You want to know the difference between bodybuilder doing a bench press, and a regular trainer doing a bench press? The bodybuilder feels it in the chest muscle (pectorals), and everyone else feels it in the arms and shoulders. To anyone watching, you can’t tell what the bodybuilder does differently; it’s text book form like everything else. But for some reason that bodybuilder will raise from the bench with a pecs ready to burst!
The thing that bodybuilders spend a lot of time doing is flexing! Flexing every muscle from head to toe, back to front. Hitting poses with a smile and making it look easy! Bodybuilders learn how to activate muscle in any position without any weight. We call this the Mind-Muscle connection, and it goes all the way down to strengthening our internal signaling pathways called the Nervous System. Naturally, this level of control allows them to get a maximum contraction in the muscles they target. This maximum contraction increases muscular damage, which leads to greater tissue repair and growth.
So the next time you see a bodybuilder flexing in the mirror, you can be wise to know its not in the sake of arrogance. It’s an art form, and a huge part of building the ultimate physique. If you’re looking to build any level of muscle, feel no shame in getting in front of your bedroom mirror and cranking out pose down session. Feel every muscle out, practice flexing the muscle involved in your upcoming workout, and maybe learn a few mandatory bodybuilding poses while you’re at it. Be the master of your physique and let it give you the results you’re looking for!