This lifting is definitely a mind thing

[bodyhard]

Last night on my working set of deadlifts, the weight felt like a f'cking ton. In my mind I said f'ck this sh!t feels heavy I am only going to do 3.

I barely got the 3 with bad form and my lower back hurt.

Two guys who have been hinting for me to train with them came over as they were going to do deads as well. They asked to work in with me I said sure, both did their set. When it was my turn, the same weight that I could not get 3 with I did 10, not only did I do 10 but my form was tight.

So on my next set I upped the weight, but the thing is before that I was not planning on moving up on weight since that set felt so damn heavy.

If it wasn't for those guys, my workout would not have been so productive. Just their presence there made me focus 100%.

[T1976]

Last night on my working set of deadlifts, the weight felt like a f'cking ton. In my mind I said f'ck this sh!t feels heavy I am only going to do 3.

I barely got the 3 with bad form and my lower back hurt.

Two guys who have been hinting for me to train with them came over as they were going to do deads as well. They asked to work in with me I said sure, both did their set. When it was my turn, the same weight that I could not get 3 with I did 10, not only did I do 10 but my form was tight.

So on my next set I upped the weight, but the thing is before that I was not planning on moving up on weight since that set felt so damn heavy.

If it wasn't for those guys, my workout would not have been so productive. Just their presence there made me focus 100%.

i love your post...it is so so true...

[freebirdmac]

It'd be nice to turn the brain off once in awhile wouldn't it.

[bigtallox]

Absolutely it is.

The mental thing is huge. At my last strongman competition about an hour before the tire flip/ chain drag medley I went over to look at the tire I was going to be flipping. It was HOT ( it was in Phoenix Arizona in 100F heat ) and I didn't want to waste any energy but I also wanted to feel what the tire felt like, so I "felt it" by kind of flipping it, but it wasn't a good flip *because* I was just wanting to feel the tire. So it ended up being a crappy flip, so it felt heavy. I got it into my mind that it was heavy. I flipped it again.... "yeah it's heavy, really heavy. crap, this is going to suck". I was getting pretty negative about the tire, lol, and for about 30 minutes my mind went wild with all the negative thoughts. But eventually I thought why am I doing this to myself. I've trained hard and can and have flip bigger tires with much less effort. I basically had to snap myself out of the all negativity I had going on in my head.

Here's a video of the medley, 8 flips in about 40 seconds ( the first 15 seconds or so is missing from the video ) and I pulled the chain so fast I tripped....



That happening actually was a great learning experience, i.e. now I know that I *can* snap myself out of the negativity and perform when I need to. The mental aspect is HUGE!

[Brackneyc]

Totally agree John. My wife began working out with me two weeks ago. All lifts have gone up, especially the ones where she provides a spot.

Feelsgood.yes

[socket]

Oh hell ya! Mind over matter FTW...and confidence goes a long way.

[-=FLEX=-]

Could have been a little CNS activation too.

On heavier lifts like deads and squats, I frequently get more reps on subsequent sets of the same weight, or ont he down side of the pyramid.

Sometimes when I do squats, if I don't feel very strong I will do 2 sets at each progression weight; the second set always feels lighter/easier, which means the next weight increase doesn't feel as heavy.

So instead of going 135, 225, 275 etc. I will do 2 sets at 135, 2 at 225, 2 at 275, etc.

Only down side is that burns more energy, but I only do it up to a point.

[tnthudson]

True stuff. I read an article on visualization last week, I used to do that years ago and it reminded me how important it can be.

[ironwill2008]

Where the mind goes, the body follows.

[desslok]

Mind can be crazy. I know on bench for me personally it can easily be 20 pound difference if I'm not in the right state of mind. And I have unknowingly broken PRs dramatically by having other people put incorrect weight on the bar without me knowing what the weight is. If my mind isn't there, and I can't focus, I just walk out and come back the next day, as it isn't worth wasting my time.

Edit: on spread still

[drudixon]

Last night on my working set of deadlifts, the weight felt like a f'cking ton. In my mind I said f'ck this sh!t feels heavy I am only going to do 3.

I barely got the 3 with bad form and my lower back hurt.

Two guys who have been hinting for me to train with them came over as they were going to do deads as well. They asked to work in with me I said sure, both did their set. When it was my turn, the same weight that I could not get 3 with I did 10, not only did I do 10 but my form was tight.

So on my next set I upped the weight, but the thing is before that I was not planning on moving up on weight since that set felt so damn heavy.

If it wasn't for those guys, my workout would not have been so productive. Just their presence there made me focus 100%.

