There are numerous techniques we can employ to lift heavier weight.  Power breathing and irradiation are a couple examples of techniques we can employ to more more weight during the workout.  Rest and proper nutrition are techniques to employ before and after the workout to be stronger.  Maybe your lifting belt or your shoes make you stronger or perhaps a certain song on the radio.

Certainly all those things can enhance your ability to lift more weight and they all should be practiced regularly if they work for you. But there is one thing that contributes more to your ability to lift heavy successfully than anything else you can do.  That one thing is is, your mind.

Cliche I know but it is true without a doubt.  The struggle within is where your strength ultimately comes from.  To be strong you must be strong.

In my almost 30 years strength training, I have experienced many ups and downs in the gym.  I have done some things that I didn’t think possible and walked out of the gym amazed at what I had just done.  I have also experienced the other side of the coin when I have failed to achieve a weight or rep goal, even though I had previously performed the same reps and weight.  After evaluating the workouts, both good and bad, my mental strength was the key to success and the cause of failure.

Just the other day I experienced one of those bad days when I failed to perform a timed set of kettlebell jerks even though I had achieved the same time and weight only a week prior, and did so with relative ease.  The week prior I felt mentally strong and attacked the set with a take no prisoners attitude.  Not completing the set successfully never crossed my mind.  The results were a personal best set.  The same set a week later was approached mentally flat and the results were a failure to complete the time and rep goal that was previously met.

Was I any weaker physically in only a week?  No.  As a result of the PR the week before, I was most likely stronger from the standpoint of my muscles adapting to the increased load.  Could I have been a little more tired or was my nutrition not as good as it was the previous week?  Perhaps, but most likely not enough to cause the failure I experienced.  In evaluating this workout and the one from the prior week, my mental state was what changed.

We hear about mental toughness all the time in all kinds of different sports and real world situations.   The person who is generally the toughest between the ears generally comes out on top, even if physically they aren’t as strong or skilled.  It all comes down to believing it is possible and never allowing negative thoughts to manifest.  It doesn’t matter if I think you can do it or not or anybody else for that matter, all that maters is if you think you can.  If the answer is yes, than you will succeed.

On the other side of the equation, if the answer is no, you will fail.

The point is that you should not neglect the muscle between you ears.  We all do it I know.  We focus on this muscle or that, on perfecting our technique and on tweaking this and that to give us the edge.  But not many of us bother to work on our minds.  And that is why some fail, some our average at best and some dominate the field.

Understand and accept your minds contribution to your strength and then start exercising it regularly.  There is an endless amount of information in existence that will help you strengthen your mind, all you have to do is go out and find what works for you.  And once you do, make training your mind as regular as you make training any other muscle in your body.

Dominate!

Dennis

Dennis
P.S. – I’m proud to say that Catherine Imes is my coach.

Workout #1  3-5  23 minutes

6 Min Jerks @ 2-24kg (6rpm) – 35 reps completed
6 Min Snatch @ 24kg(16rpm) – 48R / 48L – 96 total reps

Notes:
The snatch set wasn’t particularly good today.  Jerks were tough and it seemed to fatigue me for the snatch.

Workout #2  3-6  39minutes

5 Min Jerks @ 2-24kg (7rpm) – 33 reps completed
3 X 4 Min Snatch @ 24kg (15rpm)  – if hands are taking a beating, keep it to 2 sets 30R/30L(set 1) / 30R/30L(set 2)
1 x 40L/40R Swings @ 32kg – completed

Notes:

Hands started to fatigue so I only completed 2 sets of snatches.  Also, I have some torn skin on my left hand so I decided to shut it down before it got worse.

Workout #3 3-8  36minutes

2 Min Jerks @ 2-20kg (9rpm) – 18 reps completed
2 X 2 Min Jerks @ 2-24kg (9rpm) – 18 / 18 reps completed
6 Min Snatch @ 24kg (15rpm) – unable to complete due to cut on my right hand (not lifting related) and torn skin on my left. (from workout 2)
2 X 35L/35R Swings  @ 32kg – completed

Workout #4 – Not able to get workout in due to my schedule this week.

5 Min Jerks @ 2-24kg (7rpm)
6.5 Min Snatch @ 24kg (15rpm)
2 X 35L/35R Swings @ 32kg

Yours in health,

Dennis

5.5 Min Jerks @ 2-24kg (6rpm) – 33 reps completed
6 Min Snatch @ 24kg (15rpm) – 45R / 45L – 90 total reps

Workout #2  2-28 49minutes

3 Min Jerks @ 2-20kg (8rpm) – 24 reps completed
3 Min Jerks @ 2-24kg (8rpm) – 24 repos completed
4 Min Snatch @ 24kg (16rpm) – 32R / 32L – 64 total reps
6 Min SNatch @ 20kg (16rpm) – 48R / 48L – 96 total reps
1 X 45L/45R swings @ 32kg – completed

Workout #3  3-1  34 minutes

4.5 Min Jerks @ 2-24kg (7rpm) – 30 reps completed
6 Min Snatch @ 24kg (15rpm) – 45R /45L – 90 reps completed
2 X 35L/35R Swings  @ 32kg – completed

Workout #4  3-2 40minutes

3 Min Jerks  @ 2-24kg (8rpm) – 22 reps completed
rest 1 min
2 X 1 min jerks @ 2-24kg 8rpm)   rest 1 min between sets – 8 / 8  reps completed
6 Min Snatch @ 24kg (15rpm) – 45R / 45L – 90 total reps
1 X 45l/45R Swings @ 32kg – completed

The second is with the snatch.  I’m still trying to find a consistently comfortable hand position on the right side.  Since I am still experiencing hand and wrist fatigue, I find that I hurry the pace to get through the set.  It is getting better I think though.