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Post by Tony Atkins on Jul 23, 2011 15:31:27 GMT -5
When you grab the bar and get ready to attempt a big lift in the squat, bench, or dead lift, what are you thinking about to get psyched up? Are you thinking about the same mental focus in all three lifts, if not, what are you thinking about for each lift? I am curious to hear what ya got to say.
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Post by The Big Red Machine on Jul 25, 2011 9:04:38 GMT -5
Honestly, when I'm about to take an max effort attempt, especially on squat, I always think about all the pain and heartache that I had to go through to overcome my first major knee surgery on my ACL that I had a few years ago. Once you have something you love taken away from you, it just means that much more to you when you are able to get it back and you wont let anything, especially a freakin' barbell which you are about to destroy take that away from you again. And no offense to anyone, but if you have never had any kind of major surgery then you will never understand rigors that one has to go through to make it back from something like that unless you have been through it. And with my most recent knee surgery on my Patella Tendon I guess you could say that the fire burns hotter in me more than ever now to get back on that platform and accomplish my goals. I see life as one big challenge, it's always throwing you curve balls and trying to knock you down but you ALWAYS have to get back up and meet that challenge head on and overcome it no matter what it takes. NEVER SETTLE!
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Post by Tony Atkins on Jul 26, 2011 1:41:59 GMT -5
Honestly, when I'm about to take an max effort attempt, especially on squat, I always think about all the pain and heartache that I had to go through to overcome my first major knee surgery on my ACL that I had a few years ago. Once you have something you love taken away from you, it just means that much more to you when you are able to get it back and you wont let anything, especially a freakin' barbell which you are about to destroy take that away from you again. And no offense to anyone, but if you have never had any kind of major surgery then you will never understand rigors that one has to go through to make it back from something like that unless you have been through it. And with my most recent knee surgery on my Patella Tendon I guess you could say that the fire burns hotter in me more than ever now to get back on that platform and accomplish my goals. I see life as one big challenge, it's always throwing you curve balls and trying to knock you down but you ALWAYS have to get back up and meet that challenge head on and overcome it no matter what it takes. NEVER SETTLE! I like that Scott! NEVER SETTLE! |
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Post by Brian Hill on Jul 26, 2011 13:52:07 GMT -5
Very cool question, Tony!
Scott's response is a hard act to follow too. Haha
But anyway... For me the most important thing is visualization. My mental focus has to be on following the same steps and the same "ritual" every single lift. From the way I setup to the way I unrack the weight to way I descend, etc... On all three lifts. I just see myself in my mind doing it with perfection and making it look effortless, over and over again. So by the time I get to the bar, it shouldnt be new to me because I've done it several times in my "dreams." For anyone who trains with me knows, when I miss a "big" lift its normally because I got too excited and lost my focus and forgot to visualize and focus on my technique and execution of the lift because im so "hyped" up about the weight.
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Post by Brian Hill on Jul 26, 2011 13:56:32 GMT -5
What about you Tony. Im sure everyone wants to know what was going on inside the mind that grinded out so many slow ass Bench attempts that looked like they would never touch and then when they finally did touch they took even longer to lockout! What's going through your mind that keeps you going and straining for well over 5 seconds???
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Post by The Big Red Machine on Jul 26, 2011 17:25:19 GMT -5
Very cool question, Tony! Scott's response is a hard act to follow too. Haha But anyway... For me the most important thing is visualization. My mental focus has to be on following the same steps and the same "ritual" every single lift. From the way I setup to the way I unrack the weight to way I descend, etc... On all three lifts. I just see myself in my mind doing it with perfection and making it look effortless, over and over again. So by the time I get to the bar, it shouldnt be new to me because I've done it several times in my "dreams." For anyone who trains with me knows, when I miss a "big" lift its normally because I got too excited and lost my focus and forgot to visualize and focus on my technique and execution of the lift because im so "hyped" up about the weight. Yeah I guess I got alittle too emotional and alittle off-topic in my response there Brian. But to add on what you said about visualizing before you lift I don't necessarily always do that but I do always go through my mental cues like for example on the bench press: Reminding myself to pinch my shoulder blades together, pull the bar apart, squeeze the shit out the bar, use my legs to drive my upper back into the bench and get as tight as possible, pull not push the bar out of the rack and just things like that. And it's the same with the other two lifts as well. |
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Post by Tony Atkins on Jul 27, 2011 1:27:56 GMT -5
