Tapping Your Way to Building Muscle

by Mike Haydon on June 3, 2009

Tapping is a method used by many people to help them focus on working the correct muscles. To use it, you will need either a free hand or a partner. I’ll use dumbell bicep curls as the example.

barbell curl

Hold the dumbell in your right hand. As you lift the weight, use your left hand to tap your right bicep gently. Really focus on where you are tapping and contract that muscle as hard as you can. I find this easier to do when I’m using heavier weights. You’ll be surprised at how much stronger a contraction you can get using this method.

You can use this for all of your exercises, but it’s a little difficult to tap when you’re doing your bench, squat, deadlift and row, so get your training partner to tap the right area for you. If you don’t have a training partner, you can still benefit by tapping the area just before you pick up the weight. If you aren’t distracted, you should be able to keep that muscle in your mind’s eye while you stagger under the crushing weight :)

This works by helping you feel the exact fibers that you are trying to activate and helping you focus your muscle contractions on the exact muscle you are trying to exercise. Using heavy weights causes you to build more muscle because it forces a stronger muscle contraction. Tapping used correctly also forces a stronger muscle contraction, leading to the same result. The main thing is not to be distracted by the hot chick or buff guy working out next to you.

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