How To Build More Strength By Establishing "Neurological Trust"

Have you ever wondered why your pull-ups suddenly fail even though your back muscles feel fine? Or why you can lift one leg high to the side but can’t do a full split? The answer lies in a fundamental principle that governs your movement: Neurological Trust.Hey there. It’s me, Kore. And you’re listening to Exercising Self-Control: From Fitness To Flourishing.A Strong Foundation = A Strong PerformanceWhen you do pull-ups your grip strength often determines your overall performance. Not because your lats aren’t strong enough, necessarily, but because your brain operates on a simple safety protocol. If your grip is weak, your nervous system doesn’t trust that you can maintain good contact with the pull-up bar. This neurological override actually reduces the strength signals sent to your pulling muscles, limiting your performance before your prime movers even fatigue.Studies in motor control and biomechanics have demonstrated this phenomenon across multiple movement patterns. When your brain perceives instability or weakness at any point in the kinetic chain, it inhibits force production as a protective mechanism. This neurological inhibition affects everything from strength to flexibility to coordination.The Grip-Strength Connection: Building TrustThe solution starts with building that “neurological trust” through foundational strength. For pull-ups, this means developing your grip endurance. For example, you could build up to a 45 to 60 second dead hang with a few sets at the end of your resistance workouts.It makes sense, doesn’t it? If someone is able to do a set of 10 to 15 pull ups they’ll be hanging on the bar between 30 to 45 seconds depending on the speed of their reps. If they can’t hang that long they obviously won’t be able to complete their set. That’s why many people use lifting straps. I believe it’s better to improve your grip strength so you can access your pulling strength at any time, no lifting straps needed.Me, mid-pull-up, when I was coaching regularly at an obstacle course racing gym (circa 2020). My grip strength was at an all-time high during this time.This same principle applies to rowing movements, bent-over rows, and single-arm dumbbell rows, for example. When your grip is solid your brain directs a fuller neural drive to the prime movers.Beyond Grip: The Flexibility RevolutionThis neurological override doesn’t just affect pulling movements, it also changes how we understand flexibility. Current research suggests that what we perceive as “tight muscles” is often neurological inhibition, not tissue limitation.Consider the side split. Stand and lift one leg to the side as high as possible. Note that angle. Now attempt a seated side split. Despite having the same hip joints, you likely can’t achieve that same angle on both sides at the same time. Physiologically, there’s no tissue connecting your adductors from one leg to the other. Your brain is the limiting factor.Passive, or what’s also called relaxed, stretching doesn’t address this neurological issue. Instead you need to train the stretch under load (i.e. moving into a stretch while using resistance) or with a method called “contract-relax” or PNF (i.e. proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching.If you’d like to try the “contract-relax” method:* Move into your stretch position* Contract the stretched muscle for 5 seconds* Relax and then move slightly deeper* Repeat 3-5 timesThis teaches your nervous system to trust new ranges of motion by demonstrating strength throughout the movement.The Balance Factor: Stability Unlocks StrengthThe neurological trust principle becomes most obvious with balance challenges. When you’re unstable (e.g. when performing a single-leg Romanian deadlift) your brain prioritizes balance over power. Every micro-adjustment to maintain stability diverts neural resources from your prime movers to your stabilizing muscles.If you do the same exercise with just a slight hand support, you can immediately handle more weight or perform more repetitions. The stability allows your nervous system to dedicate a fuller effort to the intended movement pattern.This is why squatting on unstable surfaces, like a Bosu ball, is counterproductive for building leg strength. You’re not training your quadriceps and glutes from a solid base. Instead, you’re training your balance reflexes while your brain inhibits force production for safety.Determine Your Strength Training ScenarioSo, before blaming weak muscles during any resistance exercise you may be doing, ask yourself:* Is my foundation solid?* Am I fighting for balance?* Do I have strength through the full range of motion?Do your best to move through a full range of motion when resistance training. This has you naturally moving into a stretched position under load which trains your neurology to trust your strength at those ranges.The LessonYour brain will inhibit strength, movement, and flexibility when it...