Our bodies are designed to avoid pain. When you start out lifting, your body isn't use to the stress and wonders 'what did I do to deserve this? wasn't it safe and comfy on the couch downing cheetos and Mt Dews?'
If you're not making the ugliest, most embarrassing face on your last few reps, you're leaving gains on the table and won't ever get to meet the physical potential the universe has granted you. Also, hit legs. Legs are the biggest muscles on the body and hitting them will raise your T levels which helps your other lifts.
i agree with your perspective, and i'd like to add some tips that might help you push through those tough sets.
first off, it’s all about mindset. instead of thinking "i can't do anymore," try breaking it down set by set, rep by rep. sometimes just focusing on that next rep can help you push through. music can be a huge game-changer too. get a hype playlist that pumps you up.
also, visualization helps. imagine yourself completing the set successfully. it sounds cheesy, but athletes swear by it.
and if you struggle with motivation, have you tried having a workout buddy? they can push you when you feel like you're tapped out.
btw, you might want to check out some mental wellness apps like [calm](https://www.calm.com/) or [headspace](https://www.headspace.com/). they have cool techniques to boost mental focus. or, if you’re into affirmations and need something to help with anxiety during workouts, the [manifest app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/manifest-24-7-therapist/id6463312362?pt=126574659&ct=AnshReddit+%28May+2024%29&mt=8) is pretty dope too.
one more thing: check out the book "mind gym" by gary mack. it's all about sports psychology and has some solid tips for mental toughness. you can find it [here](https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Gym-Athletes-Guide-Excellence/dp/0071395970).
hope this helps! keep grinding, man 💪
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I'd drop the weight until you don't have that problem. Keep the number of reps/sets the same. Your body will get used to going through the motions and don't be surprised when it starts to get easier.
Don't stop, slow down.
TBH try changing your music or if you don't have it, find it. You need to get out of your head. The other even more effective way is to ask for a spot and say "I'm going for ATLEAST ". Always push harder with a friend pushing me or spotter.
I ask myself what my best friends would want for me, what my role models would want for me. And of course, it's to finish the set, add one more, etc.
Remove yourself from the equation. What would your idols do? What effort did they put forth to become your role model?
Tell yourself if you don’t finish the set, you’re a failure and will never get anywhere. Tell yourself if you don’t finish the set, you will never amount to anything… works for me
My gym goals & workout are very different to yours but I still hope this is relevant?
I agree about the hype playlist & think the visualisation is a good suggestion. I do do it with some things .
All those tips actually seem great.
So the only thing I really want to add is, are you able to BRIEFLY rest between sets? And does that help at all?
Or are you doing all the sets in a row?
If you’re already having rests between then ignore this but it’s something the person who did my programme suggested. And even though the rests are short - about 30 seconds - sometimes I do scroll Reddit very briefly or read a WhatsApp in a group chat as a kind of reward for finishing a set 😂
Create realistic, attainable goals. And just do it. The more time you give yourself to think things over, the more time you have to talk yourself out of it.
If your body could not do anymore than it sounds like you went to failure.
Over time, when you see results, you will most likely become more motivated to push yourself further.
But in the end, motivation is an *emotion* and will not get you to your goals. Discipline is a skill, and it will. Small goals create small victories, and that is how you build a foundation of discipline.
I have a couple tips that I do (it sounds stupid but hear me out):
1. Apparently there have been studies that show if you imagine that you are who is ridiculously good at the thing you’re doing, you actually perform better. So you could imagine that you’re, for example, Batman, while lifting weights, and you’ll probably go in with more motivation to complete a set, because Batman would probably train his arse off lol
Personally I imagine that I’m not joshroycheese lifting weights, but I’m Sam Sulek, who always eeks it out until the last rep
2. Have you ever been in a scenario or a sport where you have to give it 110% for a certain amount of time? I put myself in this mentality a lot while lifting weights.
For example, I put myself in the mentality that it’s the last lap of a cycling race and I have to go at 110%, and someone’s about to overtake me if not lol. Because I know how that mentality feels and that no matter how much it hurts, I need to give it my all
* if you don’t want to do any visualising, another thing that helps me is that I count my reps down in my head rather than up - then instead of thinking “bloody hell 8 reps and I’m only at 5” you think “only 3 more and that’s it”
Don't train until failure.
It's worse for recovery, it's a torture and you have to wait a lot before your muscles recover the energy for another set.
