Mind Muscle Connection Is The MOST Important For Growth?

[@1seedeadp3ople]

I have no mind and must contract my muscles. Why O cruel world

[@alex1432]

[@bobboberson6664]

I have no mouth and I must..... eat

[@Antnee659]

If you dont eat it some other guy will! Take care of that shit

[@pythgoreansassistant2789]

This is quite poetic, intentional, or not.

[@pokesamman320]

Profile pic checks out

[@Chaosdude341]

Because of my inability to build any sort of moral character (I do sell NFTs to baby seals), I will cease trying to make a connection with humanity! Instead, in its stead (kill me), I am building a mind-MUSCLE connection! All those pesky emotions are gonna go right into my actin and myosin. Thanks Mike!

[@intersectedimplication]

Me no bannana

[@DontReadThisNow]

Hey, I’m crystal 🧑‍🍳

[@DrAJ_LatinAmerica]

Baby seals taste great 👍 lots of good fats.

[@Alleyezonjimz]

can I buy automobiles here

[@DontReadThisNow]

@@Alleyezonjimz illegally observational & pejoratively obviously not

[@Simon-talks]

I focus on my mind-Dr. Mike connection, for the most progress

[@y2kvaporwave]

same

[@julespleeswoah859]

Started training my cousin's kid this week. I've been training on & off for 20 years, was a pt for a while and have always been a physical sorta guy. Watching this kid struggle with basic movements and body control that I take as second nature opened my eyes about mind muscle connection.

[@user-yy4ux9zf4r]

Id argue that is more kinesthetic awareness than mind muscle connection. Yoga would unironically do wonders for him.

[@sebastianboredal7486]

I've had similar experiences. I'd guess many in the fitness sphere, especially those that grow up with an active lifestyle, probably underestimates how poor kinesthetic awareness the average sedentary person has. Thus focusing on "the mind muscle connection" is a pretty good starting point.

[@CrossfacePanda]

@@sebastianboredal7486 This. And it goes for PE teachers as well. I’m really uncoordinated when it comes to big body movements; mimicing movements just via instructions is really hard for me and requires a lot of trial and error. And throughout my time in school every PE teacher was just confused as to why I simply couldn’t do whatever movemement it was we were supposed to so, be it rope climbing, somersaults, those springboard leapfrog things, or whatever else. I’d say I didn’t know how to, and they’d just look at me puzzled and say “you just do it?”. Because to them it’s second nature, they never struggled with it. No hate on anybody for who it comes easy. But for those who’s job it is to teach these things, I think it’s important to be empathetic and remember that this doesn’t come naturally for everybody. It’s why I like Mike’s instructional videos so much, because he doesn’t just show the movement, but how, why, what to pay attention to, and what not to do. It shortens the trial and error time for me significantly.

[@spencerlopes1482]

Dr. Mike, you mentioned the force curve of the belt squat is different than a barbell during Bri’s training video. It would be cool to have a series on the main machines/equipment (ex: barbell, belt squat, smith machine, etc…) going into depth with things like force curve of each and what not. Then explaining what each machines pros/cons are, when to use them, what exercises are best on them, etc….

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Interesting idea! We've been doing a similar one on occasion called "Dr. Mike's Favorite Machines." Have you checked it out? - Dr. Mike

[@apersonnamedalex998]

@@RenaissancePeriodization could I propose a modification on that ? Instead of a machine go per excersise. So take say squat, and break down the kinds of squats / machines / alternatives and then add in the force curves etc. Then you can do it for most of the big lifts and it will also break down into sub vids quite well. For instance Squats, deadlifts, bench. Then Squat: mechanics,Squat: variations & techniques, Squat: machines, Squat: individual muscle training, Squat how to progress & train and medical things (like common recovery times of the individual muscles). My motivation boils down to the fact that I havent seen any real proper break downs of an exercise that lets me go from knowing i need to squat to actually being able to program around it competently and KNOW how to hit those machines for each of the big lift's

[@theo610]

Dr Miiiiiiiiikkeee...LMAO

[@arthurlloyd5165]

It's good to know how to mess yourself up with lighter weight if need be, but I think the focus on mind muscle connection is mostly to avoid cheat reps, although it's often taken to extremes.

