lifter as we can manipulate various exercises to target specific muscles without having to significantly altering our form.
One of the easiest ways to learn how to do this is to work with LIGHT WEIGHT, a SLOW TEMPO and a LIGHTER GRIP when performing various movements. For example try to perform a skull crusher or a barbell bicep curl with a super loose grip and a 2 - 2 - 2 TEMPO. You will notice that this almost instantly takes away the majority of the forearm engagement that would naturally occur during these movements and allow you to really focus and isolate your triceps or biceps.
CONTINUE READING HERE
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[@koolkev97]

"I pick things up and put them down" U earned a like for that mate.

[@Generic00000]

Fat bitch

[@WKPlugins]

+bumpy knuckles arent you cool?

[@arilaze530]

Lol Josh

[@lordartos8222]

Same.. got a like from me for that. Cracked me up

[@gregglazewski7557]

I clicked "like" right after he said that lol

[@extatix_pio]

The mind muscle connection is something I really have to consciously work on. When you tell me to contract my glutes, I automatically flex my quads to contract them and locking my knees.

[@ScottHermanFitness]

extatix spot on man, just takes practice

[@LucaYourFitnessEngineer]

Scott one of the thing I love the most about you is that after years in the industry you are still natural ! You really are one of the few left. Thanks..

[@AnabolicAliens]

Keep calm and contract ;)

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Anabolic Aliens haha you got that right!

[@hulkeverydaybeastx9212]

Anabolic Aliens shake a little bit then get back at it

[@ASMR_Orangely]

🍊 *I WISH MY ASMR VIDEOS WERE ALSO COOL LIKE HIS VIDEOS.* 🍊☺️

[@MHFitLife]

"I pick things up and put them down" lol that should be on a shirt

[@raamibrahim1]

What would life be without people spending their time to help people like me with our gains. THANK YOU

[@nickf6476]

This make a lot more sense than I thought it would, will definately try when I'm back in the gym.

[@ScottHermanFitness]

***** happy to help my friend! If you need anymore help join us in the forums on www.MuscularStrength.com!

[@rezboadog369]

The Dragon Ball Z example at the end just made me a life long fan.

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Broly bro. Broly is coming #DBZ4LIFE

[@norcofoxxx]

This is literally THE video for any beginner who wants to start lifting. Scott you have done it again! Awesome stuff.

[@ScottHermanFitness]

norcofoxxx thanks man! Good for those "advanced" lifters using too much momentum as well! haha

[@Spideyfit]

Great Video Scott!

[@jonanbahnsen3935]

this is the best description i have seen of mmc. "check the ego at the door" that cracked me up. as i have literally had trainees who i told to go out and put their ego at the door when showing them proper form 😂

[@christopherramon-reid2000]

Thanks for sending me the link this Scott! Your explanation on execution is exactly what I was seeking. You truly are an amazing mentor. Happy to be a proud member of your nation! 💪😃❤️

[@QuB4ll]

One Word: AWESOME! Thanks to this video and the videos in which you keep reminding us about doing the full range of motion, I can finally feel and see some improvements.

[@ScottHermanFitness]

QuB4ll happy to help bro!! If you need anything else please join us on the forums in www.MuscularStrength.com Keep training hard!

[@mrnoodles8407]

I have been working out for 2 years and I just applied your tips on MMC. I felt more pump in 1 week than in 2 years! And already made progress since then !

[@coreybarnett7785]

Scott, I can never get enough of learning about this! I am CONSTANTLY trying to train my mind into making that mind to muscle connection as I work each muscle group! Today as I performed the bench press, I was trying my best to activate my chest more! I kept feeling it in my arms, and shoulders, and shoulder joints more than my chest! But, I don't give up easily! I will try this again!

[@VisionaryTraining2016]

Solid Arnold voice lol. I enjoyed the in depth look at the mind to muscle connection. Good work.