Were they hot or something...?

j/k This is something I definitely feel I miss out on working out at home is the extra push factor, whether it's me having somebody yell at me to do more, or simply I don't want to be a big pussy. Solo I just have to decide to meet or beat whatever it says on my spreadsheet.

[pharmamarketer]

Agreed. As it is in 90% of what we do or not do everyday

[flairon]

Motivation and mental toughness is a big factor in lifting.

[-=FLEX=-]

Where the mind goes, the body follows.

So THAT's why I always end up in the gutter.

[lsmo_guy]

I agree with the poster above ... I wish I could shut my brain off. Especially when I am training!

I cannot tell you how many times I have psyched myself out right before I start a set. It is very aggravating!

What is the old quote ... "bodybuilding/weightlifting is 50% mental, 30% nutrition, and 20% muscle/raw power ... " ?

[Whiskeyjack]

Yup. Happens to me all the time. Witnesses help make it happen.

[BergMuscle]

Great post, John. Inspiration and motivation, and sometimes just being able to turn off the "this sh*t is heavy!" voice in our heads, can allow us to do tremendous things.

[phigg]

I'd have to agree.
Doing rows last week on the first set, I struggled to get 8 where I can usually do 10 or 12. It just felt heavy. Second set, I got this drive from somewhere and banged out 10 almost easily.

However, I've lived counter examples as well..
There have been times when I lifted a weight I thought would feel heavier, and to my surprise, I got many more reps out of it than I expected. Always love that pleasant surprise, but I don't count on it.

I noticed the main thing for me is having a training partner. Lately mine (a coworker) hasn't been around in the evening, and I've spent the last few weeks training alone. The motivation and psyche factor aren't quite the same when you're training solo. Plus you feel safer with a spotter on some exercises.
But I also give some credit to my pre workout sup. I love Jack3d, I really do feel more energy with that stuff.

[Whiskeyjack]

I'd have to agree.
Doing rows last week on the first set, I struggled to get 8 where I can usually do 10 or 12. It just felt heavy. Second set, I got this drive from somewhere and banged out 10 almost easily.

However, I've lived counter examples as well..
There have been times when I lifted a weight I thought would feel heavier, and to my surprise, I got many more reps out of it than I expected. Always love that pleasant surprise, but I don't count on it.

I noticed the main thing for me is having a training partner. Lately mine (a coworker) hasn't been around in the evening, and I've spent the last few weeks training alone. The motivation and psyche factor aren't quite the same when you're training solo. Plus you feel safer with a spotter on some exercises.
But I also give some credit to my pre workout sup. I love Jack3d, I really do feel more energy with that stuff.

I had the 'pleasant surprise' on the last back workout with T-bars coming up easier. They happen more often now that I'm on a 2/2 routine. But you're right; I don't count on them.

It's a funny thing about training partners. I've posted extensively on this subject elsewhere. But when you've got a good one, and he shares the same drive and commitment and honestly wants you to succeed as well as him, I've found I reach unbelievable heights; conversely, when he doesn't show up, it seems a mighty crash.

Then too, if you've got a bad one it can be a relief to train alone.

If you've trained alone for a long time (as did Vasiliy Alexeyev), you can find a high on that, too; I fall into that category now, though I know that if I had a good TP I might do better.

Overall, I much prefer the gym quiet, so I can go about my work quickly and effectively, not wait for gear, etc. When I was younger, I liked the place packed.

[camau71]

I train at home, mostly alone due to where I live and the schedule I keep. Just me and the voice. The voice always trys to convince me to slow down, take it easy, cut back the sets or the weight.

I've found over the years, that there is another voice as well. It's the one that sets the workout and commits to finishing and not wavering from the goals I set for that training. My main job is making sure that the negative voice doesn't win. I do that one session at a time and everytime I complete a particularly difficult workout and don't give in to that voice I become stronger.

As I become older, it becomes ever more important that I win these little battles and keep the voice in it's place. Most people don't and you can see the results in how they do as they get older. Fatter, slower, less energy, less interest in challenges, less able to stand up for themselves, etc.

Fck that.

[tnthudson]

Totally agree John. My wife began working out with me two weeks ago. All lifts have gone up, especially the ones where she provides a spot.

Feelsgood.yes

Craig I'm with you there. I have my wife & son working out with me this summer, and although the workouts are WAY longer, I'm doing more reps. if not more weight, just to match the 10 she gets with her weight, for example. Very cool.

[flairon]

I train at home, mostly alone due to where I live and the schedule I keep. Just me and the voice. The voice always trys to convince me to slow down, take it easy, cut back the sets or the weight.