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Definitely. Tons of positives for MMC, but it can be taken too far. - Dr. Mike

[@evrenseven]

I've had the most difficult time activating my lats during pull downs; I feel like my biceps are doing all the work. By merely picturing my lats contracting during the pull down, I've felt much more of the MMC and my back actually feels worked on back day instead of dead biceps

[@Jafmanz]

get a pull-up bar and do scapula retractions. it will only take you 3 sets of 5 reps or so before it clicks.

[@elvientobundy6203]

You can always try to do lat isolation, like the lat prayer first. To pre exhaust the muscle, and make you feel it more through the compounds

[@shawnturner7064]

pull with your pinky. This sounds crazy but if you focus your little finger. You will feel your lats instantly. I know it sounds crazy but give it a try.

[@bigshmoke9653]

I had that problem when i first started and had no lat development. I did light weight that i could do 20/30 reps with and just squeezed at the bottom super hard until it felt like i was about to get a cramp in my back. Now i can twitch my lats without even moving

[@fotis3v480]

I did pull ups on and off for years and i always wondered why my lats never grew and why my teres was so over developed compared to them making me look weird af when i did em. I was using all arms and upper back and never really pulling deeply with the entirety of my back..i finally fixed it last year that i got serious into training and my back keep growing.

[@bobjenkins4925]

I've always thought about it as big muscles = weight multiplied by how you move it. A muscle that can perform beautiful controlled slow reps with heavy weight is going to be very well developed.

[@saikishinou6200]

That hack squat analogy was too relatable I had a mental breakdown, thanks Dr. mike!

[@sm753]

Like GymScienceBro says - "you don't want to actually lift a lot of weight, you just want to LOOK like you can lift a lot of weight...but it also helps if you can lift a lot of weight..."

[@mr.conran356]

Been running 2 a days for 2 mesos now. 8-12rep heavier compound lifts in the morning at the gym, and high rep low weight mind muscle connection exercises, including static holds for the same muscle groups at night. Seen some crazy results that I hadn't before.

[@liberationpocket7950]

Perfectly said. I use the "feeling" method for a nice warm-up but when I get to working sets, I add weight. But I like to have one exercise for the contraction, another for a good stretch, and another one for a heavier load. In all of these, I am still able to develop a mmc by selecting a exercise that automatically puts me into position for mmc.

[@lynnwilliam]

Well done. I thought it was only me. Warm up sets are the mind muscle connections. Then the rest is pain in hell

[@liberationpocket7950]

@@lynnwilliam It just seems right like that

[@daniekogivens5042]

I understand everyone is different, but me personally, I've seen my best growth when I stopped caring about weight and reps and used moderate weight 10-15 reps, really focusing on form and mind muscle connection. My legs are bigger now completely ditching barbell squats and doing leg press/hack squat with 3-4 plates or smith machine squats working up to 275 than when I could squat 405 for 8 reps. My chest is bigger using machines and dumbbells no higher than 70s than when I could bench 375. I work up to the max weight that I feel like I can do without losing any mind muscle connection, work it close to failure, then either do a drop set or super set on my top sets. I will say it's best to build a solid base of strength, because it takes some experience to get to that level, but if you only care about putting on muscle, I personally would advise anyone to make that switch.. your joints will thank you.

[@analogcrunch4716]

Yeah Mike is usually wrong and looks terribly avg for a juicer.

[@PianoOwl]

Bro I’m sorry, there’s no way you’re getting a good stimulus with 70lb dumbbells when you were benching 375lbs before. That’s literally warm up weight lol.

[@larrytate1657]

The heaviest weight you can do with perfect form slow and controlled is the best imo.

