what are some of your mental tips for lifting?

[drewcarroll2]

I think about how making this next lift is going to make me that much stronger than someone else. I also think about how I need to get stronger to protect my family. I feel like if I'm not lifting with all my heart, if anything ever happened and I couldn't protect them I would only have myself to blame.

Somebody posted something a while ago about how they would think about how if they missed a lift something bad would happen to their kids. I kind of do the same thing, except I think of it in a more positive, like, me making the lift allows me to protect them more effectively.

I also think about things that piss me off. Like how much I want to beat the fuck out of a guy that raped someone close to me, and how it will be that much more satisfying when I catch him and I can dead lift 600lbs. I also think of the one other boyfriend my wife had (serious anyway) because I despise him down to my core. I think he is better than me, but he has the 170lb Marky Mark body and I am chasing the 250lb juggernaut body. I guess my wife likes me better anyway right? But fuck that, when I'm in the gym I think about how I want to crush his skull beneath my boot.

[MazdaMatt]

That's a lot of emotional baggage you've gotta lift with that barbell... total opposite of my method. To each their own, I suppose. I'm just not a rage-junky

[LudwigVan]

When I unrack the squat, I do it aggressively. So much so that it bounces a bit on my back and then settles. This makes the weight feel lighter and like I'm about to exert my will on it--rather than OMFG this shit is heavy and will bury me.

For sure, I think the manner in which you unrack and walkout the bar is super-important mentally.

I like to visualize in my mind that I am training in front of an audience that came just to see my impressive feats of strength.

This too. I catch people in the gym looking at me a lot when I'm doing something really heavy, but even if they're not I imagine they are.

I'm usually always pissed off and edgy for about 10-15min after lifting.

Also this. I am on a fucking hair trigger when I'm lifting. I always feel like I'm close to losing my shit on somebody because people in my gym do such stupid obnoxious shit.

[SweatandIron]

I lift with an ice cold, calculating mentality.

[fnet]

This is my technique. Its a very individualized approach. It might not work for anybody else. I work at a small, family-run business. The father passed on and left the business to his idiot sons to run into the ground. They all have an aire of entitlement and they regard the remaining few of us who are not family as serfs. The douchiest one of the bunch insists on sitting as close humanly possible to me. Closer than any two straight men should be allowed. I call him the human bunker buster for his god-given ability to suck all the oxygen from a room. He has several annoying personality tics all magnified by his close proximity to me. He's not a bad guy, per se, he's just a numb-nuts. I don't condone workplace violence, but I fantasize about an elbow-strike to the side of his fat head followed by a barrage of fists. Since I would be of no use to my family behind bars or not drawing a paycheck, I take it out on the iron. I'm not sure if this helps with the lifts as my numbers will bear this out, but its very cathartic.

I think I've said too much.

[misspelledgeoff]

Let the hate flow, fnet. Soon you'll be right-wing conservative.

[fnet]

I'm channeling my inner Jeane Kirkpatrick as I type.

[tbennett]

My approach is the same as MazdaMatt and SweatandIron - cold, quiet, matter of fact, get in and get it done. My semi-joking inspiration is the Terminator (not Ah-nuld, but the killing machine character itself) - if the T-800 had to squat, I imagine it would not yell at the weights, it would not stomp and rage, it would simply get under them and move them, then proceed to destroy some fool :-P

[Carnivroar]

"Taking it out" on the weights has never worked for me. I tend to look at the weights as my "friend"... sadly it really is my best friend lol.

[Bloodninja666]

I find that sacrificing a goat prior to my heavy squatting sessions puts me in the right frame of mind.