The Mind/Muscle Connection: Fact Or Fiction?

Bodybuilders have spoken of “the mind muscle connection” for decades, but many people still believe it’s just a myth.

Which side are you on?

Either way, I’ll be doing a deep dive into the research on this topic right here.

Let’s find out whether this training phenomenon is fact or fiction, and end the gym debates once and for all!

What Is “The Mind/Muscle Connection?”

It refers to your ability to focus on the muscle you’re trying to work.

For example, it is said that focusing on your biceps during a set of biceps curls can lead to greater muscle growth versus just knocking out the reps while dreaming about what you’re going to eat for dinner.

It’s a strategy which has been around since the co-called “golden age” of bodybuilding (1970-1980), and three people who have had a big influence on my own career happen to be practitioners of it.

First up, Hollywood strength and conditioning coach Zach Evan-Esh calls it “one of the the most important factors” in helping him transform the physiques of his A-list clientele.

High praise indeed.

The “Compton Superman” himself, CT Fletcher (above), agrees with this assessment. Heck, CT could be considered a walking embodiment of “the mind/muscle connection”, having shot to YouTube fame for literally yelling at his muscles in the gym (“I command you to grow!”).

And then there’s Ah-nuld.

“Being able to zone in on the muscle you are working, while you are working it, to create even better results.”

– Arnold Schwarzenegger

Does Science Support Or Deny This Theory?

I don’t think anyone would deny that it’s possible to “focus” on a muscle while you work it, but does this actually enhance your results in any way?

Doubters will say “No!”, because our muscles are just slabs of meat, and simply doing the movement is enough to unlock the desired outcome.

However, they are dead fucking wrong.

It turns out the bodybuilders of the 1970s really did know what they were talking about, because a recent study which was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research confirms that:

Yes, the mind/muscle connection is real!
Yes, it will improve your results!

In the study, trainees performed three sets of the classic barbell bench press with around 50% of their max weight. They were instructed to hit the reps as they normally would during the first set, and then they were instructed to focus on their chest during the second set, and focus on their triceps during the third set.

Remarkably, muscle activity in the pecs and triceps significantly improved (22% and 26%) when the trainees thought about the target muscle while working it!

Interestingly, when the researchers tried the same concept using 80% of their max they found that trainees were unable to focus on specific muscles once the weight crossed a certain threshold, which tells us that this technique is probably best applied when using lighter weights for higher reps. (1)

Fast-forward three years, a follow-up study was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

This time, a team of Danish researchers had trainees test where the threshold of the so-called “mind muscle connection” lies in terms of achieving maximum results.

They performed sets to failure with 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% of their max weight.

Interestingly, they discovered that the best results were achieved with the lightest weights (20% of max), and stated that the participants were unable to maintain focus on the target muscle as the weight grew heavier. (2)

There’s also one more great study to show you on this topic.

It came via Ohio University, and it’s often referred to as “the grip strength study”.

In this rather extreme investigation, trainees had their wrists strapped up in surgical casts for a whole month (!). One group of participants were left to recover as normal, and a second group of participants were instructed to spend 11 minutes each day “visualizing flexing and extending their forearms”.

Sounds crazy, right?

But what’s even more crazy is that the second group of trainees came out of their casts twice as fucking strong! (3)

Anyway, there you have it. Science shows us that the so-called “mind muscle connection” is 100% real, and it can definitely improve your muscle building results. It’s best applied to workouts which use lighter weights, so give it a try during your next high rep workout.