[@daniekogivens5042]

@@PianoOwl If you would have told me 3-4 years ago, I would have thought you were crazy because I could press 130s for reps.. I was already changing the way I lifted, focusing more on form and mind muscle connection, but finding Mike Van Wyck like a year and a half ago changed everything. I'm telling you, anything over ~65-70 and I start to lose connection, so why go over it

[@daniekogivens5042]

@@larrytate1657 I used to be all for slower reps for time under tension when I first started training for the mind muscle connection.. idk if you have heard on Mike Van Wyck, but he kinda changed my mind on it a little. Still under control, keeping the same movement pattern, but just more of an emphasis on a consistent tempo to get blood in the muscle.

[@jpscharged]

In the end do whatever works for you. Ego lifting only got me so far and the injuries started to become an issue in my early 30’s. Turn 40 next month and I have 30 more lbs of lean body mass than when I was 31. Hypertrophy works. I do cycle in a 8 week 5-3-1 program twice a year to keep those muscles confused.

[@analogcrunch4716]

Mike is wrong and doesn’t look good 👍

[@jpscharged]

@@analogcrunch4716 like I said do what works for you. Mike also abuses the hell out of steroids so there’s that to.

[@DadBodFit]

This video took a turn I didn't expect, but as always solid info. Thanks Doc!

[@DrSpooglemon]

Some people can have difficulty activating certain muscles. People who have been inactive for years, poor posture, etc. For me it was the lower traps and "wing"/shoulder stabilizers. Actually being able to contract the lower traps, especially the left one was something I had to work at. Now I can deliberately contract them when I have my morning stretch. Feeling that squeeze in a part of my anatomy I hadn't really been aware of is satisfying. I also had difficulty with the teres and other "wing" muscles on my left side when I was younger. I just could not work those muscles on the left side. I couldn't understand why till I did some Pilates and started thinking about anatomy and realising everything that was wrong with my posture, etc. Then I started to become aware of the patterns of muscle activation, such as using my upper traps on my left side to make up for the lack of joint mobility and weak shoulder stabilizers and how that was affecting my ability to exercise my delts. Or how I was pulling my left shoulder blade more with my traps and other back muscles to make up for my inability to get in touch with the "wing" muscles I wanted to develop with inclined rows. Aside from correcting my posture and stretching the joint capsules in my shoulders to mobilize them I realized that I was going to have to retrain my nervous system to stop activating muscles that had become dominant. If this as never been a problem for you and all you need to focus on is moving the weight from point A to point B then back again in order to work the desired muscle then it's not something you will have an intuition for. For people who are having difficulty like this working on the mind-muscle connection is imperative(imh) for the development of good technique and the ability to work the desired muscle effectively without unconsciously making adjustments to make up for muscle imbalances or the loss of awareness of a given muscle. Once good form is established then intensity can be increased to actually grow the muscles.

[@s1bhtk]

Very curious to know how you managed to reactivate and balance those muscles out

[@DrSpooglemon]

@@s1bhtk Spent a long time just moving around and trying to feel different modes of activation and watching myself in a mirror paying close attention to asymmetries in the way my shoulders move. Often I would hold light dumbells and go through different motions with my arms - shrugs, raises, etc - trying to keep the movements as sinusoidal as possible. A lot of the movements were based on warm up exercises from martial arts (mostly ju-jitsu and tai chi). I had scoliosis which caused my rib cage to be deformed. Pilates helped to start to straiten that out. But trying to learn new patterns of muscle activation is not something there is a procedure that I am aware of for and although I now have an intuition of how I progressed and could demonstrate some of the things I did to get where I am, explaining what I was actually doing internally is really difficult. I would say it was about going back to being a baby and getting to know my body all over again. I did find that dissociatives helped with that. But that's the kind of crazy shit I do and not something I can reasonably advise to anyone.

