Focus on muscle movement to boost workout
Bodybuilders often tell you it’s important to focus on each muscle you want to train during a repetition. Turns out this advice is even better than they knew.
In a new study, 30 volunteers were instructed to perform bicep curls. They were divided into 3 groups: one focused on the weight they were lifting, a second focused on their muscles, and a third focused whatever they wished. In the group that focused on their muscles there was significantly more muscle activity than in the other groups.
“If they are thinking about their muscles while they are lifting weights they will get a different effect than if they think about just lifting the weight.”
Dr Marchant [the lead researcher] explained that when the brain thinks about what each muscle is doing it makes them work less efficiently because the brain has more than one thing to think about.
And this is what makes the muscles work harder and become stronger rather than the movement being more of a reflex action.
The research will be presented today at British Psychological Society’s annual conference.
More here.
[tags]exercise, bodybuilding, muscles [/tags]