Mantras

Jaypat · #1 August 21st, 2008, 09:47 PM

I was just curious to know if anyone has head of anything like this.

I've been seriously working out for six months now. The routine I?m following suggests that you take a week off from the gym, every eight weeks. So I?m just coming off my week break. I?m on the bench press. My goal is two sets of five to seven reps. I was in the rep range before my break but after I can only do one set of five and then one set of four. I?m seriously bummed. I begin to wonder about the wisdom of taking a week off.

On chest day the next week I go to the gym. I get ready to do the bench press again, but this time I drop the weight by five pounds so I can get my five to seven reps. I fully expect to be able to do seven reps on the first set. I only manage six. I am seriously disappointed with myself.

As I lay there on the bench getting ready to do the second set, I begin to think of some of the stories on this site. For some reason I remember one popular phrase characters often use, so fucking big, so fucking strong. I start my set and I just keep repeating this phrase over and over again in my head. I pounded out nine reps! Afterwards I just sat there on the bench scratching my head and wondering how the hell did that happen? How can I struggle to complete six reps on the first set and then do nine on the second? That shouldn?t be possible.

For the rest of my workout I repeated that phrase, so fucking big, so fucking strong, during all of my lifts. I set new personal records on each one. Go figure.

Now, I?m usually not a fan of the stories where guys find some crazy, whacked out new workout technique and use it to become ridiculously huge ridiculously fast. But if I have a few more workouts like this last one, I might write one myself?and it might not be fiction!

AS2000 · #2 August 22nd, 2008, 12:25 AM

Well, the mental aspect is pretty big. Your mind can defeat you, if you let it. ("I can't do any more", etc.)

On the other hand, your mind can be an asset. Like you, I've had that set where I get ticked off, because I'm not lifting as hard as I have before. I then use the rest between sets to focus. And the next set, I try to push hard, just out of sheer obstinacy. :)

Years ago, I read an article about a related matter. Basically, the people who read on the treadmill or whatever are shortchanging their workout. Focusing on your workout makes it more effective. Distractions make it less so.

If your mantra pushes you to new personal bests, then go for it! :)

(Of course, a huge distinction is to be made between mental fatigue and physical fatigue. "I can't do it any more" because you've pushed your body hard is different from feeling a bit lazy. :) )

Jaypat · #3 August 24th, 2008, 08:49 PM

When I was doing that sixth rep, I was really struggling to complete it. I was definately not being lazy.

The real change was in my mental attitude. I went from, "Gotta move that weight. Gotta move that weight," to "I'm so fucking strong, I can do fucking anything!"

Leg day went really well, too. I'm going to keep it up. If you guys are interested, I'll let you know how it goes.

13 of Spades · #4 September 7th, 2008, 10:55 AM

PLEASE keep us up to date on how your mantra is going!

Which story had that phrase in it?

Oddly enough, I derive inspiration from these stories as well to keep pushing myself.

built4superspd · #5 October 15th, 2008, 10:11 PM

i've broken through some plateaus recently with the help of a mantra:
before a set, as i focus, i repeat to myself
"it's possible, it's do-able, .... it's inevitable !"
and then i simply do as i've just told myself
and Do It.

whatever works to focus your mind
and help you SEE yourself Actually Doing it.
Believe you can bench 315 or whatever you're working on
REALLY Believe it, and you can. More often than not, it's mostly your mind holding you back.
One thing's for sure, if you believe you CAN'T do it, you Won't.

hyooge · #6 October 16th, 2008, 12:05 AM

This isn't really a mantra, but it's strangely helpful.

When I do higher-rep movements (12-20), I'll only count the reps in batches of four. I find that keeping the count low (just 1-2-3-4) gets me further along. No idea why - maybe it's just that the fourth squat seems a lot better than the seventeenth squat!

Ender · #7 October 18th, 2008, 01:54 AM

My take on your "So fucking big... So fucking strong..." mantra is that you used it to focus you mind on the lifts you were doing. A bit like a kiai that is part of the execution of most martial art techniques. Personally I view the vocalization of a kiai is secondary to focus and breathing. And the people that scream, grunt and crash the weights around while they are lifting confuse making excessive noise that distract those around you, with being focused.

A secondary factor is likely to be that "So fucking big... So fucking strong..."invoke" the positive image of successfully executing the lilt as part of the processof focusing on the lift.

Ender

JFSandersTX · #8 May 12th, 2009, 03:55 PM

That's just what I was going to say -- focus is a huge part of success (in my experience, anyway.) I see guys who have their headphones on, who are slopping the weights around -- you can see in their eyes they are in dreamland -- vs. the guys who focus their attention like a laser. The unfocused guys are sometimes big but I can bet they don't see the results they could if they had a mantra, or some other focusing technique.

WhoDunIt · #9 May 13th, 2009, 11:17 PM

JF has a point, probably safer not to follow those guys leads too.

inflated · #10 May 18th, 2009, 06:39 PM

Our gym does not play any music their policy is that nobody will ever agree on what is the best music to work out to, others like myself prefer no music at all. Most of the younger guys are always listening to their i-pods--I need to focus more than that. Its a matter of taste I guess but I am practically in a trance when I am training--its all about being focused on lifting the weight and feeling the pump. Arnold talked about it in pumping iron--good movie by the way.

WhoDunIt · #11 May 18th, 2009, 11:18 PM

I like that policy, sometimes the place I go to plays decent music, but most of the times I try and blank it and most other stuff out when lifting heavy (well, for me anyway) and only pay attention to what the weight is doing.

Jaypat · #12 June 10th, 2009, 05:37 PM

I've tried the mantra on and off over the past almost-year. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. I still frequently run into situations where for some reason I can pound out more reps on the second set than I could on the first. I still don't understand why this happens.

Sometimes when I'm facing a particuarly intimidating weight -- ususally on squats. I have another mantra I use. I say to myself, "I'm full of life and energy and enthusiasm." Usually when I say "enthusiasm," I break out in a giant grin becasue I feel so completely dorky. But it lifts my mood and makes the weight seem a lot less intimidating--it helps me to take things less seriously.

My gym plays music, but I don't listen to it. I like to concentrait on moving the weights. I can't imagine working out with an ipod. I'm far too easily distracted. I'd probably hurt myself.

IronTemplar · #13 June 11th, 2009, 07:47 PM

I've recently tried working out without the iPod. I've been really surprised at the upgrade/intensity of focus. I guess I was worried that I'd get bored, but I found that I was focusing much more deeply on the rep and what my body was telling me. I didn't really have a mantra as such, but I really talked myself up to squeezing out a few more reps. I've been really feeling a good pump afterward.

I'll remember your suggestion about squats. I have legs tomorrow.

WhoDunIt · #14 June 13th, 2009, 10:38 PM

The more that I think about it, I may have to try one when benching since I'm a little weak there..............................

WhoDunIt · #15 June 16th, 2009, 09:20 PM

Gave it a try tonight. just convinced myself that i was only trying to bench 185lbs

Slevin · #16 June 17th, 2009, 02:05 AM

I'm glad it worked for you.

Mind over matter has been a principle for a long time. My personal mantra is "pushing the lactic threshold" -- because it is something I read as goal in boxing training/conditioning. Its a good example for me because it is my mind saying "you shouldn't do this" not you "can't do this."