Mental Block on deadlift 1RM

quiksylver296
quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
edited December 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Does anybody have any tips on breaking through a mental block on lifting a one rep max?

My thought process used to be "I'm gonna crush this weight." Last night, I was lifting 30 lbs less than my all-time PR, and my thought was "This is gonna be heavy. I'm not sure I can get it." I got it, but barely, and it was super grindy. Jumped 20 lbs (still 10 pounds under PR), and couldn't hit it. I can tell this is mental and not physical.

All tips and tricks appreciated!

Replies

  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    I have nothing to offer other than your abs are amazing in your profile picture. <3
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited January 2019
    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    I have nothing to offer other than your abs are amazing in your profile picture. <3

    It's mostly good lighting, posture, and a bit of optical illusion. :laugh: I've been bulking since October. I can't wait to get back down to that weight again and see how it looks now.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Hey, @chieflrg. Any comments?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Having the same issue with my clean...it's been going on for a couple weeks and now I'm mind *kitten*...
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Having the same issue with my clean...it's been going on for a couple weeks and now I'm mind *kitten*...

    Dude. Same. It's pissing me off.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    edited January 2019
    When I crushed my PR, I laid in bed the night before and told myself "Tomorrow you are going to do this." And then I laid there and envisioned it. I walked into the gym with 100% confidence that I could do it. Spent a few minutes psyching myself up with a pep talk "You can do this, you know you can." and then stepped up and gave it my all.

    But to your point - I've still failed at weights lower than that after.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Yeah, it's weird @mom23mangos. I've tried the positive self-talk, and then another part of me says that I'm just lying to myself. I've never been like this before.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Oh! And I'm not having this issue with squats or bench, just deads. :s
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Yeah, it's weird @mom23mangos. I've tried the positive self-talk, and then another part of me says that I'm just lying to myself. I've never been like this before.

    Have you tried the visualization? You may have to dig a little deeper into your psyche to figure out why you are sabotaging yourself. Is something else going on in your life that is making you doubt yourself? It's probably happening on deads because it's the lift that matters to you the most. Maybe there is a fear of not being able to top your old PR that is causing you to get blocked below that. Just throwing out random thoughts.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited January 2019
    mom23mangos wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Yeah, it's weird @mom23mangos. I've tried the positive self-talk, and then another part of me says that I'm just lying to myself. I've never been like this before.

    Have you tried the visualization? You may have to dig a little deeper into your psyche to figure out why you are sabotaging yourself. Is something else going on in your life that is making you doubt yourself? It's probably happening on deads because it's the lift that matters to you the most. Maybe there is a fear of not being able to top your old PR that is causing you to get blocked below that. Just throwing out random thoughts.

    I think all the bolded is correct. I'll have to work on the visualization.

    As to something else going on in my life, nothing I can think of off the top of my head. I'll have to think on that one.
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  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    I had a string of injuries at one point a couple years ago and ended up absolutely terrified to walk into the gym again-let alone pick up a barbell-because i feared getting hurt again. Terrified like panic attacks, had to see a therapist to fix it, kind of an issue (not just a little wonky worry like would be normal for a few workouts).

    I did a TON of visualization. There was a lot of talking and other stuff too-but the visualization really helped me believe I could do it again. Deadlifts were my last holdout. Even after I was doing everything else just fine-I was still holding back on DL. I have since beaten my previous PR.

    I know that’s not the same issue-but I wanted to chime in with the power of visualization with such things. I still use it a lot.

    I hope you figure something out.
  • shor0814
    shor0814 Posts: 559 Member
    How long ago was your PR and what was it? When I hit a legit deadlift PR I usually suffer for a couple weeks where my body just doesn't want to hit all the reps or hit +1 or 2. I have to sometimes grind through a couple weeks before I feel back to 100% I have even done a deload week and just took my mind off deadlifting and came back hungry and ready for another PR.

    You hit it once, you can again. But a PR shouldn't happen every time you go to the gym if you are outside the novice stages.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited January 2019
    shor0814 wrote: »
    How long ago was your PR and what was it? When I hit a legit deadlift PR I usually suffer for a couple weeks where my body just doesn't want to hit all the reps or hit +1 or 2. I have to sometimes grind through a couple weeks before I feel back to 100% I have even done a deload week and just took my mind off deadlifting and came back hungry and ready for another PR.

    You hit it once, you can again. But a PR shouldn't happen every time you go to the gym if you are outside the novice stages.

    Yeah. I know this. I’m a competitive powerlifter with a coach who sets my training cycles. My PR was last spring, 170 kg, 385.6 lbs.
  • Erik8484
    Erik8484 Posts: 458 Member
    It's a mindset. I get there with music. When I turn on something that's loud enough, fast enough and angry enough, all my negative thoughts disappear. It's like there's not enough room in my head for the music and the negative thoughts at the same time, or as if the negative thoughts can only exist while you're focusing on them and fuelling them, and once your mind moves away, they just disappear.

    Here's Eric Bugenhagen amping himself up for a 565lb zercher squat. Watching him might give you some ideas.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeiHrhiJOqU
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Erik8484 wrote: »
    It's a mindset. I get there with music. When I turn on something that's loud enough, fast enough and angry enough, all my negative thoughts disappear. It's like there's not enough room in my head for the music and the negative thoughts at the same time, or as if the negative thoughts can only exist while you're focusing on them and fuelling them, and once your mind moves away, they just disappear.

