Serenity or Rage

[1bigun11]

Where do you tend to go mentally immediately before your set and during your lift? Serenity or Rage? When I am repping and pumping I go serene, mind/muscle, almost hypnotic. Not even counting reps, just inside that muscle. Not even hearing the music. As the rest periods and weights increase, and the reps get below five or so, it is almost like a switch goes off inside me and I become a screaming, violent, war attacking the bar.

Just interested in what works for you, or how you find yourself responding.

Respect

 

[snake]

Back in the day, I went to my dark place and I would attack the weight with a form of pure unadulterated hatred.

Now all I think right before a set is, "I hope I don't tear anything."

 

[1bigun11]

Back in the day, I went to my dark place and I would attack the weight with a form of pure unadulterated hatred.

Now all I think right before a set is, "I hope I don't tear anything."

I well understand that!

I'm wondering in terms of peak performance whether serenity or rage leads to the best results. I have done some boxing back in the day, and it seemed like the serene fighter could prevail over the angry fighter. I'm wondering if mustering up all that rage for the big lift is the way to go or not? Just thinking out loud really.....

Ever seen that movie "Warrior" with Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton? Two completely different styles of psyching up for the match.

 

[BrotherIron]

To second what snake said... for me it's a controlled hatred towards the bar.

You cant be lax, nonchalant, or just whatever when you're trying to lift something with maximum effort. It's not something you see if you can do.

The lift is won or lost before you even step on the platform.

As Yoda said... do or do not, there is no try.

 

[Koolio]

Back in the day, I went to my dark place and I would attack the weight with a form of pure unadulterated hatred.

Now all I think right before a set is, "I hope I don't tear anything."

Snake Pliskin..I heard you were dead

 

[Flyingdragon]

 

[ToolSteel]

If you take a good look at top level powerlifters, you will see that a large majority do prefer some type of hype, but only BEFORE the lift, and maybe for celebration after. Lifting extreme weights safely and to the best of your ability requires everything to be perfect; the groove has to be perfect, the tightness in every part of the body, the hand and foot placement, the body position and head position, knee and hip pisition and rotation, hell I could list off another dozen things easily.

Rage lifting simply makes hitting all of those points extremely difficult. Sure you have the occasional person that unracks their squat at max speed after headbutting the bar and screaming the whole time, but those guys are few and far between, and often have short careers....

The BEST lifters, IME, and this is especially noticeable in equipped lifting, will learn how to get the adrenaline rush going but then pull back to complete focus the moment the lift begins.

 

[1bigun11]

If you take a good look at top level powerlifters, you will see that a large majority do prefer some type of hype, but only BEFORE the lift, and maybe for celebration after. Lifting extreme weights safely and to the best of your ability requires everything to be perfect; the groove has to be perfect, the tightness in every part of the body, the hand and foot placement, the body position and head position, knee and hip pisition and rotation, hell I could list off another dozen things easily.

Rage lifting simply makes hitting all of those points extremely difficult. Sure you have the occasional person that unracks their squat at max speed after headbutting the bar and screaming the whole time, but those guys are few and far between, and often have short careers....

The BEST lifters, IME, and this is especially noticeable in equipped lifting, will learn how to get the adrenaline rush going but then pull back to complete focus the moment the lift begins.

That makes sense to me. I used to do some powerlifting meets and remember experiencing that focus, to the extent that people near you can be screaming and you are barely aware of them. I also remember finding it mentally exhausting. But I did lift better with that focus. I found it hard to hold it for more than a couple reps though.

Do you think that type of focus can be held for bodybuilder rep ranges, or there would be value in that?

 

[DEADlifter]

I think it is definitely more serene for me. I am really only aware of my breathing and the weight. I wear earbuds like most do, I guess. Usually it's rock ranging from Motley Crue or G n' R to Slipknot or After the Burial. Before I get under the bar something like Kickstart my Heart can be playing and I'll get pumped up. Once I wrap my hands around the bar, I don't even hear the music that is literally right in my head.

 

[SFGiants]

If you take a good look at top level powerlifters, you will see that a large majority do prefer some type of hype, but only BEFORE the lift, and maybe for celebration after. Lifting extreme weights safely and to the best of your ability requires everything to be perfect; the groove has to be perfect, the tightness in every part of the body, the hand and foot placement, the body position and head position, knee and hip pisition and rotation, hell I could list off another dozen things easily.

