The Secret to Muscle Stimulation, By: Hugo Rivera and James Villepigue
Learning proper exercise technique is the backbone of every fitness program in existence, for if you train improperly you will not stimulate the intended muscle, risk major injury and receive little or no results. When you learn to use proper exercise technique, you will receive twice the results in half the time, GUARANTEED! In addition, you will be less likely to get injured during your training career.
We see people in the gym day in and day out having no idea how to properly train their muscles. Some of them are professional bodybuilders, some are professional athletes, and some are certified fitness trainers. Unfortunately, the ones who really suffer most are people like you who rely on these role models for wisdom and guidance. We are not trying to put down the current professional stars. We are just trying to point out that sometimes you have to be careful with who you learn exercise form from; don't automatically assume that because someone is a professional bodybuilder or fitness trainer they know what they are doing.
We will focus this article on what I believe to be the most important foundation principle governing proper technique and form. It is a principle we refer to as the "Muscle/Mind Connection". The principle is based on the linkage of the mind and body, and the minds ability to magnify the motor functions of the body. For instance, have you ever noticed when you’re playing a certain sport that you do much better when you really focus on what you’re doing? How about when you find yourself entrenched in a novel or movie, totally focused on your target? Did you realize that someone had been trying to get your attention for a few minutes? No, because you were within the moment, focused on your activity. Do you realize what you accomplished from your ability to focus? You allowed yourself to become fully engulfed in your project where total comprehension of the subject was facilitated. Now imagine what you would accomplish if that concentration were projected while performing an exercise.
If you allow your mind to focus on your exercise, or more specifically, the muscle you are trying to isolate, before and while in motion, you will produce an astonishing compounded effect. When most people do a specific exercise, they simply go through the motion of that exercise, unaware of what is actually going on within their muscle bellies. The reason it is necessary to focus on the muscle group being worked on is to ensure full stimulation of the muscle by recruiting as many muscle fibers as possible, thereby getting all we can out of that muscle for optimum results. Most people try to do this, but fail. Instead, they either use too much momentum to help jerk up the weight, they use awkward leveraging positions to heave it up, or call upon various unwanted muscle groups to join in the compounded movement. ONCE AND FOR ALL, THIS IS WRONG! If you want to fully train a specific muscle and expect to fully recruit as many muscle fibers in that muscle as humanly and genetically possible, you must follow guidelines. First you should always know beforehand exactly what primary muscle you will exercise. Next, you must prepare to focus 100% of your concentrated efforts on that specific muscle belly (Again, realize that most people, most probably including yourself, are simply aware of the "outer" visual muscle they are exercising, while failing to consciously focus on the "inner" unseen portion of their muscle belly. We call this "putting your mind in the muscle.") Finally, choose a weight that you can control, not a weight that controls you. Remember, weights are the tools that you will be using to sculpt your bodies; we are not in a powerlifting contest (and even in a powerlifting contest you need good form or else the repetition will not count).
Let's actually put the technique described above to work by pretending that we are about to begin a barbell biceps curl. Before you lift the bar, position yourself accordingly, and position your hands on the bar. As you hold the bar across your thighs, begin to isometrically contract (flex your biceps muscle without moving) the biceps muscle even before you begin the lift. As you begin the curl, make sure that while going through the entire range of motion, you are simultaneously concentrating (put your mind in the muscle) and isometrically contracting (flex your biceps muscle without moving) the biceps muscle. Next, when you reach the top of the movement, or total range of motion of the biceps curl, once again simultaneously concentrate 100%, while you invest all of your efforts to isometrically contract the biceps muscle (Flex the muscle as hard as you can). Do you realize what you have accomplished in response to the said protocol? You have created a muscle recruitment compounded effect, by consolidating three powerful lifting components and multiplying the advantages of the exercise. In other words, you have taken three separate training components; one being the traditional biceps exercise motion, two, the isolated concentration and focus on the biceps muscle, and three, the isometric contraction throughout the entire exercise. When you incorporate this training technique with the proper exercise form, your muscles will be used in the most productive way possible, by stimulating that muscle 50% or more than if you hadn’t incorporated the technique. We guarantee, that like us and all who have practiced the technique, you will feel your muscles being stimulated much more than usual. What does all this mean? In laymen terms, it means results in half the time! Did you hear that? RESULTS IN HALF THE TIME!!!
Applying proper exercise form and technique, is without a doubt, the most important component of any fitness program for without proper form and technique, many, many set backs will occur. First, the musculature you intend to exercise will less than likely be stimulated. Exercise should not be focused around just lifting barbells and weights. It shouldn't’t just concern how much you can lift. Optimum fitness is about the quality of exercise, the quality of your form and how you maintain that form, especially during heavier lifting. It comes down to this people; If you want to get the most out of your workout, keep the intensity high, WITHOUT sacrificing proper form. Neglecting to focus on proper form equals no results, while practicing perfect proper form equals incredible results quickly!
So in conclusion, if you learn anything from this article, learn this: Applying proper exercise form and technique, is without a doubt, the most important component of any fitness program for without proper form and technique, many, many set backs will occur. First, the musculature you intend to exercise will less than likely be stimulated. Second your probability of getting injured will increase dramatically.
Exercise should not be focused around just lifting barbells and weights. It shouldn't’t just concern how much you can lift. Optimum fitness is about the quality of exercise, the quality of your form and how you maintain that form, especially during heavier lifting. It comes down to this people; If you want to get the most out of your workout, keep the intensity high, WITHOUT sacrificing proper form. Neglecting to focus on proper form equals no results, while practicing perfect proper form equals incredible results quickly!
(Note: This article was written in conjunction with James Villepigue. James is an ISSA certified personal trainer in New York with a BS in Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology as well as a marketing. He practices what he preaches as he is an avid natural bodybuilder as well. We had the chance to meet in a gym one time that he was in Florida on a business trip. Just by chance we ended up training legs together. (After that he was one of the very first people to read my book and try its principles) Since when we trained together I noticed that he had impeccable form and focus, I decided to give him a call this week so that he could co-write this article with me for everyone's benefit).