Very cool question, Tony! Scott's response is a hard act to follow too. Haha But anyway... For me the most important thing is visualization. My mental focus has to be on following the same steps and the same "ritual" every single lift. From the way I setup to the way I unrack the weight to way I descend, etc... On all three lifts. I just see myself in my mind doing it with perfection and making it look effortless, over and over again. So by the time I get to the bar, it shouldnt be new to me because I've done it several times in my "dreams." For anyone who trains with me knows, when I miss a "big" lift its normally because I got too excited and lost my focus and forgot to visualize and focus on my technique and execution of the lift because im so "hyped" up about the weight. Brian, I have to that is a very good answer. I know you are gonna think I am being funny, because all of you know me. Haha! But, on the real, I am very impressed how you have gotten to the point to where you know the reasons for your misses on lifts. You are right. In the past you have missed a lot of lifts due to being over hyped I would say. Because, I know without a shout of a doubt that you had the strength and drive to get them, it was just being to hyped or like you said, not visualizing yourself smoking the lift. Don't get me wrong, getting hype does work. I guess it just depends on who uses it and how. From the looks of it, I think you have everything clicking. |
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Post by Tony Atkins on Jul 27, 2011 4:17:56 GMT -5
What about you Tony. Im sure everyone wants to know what was going on inside the mind that grinded out so many slow ass Bench attempts that looked like they would never touch and then when they finally did touch they took even longer to lockout! What's going through your mind that keeps you going and straining for well over 5 seconds??? Haha! I hear ya Brian! Those 5 seconds felt more like 10 or 15 seconds at times....Lol! Watching my benches was like watching a mini movie...Might as well get you some popcorn and soda. METAL FOCUS/PREPARATION by: Tony AtkinsWell for me I have two kinds of metal preparation: Training and Competition. Training mental preparation is pretty simple for me. I usually concentrate on visualizing myself doing the perfect lift by telling myself to do what needs to be done during the lift that I am performing at that time. The usually things like sitting back, knees out, big arch, head up, drive with my legs, tuck elbows, rise to the bar, and the list goes on. I guess you could say that my confidence increases once squats were complete, and we were moving into the bench, because I have always loved bench, until now! Yeah, go figure(Fucking shoulder)! Haha! What I am gonna talk about is the competition metal preparation. This metal preparation was pretty much the same process on all three lifts(squat, bench, deadlift) for me. I very rarely tap into this kind of metal preparation during training. It's just too emotional for me. I just don't think my mind and heart could take this four days a week for 12 - 16 weeks, then again on competition day. Don't misunderstand me when I say too emotional, and no I don't mean like fucking crying, just in case anyone was wondering! Well for the metal preparation I have two parts like most lifters, THE HYPE PROCESS, and THE VISUALIZATION PROCESS. THE HYPE PROCESS This process is what gets me ready to attempt my attempts in a competition. Rule of thumb: Never under estimate a lifter because he is quiet during his HYPE process. You are probably gonna think I have some serious issues after hearing my HYPE process, but then again don't all Powerlifters? My HYPE process has pretty much been the same for me every since I was working my way up through the ranks to the TOP 10. I have a handful of human beings that I absolutely HATE, and will until my last day on this earth. No I am not gonna write their names on here. Ask me in person, and I'll tell you. Haha! I could go into detail even more about my feelings toward those human beings on my metal list, but I think the word HATE will be sufficient for my answer about mental focus/preparation. Once I step on the platform the word HATE is the the beginning of my thoughts and emotions about those human beings. When I think about those human beings, my mind, heart, attitude, blood pressure(not that my blood pressure isn't already high enough), and everything about me changes like a switch. I would have said soul too, but after reading this you probably think I am soulless, except for some of that old soul music that brings out the soul in me, and for those you know me, you know what I am talking about when I say that old soul music. I get so fucking worked up on the inside when my mind thinks of those human beings I feel like I am about to explode. I don't see or hear anything around me at this point except for those handful of human beings on my mental list. Over the years I have taught myself to control this whole metal focus/preparation, because without control I would be a total disaster in powerlifting and in everyday life. My metal preparation process starts once I am chalking my hands and is stopped once I see the lights, which is usually about a 1 minute per lift, 9-12 minutes per competition depending if there are 4th attempts. Again for me to be able to turn it off and on like that comes that control I was talking about, because I don't wanna seem like a asshole/dickhead to my friends and family that would be there for me at a time of need, so you can imagine the emotional ride that I am taking for a minute at a time. I am sure some of my friends and family already think I am a asshole/dickhead...Haha...Fuck you! LoL! THE VISUALIZATION PROCESSThis process is the part that I am experiencing once I have started the lift and until the lights are shown. I have always kept the VISUALIZATION process pretty simple, but relatively intense also. This part of the process is like a life or death situation for me. No one really wants to die, but everyone wants to live. During this phase I visualize myself laying dead in a casket, and I visualize myself living life to the fullest and becoming an old man one day. I would have to say after thinking of those human beings that I HATE come across my mind making me so worked up on the inside I am about to explode, and seeing myself lay there in a casket is what keeps me driving 5 seconds or longer. Then the lights come on, the switch is turned off, and the Mental Process is repeated.
