Enhancing Movement Through Muscle Activation Techniques

By, Dr. Kyle Feldman PT DPT OCS CSCS FAAOMPT

Have you ever wondered how bodybuilders achieve their impressive physiques? Alongside hard work, consistency, and determination of course. One key secret to their success lies in muscle activation. By targeting specific muscle groups and perfecting their contraction, athletes can improve their overall performance and reduce the risk of injury.

But muscle activation is NOT just for Bodybuilders.

Muscle activation is not just about looking good; it’s also essential for everyday life. Everyone from youth athletes to weekend warriors can benefit from this concept. When you activate your muscles correctly, you can move more efficiently, reduce your risk of injury, and even improve your overall health. In other words, help you to work smarter and not harder.

What is Muscle Activation?

Muscle activation is the process by which your muscle fibers contract and is scientifically measured with electromyography (EMG). This contraction is what allows you to move, lift, and perform everyday tasks. By focusing on muscle activation, you can improve the way your muscles work together, making your movements more efficient and effective.

As a physical therapist, I frequently encounter patients suffering with chronic low back pain. Upon examination, I often identify abnormal movement patterns that exacerbate their discomfort. By guiding these individuals to adopt more natural and efficient movement patterns, I’ve seen rapid and significant reductions in pain. It’s common for patients to develop maladaptive movement habits that inadvertently contribute to their pain, highlighting the importance of addressing these patterns to achieve effective pain management and improved functional movement.

In the photo, the patient is using a guarded bending pattern that over-activates their back extensors, making movement more difficult. Let me explain with an analogy:

Imagine you’re at a gas station. You grab the door handle and pull, but it won’t budge. You pull harder and harder, but still nothing. Frustrated, you step aside as someone approaches. They look at the door, see the “PUSH” sign next to the handle, and gently push it open.

The patient’s movement pattern is like pulling on that door—it’s the wrong approach for the task. By guiding them to shift their movement strategy, like “pushing” instead of “pulling,” they were able to move more smoothly. Specifically, I encouraged them to roll their body forward and imagine doing a sit-up as they bent down. This allowed their muscles to work together rather than against each other, improving their motion effortlessly.

In just 8 minutes, we were able to significantly reduce their pain from 7/10 to 3/10 and they were able to increase their flexibility by 4 inches. By tapping into their muscle activation, we were able to improve their symptoms and reduce their pain.

Similarly, I worked with a retired Navy Seal who was experiencing low back pain and hamstring tightness from a heavy deadlifting injury 12 years prior. With a simple cue to tilt his pelvis, we were able to reduce his pain by 50%. By using his abdominals and posterior chain muscles (glutes, hamstrings, and calves) instead of hyperextending at this back, he was able to perform exercises with muscle soreness instead of pain. This shift in movement pattern allowed him to use his muscles more efficiently, highlighting the importance of moving our bodies in a way that works with, rather than against our natural physiology.

Hyperextended deadlift compared to a more natural deadlift.

When we’re in pain, our instinct is to guard and protect, but this can worsen the issue. Similarly, many of us have been taught rigid movement patterns, like keeping a straight back during lifts, which may not always be helpful. Research, including a 2020 meta-analysis by Saraceni et al., found that spinal flexion during lifts is not a significant risk factor for low back pain. This suggests that perfect form is less critical than improving body awareness and muscle activation.To become more in tune with your body, consider these strategies:

• Mind-Muscle Connection: Focus on the muscle you want to use with an exercise, thinking about the contraction and engagement throughout each exercise to boost neural signals and enhance activation.
• Preparatory Exercises for Warm-Ups: Incorporate specific exercises into your warm-ups that target the muscle groups you’ll be using during your workout.
• Changing Velocity: Changing your speed to change how many motor units are engaged during a movement, increasing the stimulus and effectiveness of your exercise.

