Mental Toughness
sportygal
Posts: 221 Member
What do you say to yourself or what mental games do you do to help you push through a workout?
For me, music definitely helps me focus on the workout, rather than the pain from the workout. When I'm attempting a lift, or pushing through the burn, I tell myself, "Be the Beast, or Be the Bull (I'm a taurus)." When my body or brain, says, "I can't" I grunt and grown, then in my head, I get a tad angry and tell the "can't voice" to shut up and keep pushing! I also try counting reps in mini-groups to fool myself. I'll count to 5 four times to get to 20, instead of 1-2-3-4 etc. I also use cones or stones to count my rounds of a workout, and use a timer to keep me pushing.
So what do you do?
For me, music definitely helps me focus on the workout, rather than the pain from the workout. When I'm attempting a lift, or pushing through the burn, I tell myself, "Be the Beast, or Be the Bull (I'm a taurus)." When my body or brain, says, "I can't" I grunt and grown, then in my head, I get a tad angry and tell the "can't voice" to shut up and keep pushing! I also try counting reps in mini-groups to fool myself. I'll count to 5 four times to get to 20, instead of 1-2-3-4 etc. I also use cones or stones to count my rounds of a workout, and use a timer to keep me pushing.
So what do you do?
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good question.... on squats mostly it's me reminding myself about good form, i.e. not letting my knees cave in and saying "hip drive hip drive" to myself.... or just "come on woman you can lift this!!!!"
i count my sets with a tally on a kids whiteboard and if I'm not managing to do 5 reps each set I write how many I did, like 5 5 4 5 3 or similar
I like music for working out and my tastes are very ecclectic I have classical and metal and techno on my workout set list....0 -
Yes, my music varies as well! When I'm lifting I tend to go for metal or hard rock. Then I'll listen to Classical or Soundtracks when I'm doing the speed bag when boxing. Anything with a high b.p.m helps with metabolic conditioning for sure. Focusing on form is definitely a yes!
By the way, I read your profile, and glad to see someone who thinks similarly and is blunt at times. I'm that way as well!
I think that's why some insecure little girly girls can't deal with me. I'm not cruel, but I'm not going to say things just to stroke someone's ego! 0 -
I'm not even that blunt really, just that this forum seems to be full of incredibly sensitive people who think that someone disagreeing with them is bullying. You get conversations like this:
delicate flower: What should I eat to increase my energy levels? I'm staying within my 1200 calorie goal, and I'm doing cardio for 2 hours a day, and I eat really, really healthy foods, 100% clean, but I just feel so exhausted all the time, especially after my workouts. Am I lacking in any vitamins? Maybe if i took vitamins supplements it would help my energy levels? what about doing a cleanse?
well meaning person 1: you really should eat more, as in more calories. You're in your early 20s and doing 2hrs cardio a day, there is *no way* 1200 cals/day is enough for you, unless you're only 3.5 feet tall or something. And cleanses are nothing but pseudoscience.
well meaning person 2: ^^^^ this. 1200 cals is way too low for someone of your age, weight, height and activity levels. that explains why you have no energy... you need to eat more!! And forget the cleanse. Your body can cleanse itself.
well meaning person 3: eating more vitamins won't help when the problem is caused by not eating enough calories. Eat more food! And all "cleanses" do is make you lose a lot of water weight that you'll gain again when you start eating properly.
delicate flower: why are you all so mean and unsupportive!! just because YOU can't manage to eat on 1200 calories a day, doesn't mean everyone else is like you! I've successfully lost 15 lbs in just 3 weeks doing this, so you can't tell me that it's wrong! you're all a load of negative bullies!!
well meaning person 4: 15lb in 3 weeks is too fast a rate of fat loss, which shows you are eating too little. It's not sustainable. Most of it is water weight, and you get fast weight loss initially, then you hit a plateau, and in the long term it cases loss of lean tissue, bone density, and slowing of the metabolism, so unless you want to eat very little for the rest of your life and be weak and starved, i suggest you eat more
delicate flower's friend: this site is full of mean nasty bullies!! why do you have to be so negative and unsupportive! I'm never coming to these forums again, and the OP has deactivated because of all of you!!!
etc ad nauseum
So I have my disclaimer on my profile page..... not that it helps because some people are going to be offended by science and the truth regardless, but maybe a few will think twice before getting offended and realise that actually people are trying to help and if they don't like what's said, it doesn't mean that people are saying it to be mean.....0 -
Oh You and I are so alike!! I SO HEAR you on the one's that don't want to hear the truth! I always tell people, if you go on this site, there is a lot of garbage out there in terms of what to do to get results. I really hate when people focus on the weight or the looks. How about a healthy, fit, lifestyle?? They want quick results, with no work, no effort, nothing! I had a client once that was like 100 lbs. (had gastric bypass) and her bodyfat was 50%! She had no strength or flexibility. She was afraid to workout in front of people. I truly felt bad for her, and wanted to help her understand that feeling good, eating healthy, and being fit are the important things.
I used to weight 230 lbs. @ 47% bodyfat. I dropped 80 lbs in 8 months, and 6 dress sizes and 22% bdyfat. I was doing great for 3 years, then due to a lot of circumstances and injuries, my body composition isn't where it was, some weight back, but through everything, my general health is okay. It's been a struggle my whole life, but I'm a lot better person now, inside and out.
It's sad that people look at me and don't think I am a good personal trainer because I don't have that hot bod. Frankly, I don't want to train those people anyway. I want to train people that are interested in improving overall health, and being comfortable with their bodies. If I don't get clients, because I don't look the part then fine. If they watch my workouts and food habits now (yes when I got injured I was eating crap but I eat clean now) I think they would understand that I can create awesome workouts and educate them on food and nutrition.
When people used to ask me after losing all that weight, "What did you do?" (like it was magic) I would show them the calluses on my hands and say, HARD work! 0
