Ever been to a gym class in which the trainer told you to really think about the muscle you’re working? You might have thought that you were simply being asked to concentrate in order to avoid falling behind with the moves or putting yourself at risk of injury, but there’s actually a lot more to it. Whether it’s concentrating on squeezing your glutes during a squat or activating your core in a pilates class, our brains can help us to work harder and more effectively using bodyweight alone – fact. But what exactly is going on here? 

Rob Leiby is a PT and founder of Modern Day Warriors Coaching who says that the mind games all start with two types of intention when exercising: internal and external. “Internal focus (also known as mind-muscle connection), involves a controlled thought process wherein we deliberately contract and think about the muscle we are trying to work - e.g. ‘squeeze the bicep!’” The external focus, on the other hand, is all about focusing on moving a weight from A to B, making it to the finish line or trying to complete a rep. He says that if your goal is to build muscle and get stronger, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that the internal focus, or mind-muscle connection, can help you reach it more easily.