What goes through your mind while training?

[BendtheBar]

I do have to psyche myself up for heavy squats. Deadlifts are more mellow for me, but heavy squats I need to tear something in half.

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by dmaipa

Im just curious to see what the rest of you think about while training? especially during those sets where your body is telling you to stop but your mind wants to keep going, or when you are about to attempt a personal record, what goes on in your mind?

Before a PB, deadlift, I normally tense every muscle in the body and then relax it and get to the bar...seems to work.

During training and lifting heavy, with things like the zerchers, the knowledge that if I don't "get the thing back up", I'll be stuck...tends to sort of run through my mind but generally not much thought at all, if any.

[LtL]

During training I make an effort to be happy, jovial and to laugh and joke as much as posisble inbetween sets. When my training partners are lifting, I spot them, give positive reinforcement, commands ("knees out", "tight"). During my assistance work and warm-up sets on the big exercises I am reasonably calm. I'm thinking about the lift, what I'm trying to achieve with it, how I'm performing it and also a little about my goals, for example: as I was doing pull throughs, I was imagining locking out a massive DL on the meet platform. It's only really on my heavy sets on the main exercises that I change. Before I lift as I chalk up, adjust belt and get ready, I am quiet. I'm thinking about the lift, visualising my completing it, positively reinforcing my technique. What I mean by positively reinforcing it is that if I need to think about leg drive on a bench press. I will say in my head: "drive at the bottom" and not "don't forget to drive" or "no hip drive last time, do better". Your conscious mind can only hold one thought, make that positive because if you're thinking about not leaning forward, chances are you'll lean forward.

Lastly as I'm about to set-up for a lift, I will address the bar, take some deep breaths and get angry. I mean really angry. I think about losing, people who annoyed me at work anything until I'm ready to burst. Then I grunt, set-up, get tight and lift. I try to do the same thing EVERY time I set up for a squat, bench or deadlift, I try to do the same thing. This means that when I get to a competition, I can do the same routine and it will help with nerves because it will feel the same.

This might not make sense for which I apologise but I've been writing this whilst working. I'll edit if necessary later.

LtL

[Tannhauser]

If I'm squattting, I concentrate almost exclusively on breathing and body poosture, as both are easy for me to screw up. If I'm deadlifting, I'm worrying about my grip and thinking how heavy the bar feels (even when it's not that heavy).

I spend a lot of time in the gym feeling depressed about the music industry. If music is on anywhere, I can't block it out, and it's always cranked up in the gym. I look around me and other people are oblivious to it, and they can't tell that it's bad and lazy and soulless, or they don't care, and then I feel like I'm a different species and want to go home.

[big_swede]

On a good day i is something like this
1. This is war.
2. Where did that lil cardiobunny with the tight ass go now?
3. CHEST UP! CHEST UP! TIGHT BACK!

[Bodybygamma]

For Squats I just go through the mental check list and then think about nothing. Ideally I am so focused I can't really think. Its just like Auto-Pilot kicks in and the rage takes over me. Once the lift is done thats when I regain consciousness to what actually happened.

I just take a deep breathe of air, make sure everything is tight as possible, so much so my whole body shakes and trembles and just scream a few words if my concentration is breaking:

UP
MINE
ARRGGGGHHHHHHH

[Bodybygamma]

Originally Posted by Bodybygamma

For Squats I just go through the mental check list and then think about nothing. Ideally I am so focused I can't really think. Its just like Auto-Pilot kicks in and the rage takes over me. Once the lift is done thats when I regain consciousness to what actually happened.

I just take a deep breathe of air, make sure everything is tight as possible, so much so my whole body shakes and trembles and just scream a few words if my concentration is breaking:

UP
MINE
ARRGGGGHHHHHHH

I just read the beginning of the 2nd page instead of the 1st lol, but ideally the same thing. I have a goal, I am on a mission, I need to stay focused. I tune everything out, its just me and the bar, or stone or w.e I am crushing and its "5minutes" between me and SFW time.

[Bodybygamma]

Originally Posted by Bodybygamma

I just read the beginning of the 2nd page instead of the 1st lol, but ideally the same thing. I have a goal, I am on a mission, I need to stay focused. I tune everything out, its just me and the bar, or stone or w.e I am crushing and its "5minutes" between me and SFW time.

Oh and focus so steadfast, that I can't even hear the music coming from my noise canceling earbuds and my maxed out volume music setting of sheer Metal blasting through my brain.

[dmaipa]

There are times when I get a full tunnel vision on the task at hand..I try to stay in that state and not worry much about whats going on around me

[HumanHorrorFilm]

I actually focus on the music i picked for the day in my ipod and focus on the guitar, lyrics, etc. I think little about the actual lift itself, just kind of let it happen....maybe not the best strategy, but it work's thus far.

After the gym, as i posted in my log, i think about the session, and i actually get really pissed off about every training session, haha/