[@KruKadic]

Very good point. Sometimes bad form is established and intensity increased like what was the case in my first two or so years in the gym and only lead to injuries and little gains. Once the proper form was established later and intensity safely increased in a stable position did the real growing start to begin. Around that same time i started to develop a better mind muscle connection to every target muscle, so i think it is a very relevant skill to have if you want to grow muscle

[@trappart9209]

I understand you from personal experience. It sucks. Gotta wake them up

[@Zaeyrus]

Can't wait for some epic humor from dr. Mike, which I immediately create an image in my mind, like the time he explained how he spends his time on truck stops

[@onandover1]

Hello Dr mike! Over the last 8 months, i've dropped 15kg (33lbs), done 60km (37.2 miles) per week and gotten my lifts up significantly, especially my deadlift up to 3 sets of 6 with 100kg (220lbs), in big part thanks to your videos, i'm super thankful. I've even set new goals this year, such as doing a cumulative 2000km (1243 miles) over the course of the year. That said i think an angle of tunnel-visioning on MMC you might have missed is that, as far as i've seen, a lot of people who start lifting just have very poor awareness on how to move and utilise their bodies. When i started working out i had tons of issues, from poor form, to cheat reps, to being unable to utilize certain muscles when i lifted. I think part of focusing so hard on MMC is that sometimes people just benefit so much from starting out with a heavy focus on it that they confuse it for the main factor in their growth. Love the video!

[@southernboy3726]

Mind muscle connection has been a game changer for me and is very important Do not underestimate

[@ChrisSanchez-k1r]

I feel the mind-muscle connection is the main thing seperating an all right and great physique. Posing helps solidify this connection, try it out.

[@roadstar499]

i know being in my mid 60's now mind muscle connection is best when you start light and add a few pounds each set..when we are young our ego's ruled our training...

[@steveloge8119]

I choose to believe this so that I can have my boys squeeze my glutes during RDLs

[@nooblifter390]

I love you...Dr.Mike. You are so funny and full of sarcasm. Thank you so much.🛐♥️

[@nikolasmesuli3039]

Thank you Dr.Mike for the valuable knowledge that you just dropped 💪

[@wizdiz04]

Never skip brain day. Thanks for the lesson Dr Mike.

[@jordanhiller3866]

It burns!!!

[@StrengthScholar0]

This video taught me so much as a powerlifter that's just starting out. My perspective has been do what it takes to get the weight up and on meet day that's probably true. The main lesson I learned is that technique is a means to ensure muscle connection and a means to actually assess your progression in a consistent manner. As opposed to having your technique break apart in later reps and convincing yourself it's a PR when shitty technique is the only thing that got you there.

[@SquatFull]

The mind-muscle connection for me is forming a mental image of the learned movement to the structure of the muscle. It includes concentrating on engaging the maximum action of muscle myofibrils in the muscle cell sarcoplasms.

[@chall5335]

I like how you include facts and myths to all parts, even when it comes to the ones you suggest yourself. You having an open mind to all of it makes me more willing to listen. And it usually helps alot when i stop having results for a few months, when i return to your videos. Thanks! (Started out watching athlean-X with minor results, because beginner. Then Doucettes simplified version, better results) but i can’t say i would have the same results with either at this point without the knowledge of your videos

[@robertbates9948]

The mind muscle connection is valuable, because it enables u to contract only the muscle that u are targeting, independent of other muscle groups. For me, at least, it makes my exercises more efficient and effective.

[@analogcrunch4716]

Exactly he’s completely incorrect.

[@garrettcochran9169]

I don’t even know who this video was made for? Lifters having “too much” of a mind muscle connection is not an issue I have ever encountered in America lol

[@robertbates9948]

@@analogcrunch4716 yeah, i really enjoy his videos, but this one confused me, a bit. It’s almost like he doesn’t fully understand the concept.And he never mentions the actual reason why a strong MMC is important. It has nothing to do with any of the things that he mentioned. It has little to do with “feeling the muscle” that just a small part of it, it’s about controlling the muscle, using a Jedi mind trick. 😂 peace!!

