mental aspect of weightlifting

[coreyb]

I was wondering if anyone could post some links on the mental aspect of weightlifting or even some personal advice. I was doing my squats today at the gym and made a new PR, it was grueling. Then after I finished my 3 sets I decided to up the weight another 5 lbs just to see if I could get a rep out. I not only got the rep but 5 of them! and it was easy as hell for some reason.

I'm starting to think I may be making my workout progress worse by not thinking about the whole thing properly. Maybe I'm psyching myself out on my work sets somehow...because when I did the heavier weight I just had the mindset that I didn't care less if I made the weight or not...could I just be placing too much emphasis on making my weights?

any help is appreciated. thanks.

 

[Guinness5.0]

I'm pretty neurotic, and I definitely find that my head is often the difference between a good workout and a bad one. The only thing I can advise is to listen to music when you lift. Something with energy. I thrive on stuff like System of a Down, Tool, Pantera, and even rap sometimes. I actually have designated points for each song where I start the set. It helps me get mentally 'up' for a big set and eliminates the distractions in the gym.

Example: On weds. I was testing for 12 rep maxes on some lifts and forgot my headphones for the first time in years. It was eery. The music was putrid (boy band/Britney stuff), the conversations were brutal to even hear (the guy next to me in the squat rack, who was skinny, told his buddy he put "3 or 4 inches" on his legs in two months by using a bench to squat -- he was using it to gauge when to go back up, which was still well above parallel ).

Bring your ipod or buy a cheap 256mb player from walmart and I bet your lifts improve.

 

[ErikZ]

Usually, the body can lift more than the mind actually allows.
This is a mental mechanism which tries to protect the body from possible injury, thus making the lifts harder in an attempt to shut down this "threatening" activity.
As Guinness said, try listening to some aggresive music.
Some folks use smelling salts too, but I would not recommend those to a rookie.

 

[coolcolj]

it's a squat thing mostly

squats do that, you can always go harder than you think with squats.
But going harder ins't always a good idea

 

[Kabeetz]

Clearly you haven't been exposed to The Rocky Story, a collection of all the greatest pump up tunes from the Rocky movies, guaranteed to give u the mental edge!!

 

[coreyb]

well I've just been raising my squat 5 lbs a workout now since I've started. Had to reset the weights twice because I stalled for more then 2 workouts...which doesn't make much sense seeing as I've only been running the 3x5 for roughly 2 months.

So I think whenever I get the 45's on the bar I mentally start to doubt myself and make it harder to complete the sets.

 

[coolcolj]

approach the bar with a clear empty head, don't think, just do it, stay relaxed, like going for a walk

that's what I do. No need to psych up etc

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

^^^ Very similar to my approach. Don't think about the weight, don't count it, don't look at it. Oddly enough for me, the 2nd-3rd set feels heavier than the last one, even though there is a significant difference in weight.

 

[mad dipz]

yup. Right as I'm getting set, I stop for a second and clear my head, then I just do it. Once the lift starts feeling heavier throughout the reps I put this "Weight Hate" mentality in my head, and you just kill that shit or else.

 

[coreyb]

hahah, that's the kind of stuff I was looking for! thanks guys.

I'll try that on Monday, hopefully it's as easy as it sounds.

 

[Protobuilder]

How old are you, what's your height/weight, and what's your lifting experience?

I've been thinking of something and wonder if you'll confirm my little theory . . . .

 

[coreyb]

I'm 20. 6 feet tall, 167 lbs. Been lifting on and off for a few years now...no real gains until I started the 3x5. That's about it.

why? what's your "little theory"?

 

[ErikZ]

Today I was slapped royally by my coach AFTER I benched...
He said he slapped me after because he couldn't do it before (for I slid too quickly under the bar).
Man, this psyching up shit is fun and all, but it can become very annoying/painful. It put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.