Attentional Focus for Maximizing Muscle Development: the Mind-Muscle Connection

Evidence-Based Personal Training

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Attentional Focus for Maximizing Muscle Development: The Mind-Muscle Connection

Brad J. Schoenfeld, PhD, CSCS, FNSCA1 and Bret Contreras, MA, CSCS2 1Department of Health Sciences, Program of Exercise Science, City University of New York, Lehman College, New York, New York; and 2Sport Performance Research Institute, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand

ABSTRACT movements during performance. Alter- outcome measures, lending strong sup- natively, an external focus directs the port for the use of an external focus ATTENTIONAL FOCUS IS A WELL- exerciser’s attention to the environment. when the goal is to boost performance. RECOGNIZED ASPECT OF MOTOR For example, in the squat an internal LEARNING AND ITS USE HAS With respect to resistance training, the focus could be to “squeeze your glutes performance-based superiority of an IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS TO THE as you ascend” whereas an external FITNESS PROFESSIONAL. THIS external focus has been attributed to focus could be to “drive the floor away an enhanced economy of movement ARTICLE WILL DISCUSS HOW from your body.” This article will discuss ATTENTIONAL FOCUS SHOULD BE associated with greater force produc- how attentional focus should be directed tion and reduced muscular activity (5). DIRECTED TO MAXIMIZE MUSCU- to maximize muscular development. However, whereas a more economical LAR DEVELOPMENT. ATTENTIONAL FOCUS RESEARCH movement pattern facilitates better skill acquisition, it may not be optimal for A compelling body of research indi- muscle development. Indeed, when ttentional focus is a well- cates that performance-oriented tasks the goal is to maximize hypertrophy, recognized aspect of motor are optimized by adopting an external Alearning and its use has impor- focus of attention. In a recent review of indirect evidence suggests that an inter- tant implications to the fitness profes- literature encompassing over 50 pub- nal focus may be the best approach. sional. Simply stated, attentional focus lished studies on the topic, Wulf (12) Bodybuilders have long preached the refers to what an individual thinks about found that more than 90% of these importance of developing a “mind- when performing a given movement or studies showed superior improvements muscle connection” when training. This activity. Two primary types of atten- in motor learning when subjects used internally focused strategy involves visu- tional focuses have been identified: an external compared with internal alizing the target muscle and consciously internal and external. With an internal focus. Beneficial effects were seen directing neural drive to the muscle dur- focus, the individual thinks about bodily across a wide variety of activities and ing exercise performance. Theoretically,

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such an approach would increase acti- muscle resulted in higher activation 50% 1 repetition maximum (1RM). vation of the target muscle while dimin- of the latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, However, the magnitude of this effect ishing contribution from secondary biceps brachii, and triceps brachii (5,7– decreased to 13% when the same in- muscle movers. Indeed, research seems 9). Interestingly, evidence seems to structions were provided during per- to support this contention. indicate that the increased activation formance at 80% 1RM. This may be A number of studies have shown does not always coincide with reduc- a function of needing to exert greater greater activation of a given muscle tions in the activity of secondary mus- levels of force when training at heavier when subjects were instructed to adopt cle movers (7,8). loads, thereby altering one’s ability to an internal focus of attention. This has Although it remains unclear as to focus on the muscle being worked. been most prominently displayed in whether increased muscle activation Moreover, in accordance with the size the abdominal musculature. Karst and translates into greater muscle protein principle, fewer motor units will be Willett (3) found that subjects were accretion, emerging research indicates available for the mind to influence with able to significantly alter mean electro- that this may in fact be the case. In a 2- heavy loading when compared with myography (EMG) activity to either part experiment, Wakahara et al. (11) lighter loads. This suggests that adopting an internal attentional focus with the rectus abdominis or obliques by first investigated acute muscle activation very heavy loads (above 85–90% of consciously focusing on the respective in 12 untrained men after a single bout 1RM) is unnecessary because it might muscles during performance of the curl of resistance training for the elbow ex- limit force production without enhanc- up. Before engaging in exercise, sub- tensors through T2-weighted magnetic ing muscle activation, but more jects in this study were instructed on resonance imaging. The exercise proto- research is needed in subjects with how to visualize either the rectus or col consisted of 5 sets of 8 repetitions of varying levels of experience to explore obliques and verbal reinforcement of lying triceps extensions with 90 seconds this hypothesis. these instructions were provided dur- rest between sets. Results showed sig- ing performance. A control condition nificantly greater activation in the prox- PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS involved focusing on the movement imal and mid-portions of the triceps Attentional focus should match the itself without regard to any specific brachii compared with the distal aspect. goal of the task. Competitive sport muscles. These results are consistent Another 12 subjects were then recruited athletes should rely heavily on exter- with research showing increased acti- to perform a 3-day-per-week program nal attentional focus in practice and vation of the transversus abdominis consisting of the same routine used in during games or matches. This in- after instruction to tighten the pelvic part 1 of the study. After 12 weeks of cludes powerlifters, weightlifters, or floor muscles (2). Similarly, Bressel regimented training, increases in muscle strongmen seeking to set a 1RM or et al. (1) demonstrated that mean and cross-sectional area were found to be to maximize force or torque produc- peak EMG amplitude were significantly well-correlated to the areas most acti- tion; basketball players or track & increased in both superficial and deep vated by the exercise regimen. Follow- field athletes seeking to maximize abdominal musculature during the up work by the same laboratory showed jump height or distance; runners or squat when subjects were directed to similar results using different triceps bra- rowers seeking to improve economy; “brace yourself as if you were going to chii exercises (10), which in combina- and dart throwers, golfers, and pool be punched in the stomach.” tion provide evidence for an association players seeking maximum accuracy. between activation levels and muscle Findings of heightened EMG activity Alternatively, when attempting to growth. It should be noted that these from an internal focus have been noted maximize muscle activation, an inter- studies did not attempt to investigate in other muscles as well. Lewis and nal focus of attention would seem to muscle activation in conjunction with Sahrmann (4) showed that young be a better choice. Bodybuilders, phy- altered attentional focus, so it is unclear women were able to achieve greater sique athletes, and others seeking whether results would translate to the mean EMG activity of the gluteus maximal hypertrophy will conceiv- maximus and reduced activation of adoption of an internal focus. Moreover, ably benefit by focusing on the target the hamstrings when cued to contract the results of these studies are specific to muscle during an exercise rather than the gluteal muscles during perfor- the triceps brachii and thus cannot nec- on the outcome or environment. It is mance of the prone hip extension essarily be generalized to other muscles. likely that the molecular signaling for (“Use your gluteal muscles to lift your Interestingly, the effectiveness of using all 3 primary mechanisms of muscular leg while keeping your hamstrings an internal focus is reduced when hypertrophy, namely mechanical ten- muscles relaxed”). Moreover, the tim- training at higher loads. Snyder and sion, metabolic stress, and muscle ing of activation was altered so that Fry (7) found that activation of the pec- damage (6), are increased when the the gluteus maximus was activated sig- torals was amplified by 22% when exerciser focuses their attention inter- nificantly earlier during movement. resistance-trained men were provided nally, which could ultimately result in Likewise, research has shown that with verbal instructions to focus on the greater muscular development for intentionally focusing on the target chest muscles during bench press at a given exercise and load. The effects