[@robertbates9948]

@@garrettcochran9169 no kidding man, most of the people, at my gym, have never heard of a MMC, or an eccentric repetition. 😂

[@naturalaquatreasures]

@@robertbates9948 I felt the same while watching it. He basically misrepresented what most people mean when they refer to mind-muscle connection.

[@wowandrss]

Impossible to leave these videos with knowledge and a good-ass mood. Thanks Dr. Mike for being a real G and maybe.. thank you to Scott The Video Guy.. ?

[@The3Lego3Freak]

I have no mind and no muscle, but I do have connection to the CrossFit gym wifi!!

[@Caljkusic1]

Everybody talking about progressive overload, mini pr. etc. but how can someone like you or some one natty going for 10+ years have mini pr-s every time? By that logic everybody would be a strongman by year 10. I would love to hear your feedback, thanks!

[@frzmtl3849]

I understand Mike’s argument concerning progressive overload and it’s necessity for building a physique. However, the idea of making a low weight feel heavy is perfect for experienced and aging lifters such as myself. I have 29 years of lifting experience and lifting heavier won’t work for me at 47 years of age. I pre-exhaust with Iso work to failure before compound movements, by reducing my the weight on the bench press I can save my shoulder joints. The soreness in the following days and not the weight is my barometer.

[@christianformaro7193]

That hack squat story at the end got me messed up love it! 🤣🤣🤣

[@ogmisfit]

Damn bro you answered my question..It can't get more detailed than this Thank you

[@AceBanyon]

Hi Dr. Mike . Thanks for the video. I'm looking forward to your livestream. I have a few important questions ready for you.

[@ATXPaul80]

"Set in stone. Hard fucking training. With good technique... while monitoring the tension and burn." Mike is the GOAT.

[@nickfanzo]

One tip that helped me with this was to also stop counting reps. When I did count, I would stop my sets way too early. I wouldn’t feel any high tension or burning until maybe the last 3-4 reps and then stop the set Not good Now, I do the set and when that burn and tension comes THATS when I will try to get to the 12-15 range, I won’t count the initial reps until that burn comes

[@claybutler]

I've been really focusing on the mind muscle connection whenever I'm writing something on a piece of paper. My index finger, thumb and forearm is so jacked now!

[@Marc-ip4ii]

Thx DR Mike, love this information. Worth the membership

[@ukymon]

Thanks man. The best kind of content...informative, entertaining and relevant.

[@HM-vj5ll]

When all else fails, "I command you to grow" works.

[@7guitarlover]

This comment is for Scott the video guy ! Thankyou for editing Dr Mike's videos =)

[@DavidDavis311]

This topic depends largely on the individual. People who have good MMC don’t understand how detrimental it is for those who don’t. In fact they can’t really understand entirely how little MMC some people have. I trained for years and knew what I was doing. MMC focused workouts changed my physique fairly drastically. As one example I could never round out my shoulders no matter how heavy I lifted and how great my form was. Long story short it’s a game changer for the right person. That is if they’re hypertrophy focused.

[@ColinHarvey78]

Excellent video. Great advice

[@steeplewiththesnakes]

I'm just here to have fun:) Although tbh I think focusing on just warmup exercises is helpful for total beginners with no muscle. It takes a lot of mental stamina to rewire years of the body doing strange compensatory actions. That was my first goal starting lifting

[@alexeyA1]

I had hard times contracting biceps as forearms did all the work, got overused, but biceps weren't growing. Working on MMC helped me a lot.

[@johnrambo9724]

Love the content Dr mike ! A video about posture, like FHP could be amazing !!

[@Andrew-be6eh]

Wow, I got happy last week when I finally achieved the "bad version" of the MMC Dr Mike is talking about here. I started using the RP training app, so I'm not totally messing up and underloading, but it's good to know I have a lot more mental work to do to get my physical work to be even more effective.

[@antonpwr]

This is great. I think the term ”mind-muscle connection” gets thrown around and misused a lot that leads to no benefit. This really nails how to make it useful.

