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Overcoming the Mental Barrier

Nonerz

Nonerz

New member
Last time I attempted a 235 DL, I got stuck…didn’t move…twice. Then I lowered the weight to 225 and missed again. Talk about a huge mental barrier—I was so unsure of myself…that bar owned me that night. My previous PR was 235, so I expected to hit that…and then when I missed the 225, I was really disappointed in myself, feeling pretty shitty in general.

But last night I hit 235. :) It came up pretty easy so I decided to get brave and go for 240. I stopped to visualize a little…I saw myself spreading the floor and locking out. Being a typical chick, I wanted to jump up and down and do a little cheer…but I didn’t! since I was training solo, I just gave myself a mental high five and said, “Yaaaay” out loud! I probably could’ve bumped it up at least once more, but I think I mentally blocked it out…just focusing on that one pull.

I’m content for today…tomorrow is another story!

**********************************************

How do you guys overcome your mental barriers? I am SUCH a mental lifter...I have to get myself set up just the way I like it before I attempt a lift (I think it is from all those years playing softball...baseball/softball players tend to be extremely superstitious). Do you have any routines you do?
 
i'm a big visualizer as well
if you can't see it in your mind, it won't happen
take that deep breath and picture it all
I veryoften listen to music while visualizing, for me its tupac
after that, i feel i can do just about anything
 
Good job on the PR. I've concluded the same thing. I was worried about going heavy on the stiff legged deads because of reading about a number of pro's tearing hamstrings going heavy, with like 400+ ibs, so I was afraid to try more than 275 and felt like I pulled a hamstring a couple of times even with this, until talking to Exodus about it, and now I'm handling 425, without the slightest sign of an injury. I've conculded that most of the time its a mental block that prevents us from handling truely impressive poundages. Especially on lower body work. We underestimate what our legs are truely capable of doing. Anyway Karma for the PR. A woman deadlifting 240 is not to shabby. What do you weigh?
 
When I'm in the gym, "It starts upstair" keeps going through my head. I just keep my eyes on the prize and try to smooth the bumps in the road between me and my goals.
 
never attempt to lift the weight. just lift it

when you have free time, visualize your self lifting weight much heavier then 235. think about lifting 275. see in your mind what your form has to look like to make 275 a perfect lift. see yourself doing it perfectly over and over in your mind. next time you'll own 235
 
I let the hate tank ride. I feed off of all negative energy and turn it into a postive hate-filled machine. I do not fail.

visualizing is the most common form to athletes which I assume you are.

Do you work well off positive or negative energy nonerz?
 
Nice job Nonerz- awesome lift!

PolishHammer1977 said:
I let the hate tank ride. I feed off of all negative energy and turn it into a postive hate-filled machine. I do not fail.
Click to expand...

I used to do this a lot when I was younger, think about the guy trying to take my starting job.... the punk kid that eyeballed me while I was warming up.... hell, anyone I could be pissed at....
I used to be a real freak when I was playing ball, It works pretty damn well, I have to agree, but I am starting to find I have a hard time finding something to be pissed about nowadays.... (maybe my test levels are getting lower as I get into the upper 20's)

Either way, I use more a developed state of blankness now, no thoughts, no emotions, peaceful, tranquil, nothing, like a machine in the off position... I do a couple visualizations and then hit the blank button... and then explode into whatever it is... it works well... I used to use this technique when I threw in track cause if I got to whacked out emotionally, my technique would go to shit....
 
One time this a$$hole at work got promoted over me and I was pissed. That night I squatted some big weights with some yells between reps. It really got the angst out.

great job nonerz
 
Becoming, agreed. I don't get angry before a heavy lift. I find a calm, deep, meditative state, with slow deep breathing yields the best results and allows me to handle heavier weights than pumping myself up and getting angry.
 
Devestation must have been reading the other thread-
Yoda- "Do or not do, there is no try...."
 