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Kentucky Fried Fitness haha thanks man. I do pride myself on my Arnold! Have you checked out our site yet? What did you think? :)

[@VisionaryTraining2016]

solid site bro, liked the dbz pictures posted in the articles Lol

[@Jotun90]

Ive had problem with MMC with my back training for years and never got sore or anything, lose grip or straps helped me alot by visualizing my hands as a "hook" more then anything and pull through my elbows instead of your hands

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Jotun90 oh thats awesome! Glad that worked for you! If you need anymore help join us in the forums on www.MuscularStrength.com!

[@americaisfukt]

Wow. The most important video on lifting for size and strength to date.

[@javakom]

more concentration , more experience and more practice. and dont forget trainer advices and tips. Great vid. Scott. thanks

[@ScottHermanFitness]

yaso162 thanks man! Glad you liked the video!

[@luaylpizra5679]

the first KZbin video on mind muscle connection that actually helped

[@aMegaMaxProductions]

Decided to revisit this video and wanted to say, great tips! One that I personally used with my training partner who suffered from poor muscle connection was to press into the muscle that is supposed to be targeted whilst he's doing his first couple reps. This then allowed him to focus on that muscle 10x more than before. I tried it myself and it works well, because sometimes when starting out you know what muscle should be working but you just can't feel it when you put weights in your hands.

[@BigBoss-yk6xh]

This helped me understand the mind muscle connection now. Thanks Scott! Also the bit at 2:45 made me chuckle

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Big Boss haha thanks man! Glad you enjoyed it! If you want to see the whole article, I have it here :) muscularstrength.com/article/Train-Your-Brain-For-Massive-Gains-Mind-Muscle-Connection

[@luckyluciano7096]

This video should be mandatory to watch when signing up to any Gym! Great content, clear and precise. I wish all the dudes swinging heavy dumbbells would watch this and smarten the fuck up

[@HelloHello-ze6lv]

Why did I just see a Vshred Ad before clicking this video? 🙄 I’m a “SHF”subscriber!

[@chueyv9080]

Super informative! MMC is something I'm currently struggling with. Especially with my back and traps.

[@nguyentran378]

Chuey Vang yeah tell me about it. I can feel my lats and back but it just doesnt feel as "satisfied" as when i do chest exercises or any others

[@ashleyfoster8359]

Thank You Scott. As always great advise. Going to spend some extra time slowing down my reps and really focus on my mind and muscle connection. Great Vid

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Ashley Messier thanks very much! Happy this video helped you! If you need anything else please join us on the forums in www.MuscularStrength.com

[@udoa]

Quality over quantity, awesome video Scott. Been working on this for awhile now, feel great, and seeing gains. Thanks for posting the video.

[@adamzielinski7712]

Thanks so much for this video Scott! I've been lifting for a couple years now and while I've seen some growth, I know it hasn't been as much as what I should be seeing. Everything finally clicked into place for me after watching this. I know other personal trainers on KZbin have probably tried explaining this very concept but not as thorough as you did here. I'm now seeing that muscle pump that's been missing during my workouts return. Thanks again Scott and keep up the great work!

[@trexbattle]

I used to have lots of trouble with this, really important and pretty underrated topic!

[@Sonickrunch]

Hey, good job matching the point to the link in your video today ;). My Deadlift and Squat have really improved by keeping myself focused on ensuring my muscles are tight and ready to go.

[@pirhan]

This video needs more views.

[@VilinKehayov]

Great video Scott.Thank you for everthing :)

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Kehayov Fitness you are very welcome bro!

[@walidchtioui4321]

Tip number 7 is the most important...Great video !

[@creo8359]

Subscribed. Good tips man!

[@Madara2010X]

I had no idea the MMC concept had this much depth; also mind blown at the end of video. O.O

[@ErnieTessein]

That was the perfect reference at the end. Literally exactly hahaha You should do a reaction vid to the new Dragonball Super!!!

[@ScottHermanFitness]

ernietessein haha thanks man! and I cant wait for SUPER!!!!

