MUSCLES ACTIVATE
Are you finding yourself going through the motions during your workouts? So many people go to the gym or a group class, and by looking at them they seem to be performing the exercises perfectly. But are they actually engaging the proper muscle groups? If you’re finding yourself going through the motions during your workouts, you’re not alone.
When you are performing any type of exercise, it is important to know which muscles should be engaged in order for the exercise to be effective. If you are unsure, take a moment to look up the muscle group(s) that should be activated, or simply think about which muscles you should feel working as you perform the exercise. By contracting the proper muscle group in each movement, you will get way better results!
When we are able to activate the proper muscle groups during each exercise is when we will see our strength improve. You will not be working at your full potential if your muscles aren’t connecting to your brain properly. There are a few things that you can do in order to make sure that you are activating the right muscles during your workouts.
First, it is important to focus on quality over quantity. This means that you should be doing fewer repetitions with better form rather than more repetitions with poor form. Additionally, you can use resistance bands or weights in order to help target specific muscle groups. Finally, make sure to warm up before your workout so that your muscles are loose and ready to go.
Wake your muscles up before performing your “big lifts.” Before any multi joint movement we should be making sure that all the muscles involved are warmed-up and ready to go. If we are getting ready to deadlift, we should make sure our glutes, hamstrings and lats are all active. We can do this by simply performing a few isolated exercises like a bridge (glutes), Swiss ball hamstring curl (hamstrings) and supermans with scapula retractions (lats). These isolated exercises will get your body to be more powerful and efficient during your workout.
When we properly activate our muscles through exercise, we reduce the risk of injury. By activating the muscles, we increase blood flow to the area and improve our range of motion. This allows us to encourage the targeted muscles effectively and not compensate with other muscles.
If you are having a tough time identifying the proper muscle groups, look up some simple isolated exercises that will allow for you to improve your brain-body connection. Once you are able to contract and feel the muscle working, then move onto bigger movements during your workout routine.
So whether you are new to working out, or have been doing it for years, ask yourself “where am I supposed to be feeling this?”
By Brett Kirkland
FAQ
We certainly do! You can either purchase programs or book personal training sessions and be given your workout at the end of the session.