Rage lifting simply makes hitting all of those points extremely difficult. Sure you have the occasional person that unracks their squat at max speed after headbutting the bar and screaming the whole time, but those guys are few and far between, and often have short careers....

The BEST lifters, IME, and this is especially noticeable in equipped lifting, will learn how to get the adrenaline rush going but then pull back to complete focus the moment the lift begins.

This is correct.

Natural mannered waiting your staying focused or focused on spotting, get jacked a tad walk to the bar then focus.

Just getting the blood running to mentally get to the bar but once you start getting under or over it your cues better be your focus as well your set up.

Pre lift routines are best done the same over and over to be natural.

 

[Jin]

I’ve been doing a single drop set of squats for my leg workouts after a thorough warm up.

The feeling I have before I do that set is closest to fear/fight or flight. The same feeling I had before the starting gun when I was a swimmer.

I know I’m about to push my body to the limit. I know it’s going to entail pain.

This type of feeing is impossible to maintain for a standard workout. Your adrenal glands would just end up fatiguing you. But for Yates training for a single set it works.

I used to be full of rage. And I can still feel angry but it’s usually because of hurt I know others are going through. Injustice etc.

 

[ToolSteel]

That makes sense to me. I used to do some powerlifting meets and remember experiencing that focus, to the extent that people near you can be screaming and you are barely aware of them. I also remember finding it mentally exhausting. But I did lift better with that focus. I found it hard to hold it for more than a couple reps though.

Do you think that type of focus can be held for bodybuilder rep ranges, or there would be value in that?

Personally I really can't answer that last question as every time I get over 6 reps, I'm simply focused on not dying LOL

It IS mentally exhausting to get yourself completely in the zone over and over. Rarely do I ever sleep as soundly as the night after a PL meet.

 

[Sicwun88]

Just think of the things that piss me off
W some Pantera blasting!
So I'm going to go w RAGE!!

 

[Badleroybrown]

For me I get lost in between the two at times inside a set.. I start pumping out reps and it is almost in a perfect rhythm really concentrating on what I am doing trying to stay focused on the mind muscle and as the rhythm gets slower and slower that’s when the war begins... But on the other note. There are days when all the chemicals are working on overload and I may have had a little to much stim in my pre workout and I walk into the gym ready to bend every bar and lift every weight.

 

[Badleroybrown]

 

[1bigun11]

I’ve been doing a single drop set of squats for my leg workouts after a thorough warm up.

The feeling I have before I do that set is closest to fear/fight or flight. The same feeling I had before the starting gun when I was a swimmer.

I know I’m about to push my body to the limit. I know it’s going to entail pain.

This type of feeing is impossible to maintain for a standard workout. Your adrenal glands would just end up fatiguing you. But for Yates training for a single set it works.

I used to be full of rage. And I can still feel angry but it’s usually because of hurt I know others are going through. Injustice etc.

I have had similar experiences with Yates “Blood and Guts” training. It hurts, lactic acid burning! Sweat in your eye, and there’s not enough air! I think that pre-set mental state you described is essential to survive it.

I am not really focusing on a mind/muscle connection when I perform those sets. The emotions are primal, almost sub-thought (or beyond thought?). Yet I tend to grow faster with that type of training.....But it seems the mind is what makes that style of training possible.

 

[Ped X]

I'm with snake, getting older, everything hurts more. Then on those last reps to failure just hoping I dont shit my self.
During my sets I just think about finishing the set and when I'm finished I'm just waiting to catch my breath enough to start the next one!

 

[1bigun11]

To second what snake said... for me it's a controlled hatred towards the bar.

You cant be lax, nonchalant, or just whatever when you're trying to lift something with maximum effort. It's not something you see if you can do.

The lift is won or lost before you even step on the platform.

As Yoda said... do or do not, there is no try.

Is it fair to say that when we train, we are not so much training our bodies to lift heavier weights. We are training our minds to accept that we can lift heavier weights. Once the mind is trained, the lift becomes a foregone conclusion.

 

[Bro Bundy]

Always rage . I think about past girlfriends that did me dirty . Anything that I get angry about helps me lift

 

[John Ziegler]

you guys arent acting like over juiced gorilla's in the gymnasium again

Are you ?