[@FroztDrake]

AHAHAHA that ending scott... love this! :) awesome video. a lifter that started 8months ago.. lifting "heavy weight" is the LAST thing on my mind. As a beginner im already doing slow tempo movements, trying to feel the muscles and trying to improve my MMC all the time. Only when i do all of this i consider "perfectly" i then try to move up in weights.. but at the same time, i wont be stuck doing same weight for 4months.. not as a beginner anyway...

[@RenZoneNL]

haha that ending, very helpful vid scott

[@JuanSanchez-eh9oi]

The exact information I needed, Thank You So Much Scott. 😃

[@furydestroyeddeyonce776]

Yo Scott. Can you make a video of you showing us how you contract your glutes? Preferably close up. Thanks!

[@furydestroyeddeyonce776]

Haha I'm just messing around bro. Appreciate all you do. Thanks!

[@RoadToProPiano]

No homo

[@taketheredpill3352]

Great informative video as always Scott. Your channel takes me back to when fitness channels were actually relevant to fitness instead of a bunch of narcissistic bro-scientists who think I'm interested in watching videos of them eating their dinner. Keep doing what you do brother

[@ScottHermanFitness]

TakeThe RedPill believe me man. I am so sick of that bullshit too. I really appreciate that you appreciate the hard work that goes into these videos. As always, more good stuff coming soon! haha Also, have you checked out my site yet? You will really enjoy our forums and we have a lot of great articles for you to check out too! www.MuscularStrength.com

[@augusttierney3199]

This seems similar to meditation which is really cool; I like this, training the mind and body together. I also like the reference at the end!

[@DJdude250]

One thing I really like to do (most specifically on bicep curls) is to start out strict, and then once my muscle begins to fail, I will do cheat reps. I will only increase the weight when I am able to do my sets with all strict reps

[@ScottHermanFitness]

DJdude250 why not just drop the weight so you have a stronger contraction?

[@michaelhambly6863]

Scott, the still photo cover shot for this video is the most awesome pic I've ever seen of you. You look shredded enough for a physique contest but with great muscle fullness.

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Michael Hambly thanks man, that really means a lot!!!! Hope you have a killer week!

[@michaelhambly6863]

ScottHermanFitness I am following you on IG now. Check out my new IG page that already has some great pics on it, with lots more pics and videos (many from Gold's Venice and Muscle Beach) to come: instagram.com/themichaelhambly

[@jokerswild1125]

Excellent video! Really beneficial information! Takes workouts to a new level when you think about mind muscle connection.

[@lykniks]

Holistic approach... Thanks. Scott for motivating and always educating !!!!

[@tonygarcia9650]

I been hittin the gym for 13 years 4-5 times a week. It wasn't till i started doing body building posing did i really understand how to squeeze and contract the muscles even more as i lifted.

[@WindFrozer]

2:44 i pick things up i put them daown😂

[@GimmySalad]

I have 97% body fat. If I eat 8 protein shakes a day is that enough to become lean and muscular?

[@ryankueter8396]

No it will make you fatter

[@rzrselliott]

matt belles I'd probably bump it up to around 10 shakes a day

[@gainsaurusrex425]

matt belles Is it possible to have 97% B.F?

[@ebootplaysgames]

Elgreco Body Transformation No

[@Anonymous74153]

matt belles lol yep. That ought to do it.

[@justinyou5118]

I peeek things up and put dem DOAWN

[@johnnycanamaso9361]

Haha! I love what you did at the end of the video.

[@BEzyBeatz]

Thanks bro, i totally needed a reminder of on this. Gotta tighten up my game again, crazy how it can slip your mind.