I use a lot of visualization. I try to only see the bar and not the weights on it. I just put the blinders on and go for it. Also I know if i ask someone for a spot and say I am going to try for five i might not get it, but when I say "can you spot me I'm going to do five" I end up getting all the reps. It all starts with the mind and your attitude

Congrats on the lift keep gaining.

Cheers,
Scotsman
 
Devastation said:
never attempt to lift the weight. just lift it
Click to expand...

That's excellent.:)

My best and easiest PR's have always came when I was not "attempting" a PR, but rather the PR just happened to be the next weight I was lifting in my routine that day.


Joker
 
Rojas- nice avtrillino...
Joker has the correct Yoda quote in his sig...
BBF- I like the calm method now... though I don't know that I could say either is better, just different...
Scots- yep, definitley helps to set that bar as high as possible, funny cause you will do what you say you will do, not more. I have found that same effect.
 
thanks for all the replies guys...

BBF--what do I weigh?! Ugh! I am 5'5" and hang out at 145 most of the time. Depending on the week (if you know what I mean) I can be 143-148!

Devastation--um, I did own 235...and 240! But thanks for painting the picture of me DL'ing 275...that was nice!

PolishHammer1977--Yes, I consider myself an athlete...played sports since I can remember. Positive or negative energy...hmmm? I don't take compliments well, even when lifting. Instead of hearing, "good job," I'd rather be yelled at and told, "come on, keep going, don't stop!"--that kind of thing. My dad would tell me to have the attitude of "Controlled Mayhem." Out of control is usually never a good thing. On the other hand, I don't want you to demean me either! Just push me so I'm angry enough to lift that damn bar! :D
 
Sounds to me like you can harness negative energy into positive. Find that place in your mind or a past experience and use it for fuel.

All atheltes have that inner passion and fire that burns well beyond their own athletic careers and enables them to ensure personal life success.

I see you there.
 
awesome job nonerz!!! you're providing me with motivation and inspiration! keep posting up the PRs!!
 
Nonerz said:
Instead of hearing, "good job," I'd rather be yelled at and told, "come on, keep going, don't stop!"--that kind of thing. My dad would tell me to have the attitude of "Controlled Mayhem."
Click to expand...

I used to love when coaches talked some $hit and got me pissed off... some big a$$ hits always came immediately after...
 
Becoming said:

Either way, I use more a developed state of blankness now, no thoughts, no emotions, peaceful, tranquil, nothing, like a machine in the off position... I do a couple visualizations and then hit the blank button... and then explode into whatever it is... it works well...
Click to expand...

thats exactly what i do. no emotion, just focus and movement.
 
am i the only one who uses music while working out?
i listen to a lot of tupac during my workout
i get that "me against the world" flame going
i don't acknolegde others, try to get to were all i see is me and the weights

i used this for football and track too, get my mind into "I'm the only one who is going to do this"
 
I remember when I was young, the most I ever bench pressed was 235 lbs. Then i took 3 months off of training for competition. When competition season was over, I was stronger than ever, mentally that is. My measurements as far as muscle mass and body fat were all the same. However, when I got back to the bench press I went for 250 lbs, and that was easy, then 270 and that was laughable i reppred it like 4 times. then 315, then 330. It was great, everyone who was there was watching me do a pyramid and setting so many personal records in one day. Anyhow, yes, Never underestimeate the power of human physical capability. Humans have done all sorts of feats, and there are women who have lifted cars before to save their offspring (factual analsyis revealed in Hulk pilot starring Lou Ferrigno). The trick is that we get scared of weights that are large in our subconscious and once you overcome that you will find yourself never plateuing, but growing to exceed your potential and raise the bar again.

Hope that helps all of you.
 
visualization

i envision the bar being lifted and i envision other stuff..stuff that i probably shouldn't post..stuff that gets me very angry. but angry isn't quite the word, it's inhuman. adrenaline flows, and i get tunnel vision. the bar always flies up

i save this for meets only to preserve it's effectiveness
 
I keep a few good angry rap songs on my MP3 player for when I need a really good push... I just look at the bar and imagine it weighing nothing. Works for me...
 