2 VOLUME 0 | NUMBER 0 | MONTH 2016 Copyright ª National Strength and Conditioning Association. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. of this strategy seem to be particularly 2. Critchley D. Instructing pelvic floor bench press exercise. J Strength Cond Res beneficial when training with rela- contraction facilitates transversus abdominis 26: 2394–2400, 2012. tively light loads. thickness increase during low-abdominal 8. Snyder BJ and Leech JR. Voluntary increase hollowing. Physiother Res Int 7: 65–75, in latissimus dorsi muscle activity during the Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding: 2002. lat pull-down following expert instruction. The authors report no conflicts of interest 3. Karst GM and Willett GM. Effects of J Strength Cond Res 23: 2204–2209, and no source of funding. specific exercise instructions on abdominal 2009. muscle activity during trunk curl exercises. 9. Vance J, Wulf G, Tollner T, McNevin N, and Brad J. Schoenfeld is an assistant J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 34: 4–12, Mercer J. EMG activity as a function of the professor in the exercise science program 2004. performer’s focus of attention. J Mot Behav at CUNY Lehman College and director 4. Lewis CL and Sahrmann SA. Muscle 36: 450–459, 2004. of their human performance laboratory. activation and movement patterns during 10. Wakahara T, Fukutani A, Kawakami Y, and prone hip extension exercise in women. Yanai T. Nonuniform muscle hypertrophy: Its J Athl Train 44: 238–248, 2009. relation to muscle activation in training session. Bret Contreras is currently pursuing 5. Marchant DC, Greig M, and Scott C. Med Sci Sports Exerc 45: 2158–2165, 2013. his PhD in Sports Science at the Auck- Attentional focusing instructions 11. Wakahara T, Miyamoto N, Sugisaki N, land University of Technology in Auck- influence force production and muscular Murata K, Kanehisa H, Kawakami Y, land, New Zealand. activity during isokinetic elbow flexions. Fukunaga T, and Yanai T. Association J Strength Cond Res 23: 2358–2366, between regional differences in muscle 2009. activation in one session of resistance REFERENCES 6. Schoenfeld BJ. The mechanisms of muscle exercise and in muscle hypertrophy after hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. Eur J Appl Physiol 112: 1. Bressel E, Willardson JM, Thompson B, and resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 24: 1569–1576, 2012. Fontana FE. Effect of instruction, surface stability, and load intensity on trunk muscle 2857–2872, 2010. 12. Wulf G. Attentional focus and motor activity. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 19: e500– 7. Snyder BJ and Fry WR. Effect of verbal learning: A review of 15 years. Int Rev e504, 2009. instruction on muscle activity during the Sport Exerc Psychol 6: 77–104, 2013.

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