    Here's Eric Bugenhagen amping himself up for a 565lb zercher squat. Watching him might give you some ideas.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeiHrhiJOqU

    I agree with amp music, but I can’t wear headphones in competition... 😢
  • Erik8484
    Erik8484 Posts: 458 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Erik8484 wrote: »
    It's a mindset. I get there with music. When I turn on something that's loud enough, fast enough and angry enough, all my negative thoughts disappear. It's like there's not enough room in my head for the music and the negative thoughts at the same time, or as if the negative thoughts can only exist while you're focusing on them and fuelling them, and once your mind moves away, they just disappear.

    Here's Eric Bugenhagen amping himself up for a 565lb zercher squat. Watching him might give you some ideas.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeiHrhiJOqU

    I agree with amp music, but I can’t wear headphones in competition... 😢

    You only have to take them off when you step onto the platform though, right? Might be worth trying getting psyched up, ripping your headphones off and immediately going for your lift.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Erik8484 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Erik8484 wrote: »
    It's a mindset. I get there with music. When I turn on something that's loud enough, fast enough and angry enough, all my negative thoughts disappear. It's like there's not enough room in my head for the music and the negative thoughts at the same time, or as if the negative thoughts can only exist while you're focusing on them and fuelling them, and once your mind moves away, they just disappear.

    Here's Eric Bugenhagen amping himself up for a 565lb zercher squat. Watching him might give you some ideas.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeiHrhiJOqU

    I agree with amp music, but I can’t wear headphones in competition... 😢

    You only have to take them off when you step onto the platform though, right? Might be worth trying getting psyched up, ripping your headphones off and immediately going for your lift.
    Erik8484 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Erik8484 wrote: »
    It's a mindset. I get there with music. When I turn on something that's loud enough, fast enough and angry enough, all my negative thoughts disappear. It's like there's not enough room in my head for the music and the negative thoughts at the same time, or as if the negative thoughts can only exist while you're focusing on them and fuelling them, and once your mind moves away, they just disappear.

    Here's Eric Bugenhagen amping himself up for a 565lb zercher squat. Watching him might give you some ideas.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeiHrhiJOqU

    I agree with amp music, but I can’t wear headphones in competition... 😢

    You only have to take them off when you step onto the platform though, right? Might be worth trying getting psyched up, ripping your headphones off and immediately going for your lift.

    Yeah, that happens. 😆
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Thanks, @chieflrg. My other lifts are going well. Maybe that’s just it.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,654 Member
    I am nowhere near your level but I’ve had a massive block with my squats. Got to a certain weight, “knew” it would be heavy and cut the depth or just failed. My coach put in a tonne of tempo and paused squats at just below my mental block point and it did actually help. Not saying I’ll ever be the best back squatter (no issue at all with the front squats bizarrely) but it took my focus away from that mental block. The paused, tempo squats with hip band were so hideous that the heavy close to 1RM seemed nicer! Paused or tempo dls are different and need to be much lighter I know so might not be transferable? How soon before your next comp?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    claireychn074 wrote: »
    I am nowhere near your level but I’ve had a massive block with my squats. Got to a certain weight, “knew” it would be heavy and cut the depth or just failed. My coach put in a tonne of tempo and paused squats at just below my mental block point and it did actually help. Not saying I’ll ever be the best back squatter (no issue at all with the front squats bizarrely) but it took my focus away from that mental block. The paused, tempo squats with hip band were so hideous that the heavy close to 1RM seemed nicer! Paused or tempo dls are different and need to be much lighter I know so might not be transferable? How soon before your next comp?

    Feb 16. I do some deadlift variations, so maybe those will help.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    Dont think. Walk up and do. The more I think about things the more I over think it and in the end the mind wins.
    Just like long distance running. You have to shut the brain off and just run otherwise you will fail within limits of course.

    Like the new profile pic, @crazyravr. What is that delicious-looking libation?

    I get the concept. But it's harder in practice. :/
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,654 Member
    You’re quite close to your comp, so this is one of those horrible situations where you’re going to be worrying about it in the lead up. But I bet you’ll get to the comp, refreshed after the deload week, get irritated that this has bothered you then go out and just smash it. You KNOW you can do it and that will kick in with all the adrenaline on the day. We’re cheering you on and you got this!

    (And I’m also slightly terrified by how much you can lift!)
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    claireychn074 wrote: »
    You’re quite close to your comp, so this is one of those horrible situations where you’re going to be worrying about it in the lead up. But I bet you’ll get to the comp, refreshed after the deload week, get irritated that this has bothered you then go out and just smash it. You KNOW you can do it and that will kick in with all the adrenaline on the day. We’re cheering you on and you got this!

    (And I’m also slightly terrified by how much you can lift!)

    That's what I'm hoping for! :p

    My mind-space is a little better than it was yesterday. I'm going keep visualizing, keep hard-rocking, and try to quit over-thinking and hope for the best.
  • lenkearney
    lenkearney Posts: 116 Member
    when was your last real deload?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    lenkearney wrote: »
    when was your last real deload?

    Reloads are cycled into my training plan by my powerlifting coach, as needed.
This discussion has been closed.

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