I do hope I can learn how to do this mind-muscle connection, ie, as ponyboy says, "being able to focus on the muscles you are lifting with and making sure that all of your lifting energy is directed into those muscles only". I think this is very important in order to make the exercises effective, instead of just doing the motions without effectively targeting the main muscles.
In my experience, I have no problem feeling my biceps and quads working, but very difficult to feel my chest and back. I think I can feel them contracting when I use no weight at all (simulating the movements empty handed), but as soon as I use some weight, I can lift the weight but can't seem to feel the muscles doing the lifting. I think I may have used too much of the synergist muscles or something, but can't find a way to shift the energy from those synergists to the main muscles. I've also tried to use my imagination (visualization), but does not seem to work as well, that's why I thought maybe there is some tricks or twist of form or something that I must learn or get used to in order to physically put more stress on the appropriate muscles.
- Josh