Summary: During childhood, muscle groups throughout the body connect to each other. The number, strength, and  pattern of connections determine a person's maximum potential physical skill level.

Here are 2 ways to experience connected muscles:

1. Straighten the fingers in one hand while keeping the hand and fingers relaxed. Then try to bend your little finger into your palm while keeping the other fingers straight. Most people will notice, in at least one hand, that they cannot keep their ring finger straight while bending the adjacent little finger. That's because the muscles that flex the little finger are linked to muscles that flex the ring finger.

2. Place your hand on a table with fingers extended. Repeatedly tap your palm on the table while keeping your arm and shoulder completely relaxed. Most people will notice that the faster and/or more forcefully they tap, the more their upper arm and shoulder muscles tense up. That's because the muscles that control the wrist are linked to muscles in the upper arm and shoulder.

Connected muscles

• Muscles connect during childhood when children get attention from their parents for doing physical activities like crawling, walking, or simply holding hands.

• Connected muscles typically contract less vigorously than muscles needed for a particular task.

• The stronger the connection between opposing muscles at a joint, the slower that joint can flex and extend repeatedly.

• Highly skilled individuals have fewer and more weakly connected muscles interfering with the task at hand, allowing for more speed and precision. Conversely, lower skilled individuals have more and more strongly connected muscles interfering with the task at hand.

• Neither practice nor effort can disconnect muscles that are connected during childhood.

• The change process disconnects connected muscles.