What Muscle Activation Technique Training Can Do for Your Body

Approaching weight training intelligently is about more than working individual muscle groups until your routine gets too easy, so you add more weight.  Proper training demands a systematic approach that creates balance in your musculature.

Balance is the key to all things and weight training is no different.

This post is about what Muscle Activation Technique training can do for your body and why people working out with weights should consider a personal trainer who’s skilled in MAT.

The brain/muscle connection

Like everything else in your body, your muscles are in communication with your brain.  When muscles are weak and out of balance with strength levels in other muscles, your brain tells select muscles to do the heavy lifting required to stabilize joints.

To do that job, muscles tighten up.  This causes further imbalance, as some muscles don’t get the memo. A job structurally intended to be done in collaboration is downloaded to a select muscle group which has gotten the memo.

But personal trainers who’ve been trained in MAT can identify these overworked muscles and help you restore balance.  Muscles which have grown weak are specifically targeted, causing them to function properly and to distribute the work evenly across affected muscles.

The MAT payoff

One of the most compelling benefits of MAT is increased strength.  When the brain/muscle connection is restored to all muscles, they’ll function as intended.  That means muscles which were previously not doing much at all will be enabled to contribute to the whole, creating additional strength.

Because your body is defended from injury via your brain’s mediation, the strongest muscles in your body will be those the brain calls upon to facilitate movement.  When balance is restored, your coordination improves dramatically, as muscles which were once weak are now strong and getting that crucial memo.

Even if you stretch, your efforts may not have resulted in increased range of motion over time.  That’s also attributable to imbalance in muscle strength.  With MAT, flexibility increases and range of motion is substantially enhanced.

Stability is also increased, which reduces your risk of injury, because everything is working as it should be – in concert and not in a disparate, over-burdened way at the expense of stronger muscles.

When muscle strength is out of whack, the door is flung wide open to biomechanical problems.  That leaves you vulnerable to pain setting in.  MAT helps to defend you against this effect by distributing strength throughout your musculature, reducing the threat of pain.

Back & Body Medical

The award-winning pain relief model practiced at our Manhattan facility is now available in New Jersey.  If you’re experiencing pain, you may be suffering from some of the muscle imbalance Muscle Activation Technique addresses.

Our multi-disciplinarian team of pain relief clinicians consists of acupuncturists, chiropractors, sports medicine practitioners and physical therapists.  Working together, we create individualized therapeutic plans, siting care in the patient’s individual needs.

MAT is a revolution in weight training and Back & Body Medical is a revolution in pain relief.  Contact us for more information.

Dr David Perna DC, CCSP, CCEP

Dr. David Perna DC, CCSP, CCEP is the founder and practice overseer at Back and Body Pain Relief in Springfield, NJ. A graduate of Life University Summa Cum Laude, Dr. Perna holds certifications in Active Release Technique (ART), Graston, SFMA, Neuro-Diagnostics (NCV/EMG), and Manipulation Under Anesthesia, among others. He is a Board Certified Sports Physician, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and a United States Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Volunteer.

A competing athlete himself — a 2x Ironman 70.3 finisher with a background in Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, and martial arts – Dr. Perna brings firsthand athletic experience to his patient care.

He has treated presidents, royalty, diplomats, and professional athletes across MMA, baseball, tennis, and football, and has appeared on Dr. Oz demonstrating chiropractic therapies. His approach is diagnostic-first, combining evidence-based chiropractic care with rehabilitation to help patients get out of pain and back to full function.