[@remilardinois9973]

Dr Mike. Does tension outweigh Progress as a factor for growth? Let's take an exercise like lateral raises. If I don't always progress with them in terms of sets an reps but I for sure feel the tension and a mighty pump, would it still cause hypertrophy? Keep it up!

[@stephen686]

I always thought the burn in the muscle indicates you are using lighter weight to focus on metabolite training. Lately it seems to be less of a key driver of growth, on its own, the more studies continue to dial in on what is the actual key driver of hypertrophy (they all agree on mechanical tension it seems). The way you discussed the fact that burn indicates the muscle is being placed under tension, and that the burn is a way to indicate you are doing just that, gives me something i feel i can use as a tool to ensure i am doing things correctly. If this is not what you meant, please correct me. Loving your videos man!

[@jamesnm21]

Reps and time build connection.

[@MrHooligan357]

been working out for 32 years at the same gym. I don't lift super heavy anymore. it's all about the perfect form and the pump.

[@sidmenon8470]

Love this format of vids which Mike puts 😂

[@chad_miller_]

thanks for the tips dr mike, i too try to stay away from playgrounds these days

[@benjaminbaumgardner7620]

That bit about the kid with the balloon was great

[@larrytate1657]

It’s simple to me, The Heaviest you can go but with maintaining perfect form to where failure sets in between 7 to 12 reps is the best for muscle growth. For strength it’s all about shocking the muscle with heavy weight that you can only hit 3 to 6 before failure sets in with. Thats been my experience at least and the couple partners I’ve trained with.

[@ImGroot1980]

I train at commercial gyms, and people are always over stating the important of thinking about the muscle. Metered progression, no matter the variable is the way to make progress. Great video.

[@Simon-talks]

Conversely, we have a whole new generation of Mr. Olympia-level IFBB pro's who have no lower lats at all, because they can't incorporate their lats into lat movements...

[@markambrose66]

This is why it's so important imo to do weight that actually challenges you and that's why on my compound lifts I mostly do 6-12 rep range on my working sets and recently I've been doing 8-12 on my more iso movements like tricep push downs and standing bb curls etc and I feel like it's great

[@eserranomatos]

Have to be careful with where yu watch Dr Mike’s videos, Bc you know at one point you’ll be LOL Wait for it, wait for it… boom! there it is: time to save the bench pressing guy…. Boom! Tasered after random comment at the park 😂 but you will never forget his teaching though. Thanks Dr Mike!

[@Firm-Tofu-King]

A guy at my gym says he quarter reps the leg press cause he feels his quads more. I tried to tell him it's just the blood getting trapped in the muscle because of the peak contraction. We're not on talking terms anymore I don't care about the mind muscle connection Unless it's hamstrings in a Good morning.

[@jake8915]

14:30 i was like "where tf is he going with that? is it a vent?" and then the punchline came in. what a way to end a video haha

[@jakdexter2832]

During my sets of frontsquats all i feel is a crushing sensation on my windpipe. But when i can breathe again there is definitely something happening in the quads.

[@elischrock5356]

Thanks for the content man.

[@steadystackin7250]

Tl;Dr- best strategy is to use maximum weight that you can truly control and handle with good form. You can have good form and also progressively overload. You should never increase the weight at the expense of your technique.

[@ericthiede9712]

Fact is - 10-15% is wonderful place for 99% of men. Its maintainable, healthy, allows for different types of pursuits and interests.

[@Ilethsamael]

Mind muscle connection is simply the base to make sure you move muscles with proper motor neuron patterns. It is all about being able to use what you must

[@Runner-Boy]

I've never really cared about arm training i just like traning legs but I have started to do arms

[@lawrencereid3457]

You can definitely make weight feel heavier. Mind muscle connection is as much feeling switching off the rest of the body as it isolating that muscle. Switch off the legs when you do alternate standing dumbbell curls.