[@felixandresjc]

I've found, through my own experience, that the best way to understand the neuromuscular connection is to do sets till failure. Because, it is only in those last few repetitions, when lactic acid builds and your rep speed decreases, is when you are literally forcing your muscles to do one more rep. Whether you lift heavy weight for low reps (power lift), or do hundreds of bodyweight repetitions in as little sets possible (calisthenics), the neurological demand is practically the same. Yes, they will both trigger different physiological adaptations (power lift= size, calisthenics= athleticism), but this is the MMC that we are trying to elicit while exercising. Try this out, do 100 pushups in as little sets possible (i.e. set 1 till failure, set 2 till failure, and so on until you complete 100), or bench a weight that you know will challenge you around 5 repetitions and go beyond five repetitions for 3-4 sets. Now command yourself to grow.

[@zeeshan5838]

Thank u. Very good information,

[@ScottHermanFitness]

zeeshan hanif you are very welcome! If you need anymore help join us in the forums on www.MuscularStrength.com!

[@9410jaha12]

One of the best videos you've done! Realy awesome!

[@michaelwan4543]

You sound like Arnold at "I pick things up and put them down". lol

[@Shon304]

have fun gyazo.com/03dbf46c692fd4285141261cd20304a7

[@latishaperry1358]

Good teaching. Thank you.

[@sheenestevez6710]

I favor dumbbells because they are where I can actually control and feel primary muscle engagement, especially with a slight twist of the wrists....i am trying to learn MMC with barbells, for bent over row and bench press. For some reason i just can't "pop" my muscle with a straight barbell, but will keep trying. If you consider doing a follow up vid, it would great to see some examples of how to practice MMC. i.e. Is lying on floor with arms at BB bench starting position and attempting to flex pecs the best approach? Anyway, thanks for the video Scott, great topic.

[@EddieWeakley]

Great video ScottHermanFitness! I am grateful for the amount of free knowledge you offer. You dont have to give back, but you do. Thanks

[@NOPOWER]

Best fitness KZbinr. Period. Any tips on stiff leg deadlift mind muscle connection ?

[@IsaacKim]

Another great video. Keep up the good work.

[@jeebugorn]

fantastic video! been slowly building connections since started hitting the gym regularly a couple months ago. my worst connections are with my lats. having hard time building that connection. chest was an issue but slowly getting that worked out, upper chest still a struggle though.

[@ScottHermanFitness]

+ruman R, I can't respond to you directly... were you properly warming up and deloading during training?

[@Ruman17]

ScottHermanFitness My bad, Google+ is the death of me, I fixed my settings lol. All I do for a "warm up" is pyramiding my reps. For most of my exercises, I pick a weight and do three sets. I'll do something like one set of 9 reps followed by 8 reps and 7 reps at the same weight if I can. Benching and deadlifts are different; I warm up with one set of 12-15 reps and then 2 sets to failure at a higher weight lowering if needed and finally a set of 5 reps with more weight. If I'm feeling really good that day I might add a set of 3 reps at the end. I use an elliptical for 5-10 minutes before lifting to get my heart rate elevated a little bit and to loosen up my arms.

[@rudizimmermann855]

+ScottHermanFitness hi everyone ,if anyone else trying to find out how to focus better try Loctavan Fast Focusing Strategy(do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some decent things about it and my brother in law got great results with it.

[@basstfestivalvlogs7684]

Rudi Zimmermann recommending something u don't actually use takes donkey balls lol

[@TheHysteriaYT]

I love the sit down videos where you just talk

[@ScottHermanFitness]

TheHysteriaYT Thanks man! I like them too!

[@SyazaSuhana]

thank you for the lesson today! I thought I was the only one having this problem haha..and no wonder people flex everytime they finished a few set of the workout!

[@isaacjacobhenderson2215]

"They grow because they are forced to contract when isolated" Thanks for the video Scott ! :D

[@SillyDWilliams-VKNG]

I know this is an old video, but meditation with body scanning really helps with this. I can't recommend meditation enough.

[@johnnykame]

Thank you for this Scott! Really helped me realize what im doing wrong. As hard as it is, I'll do my best to check my ego out the door and make sure it stays there. And really good perspective on the Ginyu scene! I'll keep that in mind next time i hit the gym!