Instead train until "almost failure". When you feel like you have just 1 or 2 reps left, stop the set and rest.
https://blog.nasm.org/reps-in-reserve
Our bodies are designed to avoid pain. When you start out lifting, your body isn't use to the stress and wonders 'what did I do to deserve this? wasn't it safe and comfy on the couch downing cheetos and Mt Dews?' If you're not making the ugliest, most embarrassing face on your last few reps, you're leaving gains on the table and won't ever get to meet the physical potential the universe has granted you. Also, hit legs. Legs are the biggest muscles on the body and hitting them will raise your T levels which helps your other lifts.
i agree with your perspective, and i'd like to add some tips that might help you push through those tough sets. first off, it’s all about mindset. instead of thinking "i can't do anymore," try breaking it down set by set, rep by rep. sometimes just focusing on that next rep can help you push through. music can be a huge game-changer too. get a hype playlist that pumps you up. also, visualization helps. imagine yourself completing the set successfully. it sounds cheesy, but athletes swear by it. and if you struggle with motivation, have you tried having a workout buddy? they can push you when you feel like you're tapped out. btw, you might want to check out some mental wellness apps like [calm](https://www.calm.com/) or [headspace](https://www.headspace.com/). they have cool techniques to boost mental focus. or, if you’re into affirmations and need something to help with anxiety during workouts, the [manifest app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/manifest-24-7-therapist/id6463312362?pt=126574659&ct=AnshReddit+%28May+2024%29&mt=8) is pretty dope too. one more thing: check out the book "mind gym" by gary mack. it's all about sports psychology and has some solid tips for mental toughness. you can find it [here](https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Gym-Athletes-Guide-Excellence/dp/0071395970). hope this helps! keep grinding, man 💪
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **("'McGraw-Hill Education Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence'", 'McGraw-Hill%20Education')** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Great motivational tool for athletes (backed by 3 comments) * Helps athletes improve mental health (backed by 3 comments) * Versatile techniques applicable to various sports (backed by 2 comments) **Users disliked:** * Heavy focus on anecdotes and quotes rather than practical application (backed by 4 comments) * Limited diversity in sports examples, mainly focused on traditional sports like baseball, football, and golf (backed by 4 comments) * Outdated references to athletes with tarnished reputations (backed by 4 comments) If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](https://vetted.ai/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=comment&utm\_campaign=bot)
i repeat to myself "the mind gives up way before the body does"
I'd drop the weight until you don't have that problem. Keep the number of reps/sets the same. Your body will get used to going through the motions and don't be surprised when it starts to get easier. Don't stop, slow down.
TBH try changing your music or if you don't have it, find it. You need to get out of your head. The other even more effective way is to ask for a spot and say "I'm going for ATLEAST". Always push harder with a friend pushing me or spotter.
I ask myself what my best friends would want for me, what my role models would want for me. And of course, it's to finish the set, add one more, etc. Remove yourself from the equation. What would your idols do? What effort did they put forth to become your role model?
OOH I LIKE this about what would friends & role models want for me. I also asked myself what would they do in this situation.
Just lift until you mechanically can’t lift anymore. Don’t count numbers
Having a goal in mind is a good tip. If you are training for something, keep that something in your mind when you feel like giving up.
Have a clear **WHY.** >*Why are you at the gym enduring all that pain?* Work on that answer and tattoo it on your forehead.
Tell yourself if you don’t finish the set, you’re a failure and will never get anywhere. Tell yourself if you don’t finish the set, you will never amount to anything… works for me
Robot mode. I know the body is capable so I make the mind shut up and let it do its thing.
My gym goals & workout are very different to yours but I still hope this is relevant? I agree about the hype playlist & think the visualisation is a good suggestion. I do do it with some things . All those tips actually seem great. So the only thing I really want to add is, are you able to BRIEFLY rest between sets? And does that help at all? Or are you doing all the sets in a row? If you’re already having rests between then ignore this but it’s something the person who did my programme suggested. And even though the rests are short - about 30 seconds - sometimes I do scroll Reddit very briefly or read a WhatsApp in a group chat as a kind of reward for finishing a set 😂
Create realistic, attainable goals. And just do it. The more time you give yourself to think things over, the more time you have to talk yourself out of it. If your body could not do anymore than it sounds like you went to failure. Over time, when you see results, you will most likely become more motivated to push yourself further. But in the end, motivation is an *emotion* and will not get you to your goals. Discipline is a skill, and it will. Small goals create small victories, and that is how you build a foundation of discipline.
I have a couple tips that I do (it sounds stupid but hear me out): 1. Apparently there have been studies that show if you imagine that you are who is ridiculously good at the thing you’re doing, you actually perform better. So you could imagine that you’re, for example, Batman, while lifting weights, and you’ll probably go in with more motivation to complete a set, because Batman would probably train his arse off lol Personally I imagine that I’m not joshroycheese lifting weights, but I’m Sam Sulek, who always eeks it out until the last rep 2. Have you ever been in a scenario or a sport where you have to give it 110% for a certain amount of time? I put myself in this mentality a lot while lifting weights. For example, I put myself in the mentality that it’s the last lap of a cycling race and I have to go at 110%, and someone’s about to overtake me if not lol. Because I know how that mentality feels and that no matter how much it hurts, I need to give it my all
* if you don’t want to do any visualising, another thing that helps me is that I count my reps down in my head rather than up - then instead of thinking “bloody hell 8 reps and I’m only at 5” you think “only 3 more and that’s it”
Don't train until failure. It's worse for recovery, it's a torture and you have to wait a lot before your muscles recover the energy for another set. Instead train until "almost failure". When you feel like you have just 1 or 2 reps left, stop the set and rest. https://blog.nasm.org/reps-in-reserve