In my clinic, I’ve noticed a common trend among patients: weak scapular muscles due to prolonged computer use and weak glutes from excessive sitting, which can even lead to gluteal amnesia or “Dead Butt Syndrome”. The New York Times interviewed Dr. Jane Konidis, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, at the Mayo Clinic in September 2024 explaining this phenomenon where neglecting to engage our muscles can lead to weakness and disconnection. If you do not use it, you lose it. By incorporating isometric exercises into our routine, we can keep our muscles active and our minds connected to them. Whether you’re a busy parent, retired, or an avid weight lifter, muscle activation is a valuable tool for maintaining optimal movement and awareness. By prioritizing muscle activation, we can take proactive steps toward a healthier, more active lifestyle Below are some exercises to improve your “muscle activation”

Exercises to help improve muscle activation by body part are demonstrated below:

Shoulders- Scapular retractions

Pinch your shoulder blades together with a slight depression feeling the tightness between your shoulder blades.

Abdominals- Pelvic tilting

Anterior Pelvic Tilt (picture 1): Rotate your hips backwards, tightening your lower back and relaxing your abdominals (belt buckle to floor).

Posterior Pelvic Tilt (picture 2): Rotate your hips forward tightening your abdominals bringing your belly button to your spine and relaxing your low back (belt buckle to sky).

Hips- Glute isometrics

Engage your glute muscles by contracting them as if you’re squeezing your cheeks together.

Feet- Foot doming

Tighten the arch of your boot by bringing the ball of your foot towards the heel of your foot.

References:

1. Cleveland Clinic. No joke: Your desk job promotes “Dead Butt” syndrome. Cleveland Clinic. June 27, 2024. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/no-joke-your-desk-job-promotes-dead-butt-syndrome.

2. Hodges PW. Pain and motor control: From the laboratory to rehabilitation. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2011 Apr;21(2):220-8.

3. Hodges PW, van Dieën JH, Cholewicki J. Time to Reflect on the Role of Motor Control in Low Back Pain. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2019 Jun;49(6):367-369.

4. Murphy J. Sitting all day can cause dead butt syndrome. The New York Times. September 4, 2024. Accessed September 8, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/well/move/dead-butt-syndrome-gluteal-amnesia.html?smid=url-share.

5. Saraceni N, Kent P, Ng L, Campbell A, Straker L, O’Sullivan P. To Flex or Not to Flex? Is There a Relationship Between Lumbar Spine Flexion During Lifting and Low Back Pain? A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2020 Mar;50(3):121-130.

6. O’Sullivan P, Caneiro JP, O’Keeffe M, O’Sullivan K. Unraveling the Complexity of Low Back Pain. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2016 Nov;46(11):932-937.

7. O2X Human Performance. Human Performance for Tactical Athletes. Fire engineering Books & videos; 2021.

About O2X Strength & Conditioning Specialist Kyle Feldman:

Dr. Kyle Feldman is an O2X Injury Prevention Specialist. He is the National Director of Revision Physical Therapy where he has grown and managed the company to 15+ locations in VA, FL, MD, and NC. His clinical expertise spans athletic performance, spinal conditions, and complex cases involving chronic pain management.

Dr. Feldman earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Shenandoah University in 2014, where he also distinguished himself as an Academic All-American wide receiver for the university’s football team. He continued his professional development through a rigorous residency in orthopedic manual therapy with the Virginia Orthopedic Manual Therapy Institute (VOMPTI) and completed his fellowship in Orthopedic Manual Therapy (FAAOMPT) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, focusing on chronic pain and advanced manual therapy techniques.

As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Feldman has trained physical therapists globally, with teaching stints in Kenya, Ghana, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Haiti. In addition to his clinical work, he holds teaching roles at Shenandoah University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and is a faculty member in the VOMPTI Orthopedic Residency program.

About O2X Human Performance:

O2X Human Performance provides comprehensive, science-backed programs to hundreds of public safety departments, federal agencies, and the military. O2X works with clients to elevate culture, improve mental and physical wellbeing, support healthy lifestyles, and reduce healthcare costs associated with injuries and illnesses. Driven by results and cutting edge research, O2X programs are designed and delivered by a team of Special Operations veterans, high level athletes, and hundreds of leading experts in their respective fields of human performance.