CONCLUSION These two processes has brought me a lot of success in the world of powerlifting, and I was thinking while I was writing my answer to the question about mental focus/prep if I should give a big thanks to those human beings that are part of the HYPE process or not. I have thought about it I would like to give them a big FUCK YOU!!
TO MY TRAINING PARTNERSIf after reading this you think I'm crazy, have issues and you don't wanna train with me no more feel free to turn your keys in, and don't let the door kick you in the ass on the way out. Wow, wow, wow...Thanks a lot Brian for asking me to answer the question I asked. Sorry guys it has been quite sometime that I have actually even went through my mental preparation, much less typed it out. My control is a little rusty right now. Somewhere during the coarse of me typing my switch got turned up a little and I forgot to turn it off when I finished typing the conclusion. Donovan, Brian, Jazz, Scott, and (Shawn, Wayne, Shane, Weston when you guys come) are my powerlifting family! I wouldn't let you guys turn your keys in!! I am glad you consider Mud Duck Barbell your home. I hope you guys enjoyed my answer to metal focus/preparation. It's not too often that I open up about anything(powerlifting or my life), and especially go into detail about it. By: Tony Atkins [a href=" WWW.IRONBROTHERS.COM"] WWW.IRONBROTHERS.COM[/a] MUD DUCK BARBELL Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Post by The Big Red Machine on Jul 27, 2011 8:43:19 GMT -5
"I have a handful of human beings that I absolutely HATE, and will until my last day on this earth." CLASSIC!! That was a really good read Tony and I agree with you it was hard for me to answer this question too because of all of the emotions it brings out. And it's also very hard for me too to be able to turn it on and off once I am in that zone. I think I need to learn alittle control too! Anyway I hope you can get that shoulder right so that you can get back on that platform and unleash some of those built up frustrations that you have about those cocksuckers that you hate so much  And thinking about it further I think this was a really good question for all of Team MDBB to answer. I think helps us get to know each other alittle better and know whats going through the other person's head when they're getting ready to lift big. A Real Team Bonding Experience and should really help us when were all on the platform competing on down the road.. |
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Post by Tony Atkins on Jul 28, 2011 0:39:27 GMT -5
I think all of Team MDBB bonds pretty wells. Especially when there is beer, dranks, women, and wings! ;D
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Post by The Big Red Machine on Jul 28, 2011 16:42:41 GMT -5
I think all of Team MDBB bonds pretty wells. Especially when there is beer, dranks, women, and wings! ;D LOL! |
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Post by Donovan Atkins on Jul 28, 2011 18:25:26 GMT -5
MENTAL FOCUS
There is a whole lot that comes to the plate when you talk about mental focus of this sport. It's not a sport its a life style. Any real powerlifter knows that because this is something they live, eat, breathe, and dream about when they put their jacked bodies in bed at night. But on to answering the question.
Every person in this world has been done wrong in some type of way in their life. I use alot of heartache experiences that I have been through in my life and try to use that as fuel for my lifting. No need to waste something that is so useful. Like putting racing gas in a race car it's always gonna be ready. All you have to do it keep fueling it. Like the BEAST stated above the word HATE is a strong word but sometimes you really mean it. There's a few that are on my hate list, and ya know I can thank them, because its just fuel for this race car. I think about those who use to matter that done me so wrong and build it all up in to a big explosive ball that is waiting to explode. You didn't think they called me the tank for no reason huh??? Lmao.
Use just have to learn how to control your intensity and mental focus while training. I've seen tons of people just get soo jacked for a lift that they miss it cause of being over jacked. The mental focus of the sport is emotional like the BEAST stated, and there is no way anyone could let it all hang out like it should be on meet day during training. Your body and mind just wouldn't be able to handle it.
My mental focus all starts when I hear my name called on the roster. You have up on deck, in the hole, and in the wing. I'm calm until my knees get wrapped on squat or wrapping my wrists for the bench then everything changes. Like the hulk before he gets really angry. I channel all the hurt that I've been through in my life from relationships to deaths into one big ball of emotional strength. That's what channels my mental focus to be able to do what I do on the platform. It's so emotional it makes my eyes tear up before I lift when I start pushing it to the limit. There has been times I be in the crowd watching someone do the same I can and it amaze me and I tell myself I do that.
As for the deadlift that is just a lift I have to get all pissed off for. Because for one it is the last lift of the day. Your already tired and beat up. It's like a finishing move like they have in mortal combat and it is do or die. The main thing is grip it and rip it.
To the conclusion of my mental focus. It's just believe in yourself. Don't ever say I can't do this or that because you can. This sport is a whole lot of physical strength but with out the mental strength all the physical means nothing. In this sport they are on a even playing ground. So chalk your hands, channel your mental focus and make some PR's
Thanks to the one's on my hate list for helping me get to where I am today. Big thanks to all my training partners for helping with where I am going and been to this date.
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Post by The Big Red Machine on Jul 29, 2011 7:10:41 GMT -5
Good Stuff TANK!
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