techniques to get mad when lifting?

[bigguns15]

I find that when I'm angry, I lose concentration. Usually, because I'm thinking about what made me angry and not the lift itself. Visualization works great for me, and the more concentrated I am on just the lift, the better it goes. The last full meet I did (I went 9 for 9), I listened to a copy of the "Inches" speech from Any Given Sunday (yeah, I just applied it to powerlifting). That gets me pumped up more than anything else, because in that next 30 seconds, you and the weight are all that matters in the world. It might be a little corny, but that's what works for me. Here is the part of the speech that I always listen to:

"You find out that life is just a game of inches.
So is football.
Because in either game
life or football
the margin for error is so small.
I mean
one half step too late or to early
you don't quite make it.
One half second too slow or too fast
and you don't quite catch it.
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They are in ever break of the game
every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch.
Cause we know
when we add up all those inches
that's going to make the fucking difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.

I'll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know
if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face!"

 

[spatts]

That is awesome!

 

[IronLion]

Any Given Sunday is a great movie, that speach that Al Pacino makes gives me the chills....good stuff

 

[dannywild82]

thats a wicked speech. any more good ones? dont anyone even mention independance day.

the one from ghost comes to mind (explode like a reactor!). not so much a speech but a good sample nontheless.

 

[circusgirl]

hey all . im new to these boards (found them a few days ago and reading them gives me real inspiration) but ive been lifting for 3 years. im 20 and have just started my first cycle of sust / deca - and in no way pretend to be some kind of expert.

ive notices big gains this last month (got myself up to benching 273lbs for 5, 6), a lot of which are due to the gear, but some i think are because ive been getting myself real angry just before i lift, but still lifting with good form.

today i went in and just couldnt get mad enough, still lifted ok, but only gained 1 rep on benching.

what does everyone here do to get REAL mad?

Line up to use the bench behind a trio of it's-all-you upright rowing fratboys. Make you made soon enough!

Then wait for someone to finish their concentration curls in the power rack before your squats.

 

[IronLion]

Re: Re: techniques to get mad when lifting?

Line up to use the bench behind a trio of it's-all-you upright rowing fratboys. Make you made soon enough!

Then wait for someone to finish their concentration curls in the power rack before your squats.

that stuff just makes my want to cry, then go buy my own power rack

 

[JOKER47]

What I do like to do is filter my anger and pain into my lifting, but not actually be angry and fired up while I'm lifting.

That's a good point. There can be a difference between "fired up" and "angry".

I get fired up, but I am not pissed.



Joker

 

[collegiateLifter]

I don't think the key is to get mad, but rather mentally focus on the lift be deep mental stimulation and relaxation. Visualization is the key and eliminating the fear of failing (which terminates the lifters ability to perform at 100 percent)

This technique has worked well for a lot of lifters, but is difficult to achieve.

I think louden was pretty on with this.


I've read back through Science and Practice, and Zatsiorsky cautions against doin lifts that cause emotional stress, saying to use them sparingly. I also read in a John Smith article cautioning against the same thing.

That being said, I now try to approach the weights, not relaxed, because i can't be too relaxed while lifting; but i approach them calm with a small bit of anger/fire to keep me goin.


heres the article by john smith for those who are interested.

Subject: TOPIC 12: INTENSITY
intensity one thing i have noticed over the years is that some lifters need much more emotional arousal to lift top weights than others. i have also noticed that it is the emotional arousal itself, not the lifts, that brings on fatigue, and possibly overtraining. consider this. in lifters who can lift 95-100% weights without getting "psyched up", there is usually the ability to lift these top weights very often, sometimes daily, without undue fatigue. however, with lifters who need considerable emotional arousal to lift these weights, they CANNOT be lifted often, certainly not more than once a week. this obviously leads one to the conclusion that the emotional arousal itself, not the weights lifted, is the mechanism leading to fatigue. before anyone flys off the handle, ill admit that one can overtrain without getting psyched up if they try, and the physical stress of lifting obviously plays a part, i am only saying that the EMOTIONAL arousal plays a bigger part than most would consider. now, i consider it a truism that it is not sensible to let your ability to lift with or without emotional arousal determine your lifting frequency or volume. in other words, psyching yourself out of your mind every time you squat to get your best possible poundage, then simply accepting the fact that you can only squat once every 10 days is not sensible. personally, i limit pssyching up in training. true, i support a businesslike atmosphere, and yell and scream at liftes daily. but i DO NOT let lifters pace for 3 minutes working themselves into a frenzy before a lift. just go up to the bar and lift it is in my opinion the best training strategy. what does this have to do with all of you? well i know that some of you feel unable to train very often. i know that "overtraining", loss of motivation, etc, are subjects discussed somewhat regularly on this board and by lifters everywhere. my suggestion if you have experienced this or are experiencing it, is to not only look at your workouts, but look at your attitudes and arousal during your workouts. try to do 2 or 3 weeks of training where you DO NOT psych yourself up prior to sets. you may find several things. you might find that you just plain feel better out of the gym, not so "drained" and tired as usuall. you might find that you are able to handle more training volume. and finally, you will almost surely find that in time you will increase your ability to lift heavy weithts without psyching yourself up, it is in fact a learned ability. and when this happens, youll find you have the best of both worlds, youll be lifting as heavy as possible, without draining yourself emoutionally. youll feel better, youll lift better and be albe to lift more and more often... and youll find that your mental state in everyday life is just plain better. and finally, PLAN your all out, crazy, psyche up and frothing at the mouth workouts. itll be a pleasant change of pace every couple of weeks! itll be something to look forward to, not just the daily grind.

http://www.anabolicscience.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9183

 

[SofaGeorge]

My thoughts on the topic. (see post #18)



I associate anger with lack of control...when I hit the platform, I'm in charge.

Ditto.

If I do something out of anger... I lost control.

I lift as an exercise in self control.

One person who I respect enormously conquered being a total chicken... to the point she was able to jump out of an airplane parachuting. (It terrifed her to even consider it at one point.) I asked her what she attributed gaining control of her fear to and she said, "My bench press program." She had disicplined herself to lift. She made herself work with heavier weights. She made that heavy one rep max go up with focus, determination, and courage. That was the same control that let her step out of an airplane at 20,000 feet.

 

[bigstve12]

when i hit the gym im in a state of arousal(get your mind outta the gutter), but not anger. does that make sense? I feel alert, focused, blood pumping, but yet still in control. This is my optimal training mindset..i actually have trained myself to reach this, dont always get there but when i do watch out!!