[@RicardoRemo2011]

This is great Scott! Very good video!

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Ricardo Remo Thanks bro!! If you need anymore help join us in the forums on www.MuscularStrength.com!

[@mtichy8298]

Yea I have problem to contract my back fully. But few days ago I hit my back at the gym with weights and 2nd day after I went for bodyweight excercises. Man I have never felt my upper back sore like that before. Hope it will grow.

[@ceebee0766]

Excellent advice!

[@SolPhoebusApollo]

Valuable tips! I definitely need to improve my mind-muscle connection.

[@oneautumnlyf]

Hello from Indonesia, your videos are awesome, lot of knowledge. Thanks for sharing 😄

[@dirkuphoff6280]

Good stuff Scott!

[@Devin_Scott]

Really been focusing on the mind muscle connection it really makes a difference. Thanks bro!

[@vinayacit06]

You nailed it! Great video. Thanks!

[@ScottHermanFitness]

vinayacit06 Thanks man! That means a lot! If you need anymore help join us in the forums on www.MuscularStrength.com!

[@KILNOG32]

Love these vids, especially when at 1.5x / 2x speed - Super energetic.

[@garethjones3227]

Thanks for the advice bro.

[@billandmelpateverysinglech2150]

Fantastic explanation thank you

[@IBANNABI]

Great tips, Scott! Thanks a lot! 👍💪

[@maximus6879]

Nice video Scott! Thanks

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Maximus anytime bro!

[@kamakazyfish]

Great video man!

[@SirLuLzDalot]

I can't believe you give this kind of valuable information out for nothing... Dam it Scott now everybody is gonna make mad gainz :)

[@vaibhavdogra7132]

2:46 "i pick things up and put them DOWN" XD

[@NaserJaidi]

Thanks for the great advice

[@Anonymous74153]

Thanks for this video. I like this program. I need strength.

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Dave you are very welcome my friend! Pumped to see your gains!

[@tammyledonne9910]

Great video!! This helps me a lot! Have watched mind-muscle connection videos before. However, I never really understood what they were saying. Your video really simplified things and I definitely had my “aha moment”! Also, need more Arnold impersonations immediately.

[@lonewolf8905]

2:46 though... lmao 😂👌🏻 Spot ON Scott! Lol

[@BarbellaFitness]

Scott, just wanted to say the chocolate peanut butter flavor is the bomb! Thanks again!

[@BarbellaFitness]

***** great video btw

[@vimalalwaysrocks]

@2:43..."I PICK THINGS UP AND PUT THEM DOWN" ... Lol

[@infamousnova]

Good vid, how about making one showing the muscles contracting? Everyone says they dont feel it here and there and always here about mind muscle connection but obviously WE just dont get it. Do one vid for the chest etc...

[@Marhtyn]

Once you made the DBZ reference, everything just clicked! Subscribed! Lol. In all seriousness, this is very helpful. I will be trying this at the gym tomorrow. Thanks for the help!

[@majkelsan7082]

gave a "like" for the Ginyu-Goku comparisson at the end :D thanks for the vid :)

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Majkel San haha got to earn those likes! :)

[@Vallabha_Sayar]

Hey, thanks for this. This is gold. Helps a lot !

[@terriblecertainity]

almost never feeling my delts and bicep..thanks for this video Scott!

[@MrOPM-vc6ow]

Great Video and weight training advice. Spot on! 👍🏾

[@gettogetto5339]

you are teacher by nature dude thank you :)

[@toddalquist3391]

thanks, going to do less weight and work on form today :)

[@Tankdude246]

Loved it, I always stress this to my friends. They never get it.

[@ScottHermanFitness]

Tankdude246 hopefully this video will help them!

[@brutaltactics6428]

Hey Scott just like to say thank you for your workouts the always help push me and this weekend I did a mudrun and finished 3rd in my age group 30-39 as I told my wife the old guy division thanks man for all that you do.