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The Mind Muscle Connection

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Mind Muscle ConnectionOne of the most important lessons I've learned from my adviser is the need for a very strong mind muscle connection when training. He has stressed this to me on every single body part. When I first trained with him I had a hard time feeling my hamstrings. Since he wanted me to improve my squat and that involved feeling my hamstrings, I was given homework. I was told to walk a mile and pay attention to my hamstrings during that walk. I was told to do my best to feel the hamstrings as I walked. To my surprise, this worked quite well.

I took advantage of my latest training session to put together a short video about feeling the mind muscle connection.

 

Mind Muscle Connection – Video

[pro-player]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqeNNSLmkIo[/pro-player]

As you can see from the video, the squeeze of the shoulder blades is very important for back training. My adviser tells me that most people don't do that very well. They pump out the repetitions, but don't pay attention to getting a good squeeze in the back. As you can see in the video, taking the time to arch the back properly, pulling with the elbows and squeezing and holding at the bottom of the movement is essential for getting everything from the exercise. Form is very important for the first two sets, but on the third set a little cheating is allowed because the weight gets very heavy.

The next time you get into the gym see if you can make that mind muscle connection with whatever body part you are training that day. Pay attention to how the muscle feels throughout the full range of motion during the exercise. You will find that you are much more sore the next day when you train with these things in mind.

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Definition of Success

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The definition of success isn't as clear cut as people think. To me it depends upon the person giving the definition. It is based upon personal experiences and how one has come through those experiences. I define success in a multitude of ways. To me, success is accomplishing goals (for one), but even more so, success is actually destroying those goals. For instance, if I have a goal to lift 250 lbs. on my bench press, success would be 275 lbs. To me it isn't enough to just accomplish the goal, I want to beat it by a lot. You quite possibly would have a different way of defining success. Of course, there is a dictionary definition of success as well. I am also a strong believer that success knows no limits. The only limits are those we place upon ourselves. Isn't it obvious that if we don't attempt to move ahead, the best we can do is sit where we are, but if we at least make the attempt to move ahead the worst we can do is sit where we are? That's why I approached this topic today. I want you to be inspired to try moving ahead. I want you to think as a successful person would think. I made this video to discusses defining success, but also to inspire you on towards success. This success can be in your training or your life.

[pro-player]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6mCyyF-18A[/pro-player]

I hope you enjoy the message I deliver. Perhaps you can tell how passionate I am about this topic. I believe that success is something everyone can achieve as long as they are focused in the right place. You get out what you put in and to me, that's an indisputable truth. I would love it if you would leave a comment sharing what you believe the definition of success really is.

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Meal Timing Debate

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Eating Multiple Meals Daily

[pro-player]http://youtube.com/watch?v=BSqEsFwfHWU[/pro-player]

Meal timing is back in the spotlight lately. I discuss this topic in today's video about nutrition.

The discussion revolves around the claim in the bodybuilding world that it is better for fat burning and metabolism boosting to eat 5 or 6 small meals a day separated by 3 hours. The idea behind this approach is that the metabolism will be revved up all day long as the body works hard to digest the food being given to it. There are still others who claim that just eating consistently 3 times a day will have the same benefits as eating 5 to 6 small meals each day. Who is right and why?

Rather than get into a huge debate on the topic (something I could do if I so desired), I approach this from the standpoint of who has the most to lose if they are wrong. If we say that the 3 meals a day camp is Option A and the 5 to 6 meals a day camp is Option B, what happens if Option A is wrong? Well, all those who adhere to Option A will not be experiencing maximum fat loss. However, if Option B is wrong, they will still gain the same benefits as those who adhere to Option A. Thus, it appears that Option A has the most to lose in this situation. I'd rather err on the side of caution in this instance.

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Protein Shake for High Carb Days

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[pro-player width='530′ height='253′ type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2lMzZp7mhc[/pro-player]

As you read in a my article entitled Time To Reload, I am utilizing a carb-cycling approach to nutrition at this point. In order to get the proper amount of carbs, I have come up with this great tasting protein shake that is high in carbs. This particular recipe is extremely tasty. The ingredients:

 

2 scoops of Cytosport 100% Whey (Chocolate)

1 banana

2 tablespoons of peanut butter

1/4 cup of apple juice

1 cup of orange juice

 

This makes a shake that is 590 calories with 38 grams of protein, 74 grams of carbohydrates and 20 grams of fat. You can cut down on the ingredients to change the totals depending upon your desired calorie intake.

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