Embrace Your Real

What Is the Mind-Muscle Connection (And Why It Changes Everything About How You Train)


Listen Later

Hey hey beautiful human!

There is nothing more frustrating than doing the workout, checking off every set, and still wondering if the right muscles even got the message. You feel tired, you know you worked hard, but your glutes are quiet after glute day, your arms take over on back day, and suddenly the issue is not whether you are consistent. It is whether the effort you are putting in is actually going where you think it is.

What most women do in that moment is assume they need to do more. More weight, more exercises, more intensity. But the missing piece is usually not more effort. It is where that effort is actually going.

Not sure how to tell the difference between a workout that simply made you tired and a workout that actually trained the muscle you wanted to build? In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I'm breaking down what the mind-muscle connection is, why it changes the way your body responds to training, and the simple cues you can use in your next workout to finally feel the muscles you are trying to build.

What's Discussed:

  • Why moving the weight does not always mean you are training the muscle you think you are

  • How your body finds the easiest way through a movement and lets stronger muscles take over

  • Why glute exercises can turn into quad or lower-back work without you realizing it

  • Why going heavier can sometimes make the connection worse, not better

  • How slowing down each rep helps you keep tension where it belongs

  • Why visualization, touch, and simple cues can help your brain find the target muscle

If you loved this episode, you'll also love: 7 Reasons You've Stopped Seeing Results After Years of Training because it builds on this exact problem and helps you understand what else might be keeping your progress stuck even when you are doing the work.

Ready to have every 30-minute session pre-planned, pre-programmed, and built around exactly this structure? Head to movementwithjulie.com and get started inside the Movement With Julie app.

If you want more from me, be sure to check out…

  • Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie

  • Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/

  • Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/

Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Embrace Your RealBy Julie Ledbetter

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

956 ratings


More shows like Embrace Your Real

View all
Muscle Science for Women by Ashleigh VanHouten & Rachel Gregory

Muscle Science for Women

464 Listeners

The Chalene Show | Diet, Fitness & Life Balance by Chalene Johnson

The Chalene Show | Diet, Fitness & Life Balance

7,257 Listeners

Redefining Strength Podcast by Cori Lefkowith

Redefining Strength Podcast

297 Listeners

Biceps After Babies Radio by Amber Brueseke

Biceps After Babies Radio

2,108 Listeners

Mind Over Macros by Mike Millner

Mind Over Macros

1,131 Listeners

Healthy Eating For Smart Women by Kat Rentas

Healthy Eating For Smart Women

152 Listeners

Hot, Healthy, Never Hungry by Lauren Hubert MS, Registered Dietitian | Healthy Eating & Weight Loss Tips

Hot, Healthy, Never Hungry

567 Listeners

EmPowered Radio by Emma Montgomery

EmPowered Radio

816 Listeners

Make Fit Simple by Andrea Allen

Make Fit Simple

1,505 Listeners

The Dr. Shannon Show by Dr. Shannon Ritchey, PT, DPT

The Dr. Shannon Show

1,109 Listeners

LiftingLindsay's More Than Fitness by LiftingLindsay

LiftingLindsay's More Than Fitness

344 Listeners

The Macro Hour by Nikkiey Stott

The Macro Hour

611 Listeners

Well On Her Way with Dani Marenburg by Dani Marenburg | Realistic Wellness Routines & Root Cause Wellness for Busy Women

Well On Her Way with Dani Marenburg

399 Listeners

The Unf*ck Your Fitness Podcast by Kristy Castillo

The Unf*ck Your Fitness Podcast

182 Listeners

Healthy Beyond 40 | Lose Weight, Healthier Habits, Healthy Eating, More Energy, Feel Better, Lose Belly Fat, Weight Loss, Sugar Cravings by Michele Riechman | Online Personal Trainer, Health Coach, Yoga Teacher

Healthy Beyond 40 | Lose Weight, Healthier Habits, Healthy Eating, More Energy, Feel Better, Lose Belly Fat, Weight Loss, Sugar Cravings

114 Listeners