Importance of Anatomy in “Mind Muscle Activation”

If you have searched fitness related things on google before. I am sure you get a lot of adds, TikTok videos, and youtube videos suggested by some questionable “Supplemented Athletes” with 6 Packs and walnut looking skin.

One of my favourites that they like to bring up is “Mind Muscle Activation”. This idea that you can get stronger if you just think about your bicep and try harder.

In reality, I don’t believe this to be untrue, given that the supposed person has a proper understanding of anatomy and where their body is in space. The reality is most of us don’t. For instance, if I were to ask you where your bicep is, where it attaches, and what movements it’s responsible for? The answer I would ideally be wanting is a return question of ‘which bicep?’. Now you don’t need to know all the scientific names, but having a basic understanding of anatomy and how your muscles function can definitely aid you in your training.

As for where your body is in space? I think we can all agree that the bicep primarily contracts the elbow joint. Now to do this, do your hips need to move?? No they don’t.. So why do we see so many middle-aged men doing Russian Bicep Swings? 1. Hurr durr weight heavier mean better. 2. They don’t understand that if you want bigger biceps, work on its functional movement, flexing the elbow. If you struggle with a movement and need to get your hips involved, you either have a weight far too heavy for you to manage, or you struggle with that “mind muscle” connection. The solution to this problem is relatively simple. 1. Practice and think about what you are trying to achieve when doing a particular movement. 2. Isolate movements and do exercises that limit your movement, i.e. for a Bicep Curl, Try a Preachers Curl, or Concentration Curl instead.

If you want to know more. Come find me in the gym!

Coach Leon