i have shifted the focus of my lifts to really trying hard to establish that mind-muscle connection that everyone talks about......and really feel the muscle in workign being worked
like doing a curl, i feel the bicep lifting the weight, not momentum from my back, or my chest and shoulder...........i still use a good weight, but i feel when you start gettin real heavy, particularly in a exercise liek curls.......you start recruit a lot of other muscles to help move the weight
and i real feel like this focus on thinking through the exercise has made big changes to my physique
Un$ung, I couldn't agree more.
Even with the last few weeks, I have taken a long needed break (work, family--new baby in the house, lack of sleep, golf, training have taken their toll), and focused on prehab stuff like stretching and foam roller. When I get back into it this weeekend, I plan on not going for any records for beomg the strongest guy training in a basement.
Honestly, back in 2000, I met one of the best built dudes I ever saw at the gym. Guy was in his mid 40's, and had a lot of traning years under his belt with admitted use in the 80s.
He had a very old school approach to stuff, with focus on the compound movements. For instance, he did deadlifts, but never went over 185. He was always focused on form and the mind/muscle connection, perhaps too much so. Thing is, he told me he hadn't had a lifting injury for over 10 years, and that was a reslut of flat bench, which he never did again, only inclines and dips.
Even more interesting, he did lateral raises, but no overhead stuff, as he told me that training shoulders doesn't really have room in his training, and felt that he got enough stimulation from dips and inclines, coupled with laterals and rear delt exercises on occassion.
As I am getting into my mid 30s, I am beginning to agree with him more.
