Do I need to squeeze with weights?

[jay.ice]

Hey guys i was wondering when imlifting weights i do not squeeze/contract whilce im doing the movement. is there a benefit of squeezing the muscle you are working? and why?
Thank You

[thomaskstewart]

Yeah you need to squeeze/pause at the contracted position to get the full work of the muscle...

Think about when you flex in the mirror... and I know you do... haha

You're trying to get your muscles as big as possible.. which is why your lifting weights isn't it?

By squeezing at the peak you're doing 2 things... 1 - you're causing a full contraction which targets the entire muscle & 2 - You're building the CNS (Central Nervous System) connection between your brain and the muscle involved.

The majority of strength comes from how well your brain is connected with your working muscles... build a better connection... get stronger / get strong... lift heavier weight / lift heavier weight... get bigger!

You will get stronger even if your muscle is the same size it was before... this is why powerlifters are smaller than bodybuilders but can lift much more weight... respectively!