I use a lot of positive visualization when I lift. I run through my own set of cues that I have for each lift. I visualize me getting the lift with perfect form. I also like to listen to music, something heavy and loud.
 
jeremys said:
and i envision other stuff..stuff that i probably shouldn't post..stuff that gets me very angry.
Click to expand...
I also used to practice thoughts like that when I was younger and maybe during my first three years into training. Real angry and violent thoughts, like street punks mugging my mother, or someone holding a gun to my head and screaming at me if I don`t do two more reps, BANG !!! or some low life raping my girlfriend. It was very powerful mentally when you can actually believe/react and feed off of sick thoughts like that. That was then......Now (17 years later) it more like Bodybyfin said....a more calm, meditative and can do/will do mental state. About the only somewhat aggressive thoughts I do now is sometimes immediately before a very heavy lift, I visualize a speedometer in my mind and I start at 0 mph and visualize it going up n up n up until its redlined, then I lift. The speedometer is me, its my mental, physical and emotional energy redlining and going to the max.
I know it may sound a lil sound bizarre......but whatever works :)
 
Last edited:
Slam a beer or shot - burp- feel the quick beer confidence and attack. Haven't tried it but know of one superheavy that did.
 
im one of those lifters that has to work like from the movie Bull Durham. "Dont think Meat, JUST throw."

now i have a certain check list that i call out in my head before i began, and i only try to visualize that it will be heavy, it will be hard, but i can do it.

i focus on form and all that during speed days and such. so when it comes time to lift heavy, i just kinda do it, and if somethings off, i will figure out what it is during that workout.

X
 
Nonerz said:
I'd rather be yelled at and told, "come on, keep going, don't stop!"
Click to expand...

Nice. I think My Johnson (tm) just grew another inch from hearing that. For a grand total of...

Nevermind, you guys won't be able to comprehend the figure until you reach at least Calculus III.
 
onerepmaximum said:
I also saw something B Fold either said or quoted, it was some to the effect "Winning doesn't start on contest day, it starts right now!" That's good shit to get me pumped up too.
Click to expand...

:)

Didn't realize that I had posted that...but I say it all the time. If I have a contest in February...I start telling myself that now. Contest prep doesn't start in January, it starts now. Winning starts today...not on contest day.

On another note...

Heavy deadlifts scare the heck out of me. It always takes me a minute or to just to bend down to the bar and make sure that I am mentally ready for the lift. The day I took 800 for a ride on the squat...I wasn't all that intimidated though. Maybe it was seeing one of my best friends just make it, maybe it was the 10 guys yelling at me, or maybe it was that I had taken a few too many hits off the nose torques and couldn't see straight anyway...

B True
 
Also, I know slobberknocker identifies with my plight. We've discussed the situation once before.

So, slobber...how's life in the mile-wide club?
 
Dave949 said:
I visualize a speedometer in my mind and I start at 0 mph and visualize it going up n up n up until its redlined, then I lift. The speedometer is me, its my mental, physical and emotional energy redlining and going to the max.
I know it may sound a lil sound bizarre......but whatever works :)
Click to expand...

Actually, I love that idea! Pop the clutch on it!
I'm the real quiet guy. a couple of deep breaths, some visualization, and a prayer for strength.

at the gym this morning, I was doing OHP to michael bolton, and an Aaron Neville/Linda Ronstadt duet. didn't matter...still had good lifts

Good thread, guys & gals!
 
Debaser said:


Nice. I think My Johnson (tm) just grew another inch from hearing that. For a grand total of...

Nevermind, you guys won't be able to comprehend the figure until you reach at least Calculus III.
Click to expand...
:lmao:
 
Debaser said:


Nice. I think My Johnson (tm) just grew another inch from hearing that. For a grand total of...

Nevermind, you guys won't be able to comprehend the figure until you reach at least Calculus III.
Click to expand...

dont they work with imaginary numbers in calculus?

:p
 
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