I've found over the years, that there is another voice as well. It's the one that sets the workout and commits to finishing and not wavering from the goals I set for that training. My main job is making sure that the negative voice doesn't win. I do that one session at a time and everytime I complete a particularly difficult workout and don't give in to that voice I become stronger.

As I become older, it becomes ever more important that I win these little battles and keep the voice in it's place. Most people don't and you can see the results in how they do as they get older. Fatter, slower, less energy, less interest in challenges, less able to stand up for themselves, etc.

Fck that.

I have that voice too. I can usually shut it up by beating it down with a dumbell.

[Brackneyc]

Craig I'm with you there. I have my wife & son working out with me this summer, and although the workouts are WAY longer, I'm doing more reps. if not more weight, just to match the 10 she gets with her weight, for example. Very cool.

LOL. I did forget to add in the extended breaks (overall longer workouts) in between sets. For me this may account for my slight increases in weight used in the past few weeks. I figure the loading and unloading of the bars is just a little "extra" work in my routine.

Aanything which gives me more time per day with her, is good for my workouts, no matter how I slice it.

[camau71]

With this thread in mind, I went down to the basement with the intention of making "the voice" cry uncle and this is what I did:

Giant sets: Seated barbell shoulder press / Dumbell curls / French curls / Stairmaster lvl 14

15 x 115 / 15 x 35's / 15 x 80 / 6 floors
10 x 135 / 10 x 40's / 10 x 100 / 6 floors
7 x 155 / 7 x 50's / 7 x 120 / 7 floors
6 x 155 / 6 x 50's / 6 x 120 / 6 floors
5 x 155 / 5 x 50's / 5 x 120 / 5 floors
4 x 155 / 4 x 50's / 4 x 120 / 4 floors
3 x 155 / 3 x 50's / 3 x 120 / 3 floors
2 x 155 / 2 x 50's / 2 x 120 / 2 floors
1 x 155 / 1 x 50's / 1 x 120 / 1 floor
2 x 155 / 2 x 50's / 2 x 120 / 2 floors
3 x 155 / 3 x 50's / 3 x 120 / 3 floors
4 x 155 / 4 x 50's / 4 x 120 / 4 floors
5 x 155 / 5 x 50's / 5 x 120 / 5 floors
6 x 155 / 6 x 50's / 6 x 120 / 6 floors
7 x 155 / 7 x 50's / 7 x 120 / 7 floors

45:28

Rest during weight changes only, once the weight was fixed, it was pretty much continuous. This is my style of training, but this pretty much rocked my day. The "voice" really started crying on the way back up the ladder.

[carbkilla]

If you can flip your brain like bi-polar, you can get that crazy strength.


CK

[-=FLEX=-]

Giant sets: Seated barbell shoulder press / Dumbell curls / French curls / Stairmaster lvl 14

I dunno what the hell that was or what it's supposed to accomplish, but it looked like a real b1tch, so I repped you.

I very rarely do supersets of anything.

I like to lift heavy and rest as much as I need to between sets. To me it's not a race.

And I don't think I've ever seen anyone superset cardio in with weight training like that.

But anyway....

[camau71]

I dunno what the hell that was or what it's supposed to accomplish, but it looked like a real b1tch, so I repped you.

I very rarely do supersets of anything.

I like to lift heavy and rest as much as I need to between sets. To me it's not a race.

And I don't think I've ever seen anyone superset cardio in with weight training like that.

But anyway....

I was a competetive bodybuilder for 20 years and trained accordingly at the time. I compete in the Scott Firefighter Challenge now, so the training prepares me for the requirements of the contest. They call it the toughest 2 minutes in sport, and I would have to agree. Check it out on youtube if you like. It is a biatch!

[NYkarate]

Deadlifting 1,000lbs is going to feel heavy to anyone, even you.

[J-R-M]

last night on my working set of deadlifts, the weight felt like a f'cking ton. In my mind i said f'ck this sh!t feels heavy i am only going to do 3.

I barely got the 3 with bad form and my lower back hurt.

Two guys who have been hinting for me to train with them came over as they were going to do deads as well. They asked to work in with me i said sure, both did their set. When it was my turn, the same weight that i could not get 3 with i did 10, not only did i do 10 but my form was tight.

So on my next set i upped the weight, but the thing is before that i was not planning on moving up on weight since that set felt so damn heavy.

If it wasn't for those guys, my workout would not have been so productive. Just their presence there made me focus 100%.

true!!!

[flat6nut]

For me alot of the mental comes from not failing. If you have a spotter or people are watching you....even when making a video. Makes you stronger.