[@187A1]

Great personality Dr Mike ❤

[@hunterknapp1494]

The hack squatting talk at the end 😂😅

[@XXLRebel]

There's this really nice bodybuilder at my gym that I worked out with once. He's on the juice and 20kg heavier than me. We focused on really light weight and contracting and feeling the muscle. We did a chest/triceps workout with around 4 exercises per muscle group. Didn't even feel like I trained at all afterwards. In the moment it felt challenging but I barely felt any stimulus compared to my regular workouts. Never doing that stupid shit again😂

[@Soccasteve]

Sounds about right. I think it’s fine to have some movements where you focus on the contraction more but as a whole you should just focus on progressing your strength while using solid technique/control.

[@TheChaya31]

If there will be a comedy standup on FITNESS out there in future, your jokes with outstanding humor will win every show. At 12:45 I was dying laughing 🤣 But jokes apart you are a great teacher. Thank you Dr.Mike 🙏🏽

[@Mikaeel84]

In my experience, the better the MMC the less weight you can lift because you found a way to put your muscle at more of a disadvantage where it has less help from the contributing muscle groups. I feel like that's what people mean by make light weights feel heavy. If you slow down the tempo and focus on the stretch and contraction aka MMC, your definitely going to lift less, the burn comes way faster that way and the muscle becomes fatigued faster.

[@naturalaquatreasures]

Exactly.

[@CaptainBrash]

"I am the pec"that gave me a flashback to a near religious experience on the pecdeck once. I think I'd had too big a scoop of caffeine powder but it was wild.

[@HidefVince]

Yes I was waiting for you to comment on just in 10 lb dumbbells please go ahead

[@rebel6176]

outro was legendary

[@octavianandron9635]

I developed such a wonderfull muscle mind connexion over the years and now I just look at the weights and my muscle are working. I am jacked btw.

[@tonybaggett1984]

That balloon story was comedy gold!

[@AntstrengthUnlimited]

You are purposely conflating proprioception and what mind-muscle connection eludes to. You said it yourself in the beginning, making light weights heavy. You literally can do 2 different sets on the same exercises and make 1 have the least amount of stimulus and the other more than the max . Mind muscle connection, tho not "everything " (obviously) IS most important factor second to progressive overload. A good mind muscle connection can make the biggest difference. Plus all the other benefits you stated which make mind muscle connection stand out in terms of longevity/injury prevention . You can lift " blind" and make gains sure, but "seeing" will make it much easier/efficient , and "it'd be alot cooler if you did"

[@davidburnham5098]

Wait why am I listening to this why I’m lifting.. I’ll tune in later back to the jams!

[@shovelninjaxd391]

14:34 Best Dr.Mike moment

[@Cacophony314]

Sometimes I have no idea what the good doctor is saying, and feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm able to lift a little more over time and I'm _still_ growing, so I'll leave what's good alone? _...For now._

[@Bognerman14]

I'm 53 and feel my life is over as I know it. I used to love bodybuilding. A doctor have me a medication that destroyed some tendons in my body and has destroyed my physical world. I tried legally going after him but it did nothing because lawyers told me that unless a doctor causes death, they are protected. Now my life is a world of pain and suffering day and night and I would rather it be over. :( I envy you all.

[@EvansGoneFishing]

I've been flexing my penis for 30+ years. I dare say there is a genetic limit because I'm just not getting any bigger. Maybe i should try adding weight?

[@mdlsome4183]

Gotta focus on that eccentric bro. If you dont get DOPS you're doing it wrong.

[@Simon-talks]

mind-penis connection

[@GHot-ji1vu]

😂 you should go for "the 3rd leg pushup". You can Start by leaning against a wall. Will give you Rock hard density and add some serious size 😮

[@emanueldtribie3941]

Good stuff Big Mike!

[@jakeragsdale]

I’ve watched most of your videos, all fantastic. I don’t see you guys doing unilateral movements, at least not frequently. Why is this? Thanks for the great content

[@aureliandumitru8382]

Great stuff as always Dr Mike, i do have a question: what to prioritize for men over 40 yrs old in terms of training? Injuries may come easier with age, so in your opinion, i should use moderate weight, high intensity and reps in range of 15-20? What would be your scientific approach on this topic? Thank you!

