The revelation came through a series of thermal scans that mapped muscle activation during various pulling exercises. The images showed something startling: large areas of minimal activation—cold spots—in muscles that should have been fully engaged. These weren't random patterns; they were consistent across hundreds of participants.
Dr. James Morton, lead researcher on the study, explains: "What we're seeing is a fundamental neural disconnect. The brain is sending the signal to engage these muscles, but something is blocking that signal from getting through completely. It's like trying to make a phone call with poor reception—parts of the message just aren't getting through."
The most frustrating part? You can't feel this happening. The same way you can't feel your form breaking down when you're fatigued, this neural disconnect happens without any conscious awareness.