[@jota55581]

I'm 51 spend 4 months of year focusing in half marathons ..the rest i lift ...i do six sets 8-12 PLP ( split My shoulders between back and chest )6 days a week six weeks do one week HIT heavy mioreps ..1 week deload or full rest .i get good results .

[@RoidfreeSenior]

I think it is important but certainly not the only thing, and more important on isolation /bodybuilding movements. If I am doing heavy deadlifts it is not even a thought for me.

[@anandnairkollam]

As a natural, you must continue strength progression to build muscle and grow

[@teejay3462]

Is your Q&A going to be posted for a while afterwards? I am working in the bush and I don't want to miss this comedy special. Netflix needs to offer you a deal. #LAMBOS4MIKE

[@TheRealitarian]

Outta the way, pec!

[@EMPANAO321]

Effort is the most important

[@tastytucker981]

That joke at the end made me spit my diet coke on my monitor. Thanks for that Mike lol great video

[@stoempert]

I always think of MMC like just another cueing tool. Being mindful of the technique and target muscles can help.

[@flyhighsun1833]

Oh yeah!!! 🦫

[@mahditalebi9048]

I died at 'that's for his ex girlfriend' part🤣🤣😂😂

[@hughjasol7327]

Dr Mike, I have a question that is probably very niche. I'm a cystic fibrosis patient whos got like a hair under 50% lung function. I still am able to train quite hard but truly have an assache of a time on leg day due to breathing restraints after the sets I always feel air starved which can lead to panic attacks. I've seen countless videos of you & others pushing the sets on legs & am always jealous of the cardio abilities. Do you have any tips on how I can improve that? I typically do LISS but i'm open to any suggestion that may allow me to push a little harder & tolerate it better. Thanks!

[@tomisaacson2762]

Increase the weight, decrease the reps, and take long breaks between sets

[@saltybadkid9002]

Sounds like you answered your own question, improve your cardio

[@Vithedel]

Not a bodybuilding answer but I have an interesting case for this. Check out Samart Payakaroon videos of his highlight and training with Sylvie von Duuglas. Samart is one of the greatest Muaythai fighter of all time in Thailand and boxing world champ (two very brutal and cardio intensive combat sports). He got naturally born small lungs so he compensates by being very technical, very evasive and relax at all time since he knew that tensing up and trying to out-muscle other fighters is not going to happen for him since he got tired twice as fast. He still knocked bunch of people out while being called lazy by his coach :)). I think training your body to move in atheletic way and being well coordinated can be very beneficial to you and others in and out of the gym too.

[@hughjasol7327]

@@saltybadkid9002 yea I realize that, but i'm asking for any tips that I may not be considering; breathing techniques that may help them between sets, HIIT cardio instead of LISS, etc etc

[@adamhinkle5580]

Truly am Sorry to hear about your lungs and big respect you for still giving it your all. My opinion is yes you should try your best to keep cardio performance as high as possible but also understanding that you might have to train fundamentally a little more intelligently around this. For me, movements that require stability like squats and lunges, takes a ton more cardiovascular demand compared to more stable exercises or isolations. With that in mind, one idea you can think about is performing more sets with lower average RPE for the big stabilizing lifts. This will let you still build strength and muscle well. Then afterwars you can do machine/isolation movements which you can push a lot harder without such huge cardio demands. Also like someone else said higher reps are harder on cardio as well. So the average for you could be more sets with lower total reps and average lower RPE when compared to most programs. Then you can push yourself harder on the isolation and most stable exercises.👍

[@techpiller2558]

Check out Krizo's training. The weights are moderate, and the physique is massive. I don't see him doing anything else than MMC. He could up the weight any time. I don't see him doing endless sets or reps either. I don't think it is progression-based with him, other than the muscle progressing to grow. But maybe I have misunderstood.