The Psychology of Strength Training: Going Autopilot
Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:32 am
This is an idea I stumbled upon years ago by accident. I realized that if I had enough adrenaline, and I tried hard enough, I could "black out" my mind during max effort lifts. What I discovered was that, while blacked out, I was always stronger and my technique was almost always better. In fact, many of my heaviest lifts ended up being crisper and faster than the lifts that preceded them. Not only that, but any fear and hesitation were quelled as well. Thus, the idea of autopilot was born. The only problem was, I wasn't aware I had achieved this state until it was already gone...
Everybody wants to know the secret training program that’s going to take them to the next level. They want you to tell them what exercises to do, what order to do them in, how often to do them, and the special number of sets and reps that will propel their 300 pound squat up to 500 pounds in 12 short weeks. I’m here to tell you that this program doesn’t exist, and ultimately, whatever program you’re running right now is irrelevant to your long term success.
The thing no one ever mentions when it comes to strength acquisition is mental strength. Mental strength is the precursor to massive physical strength. Without cultivating the former, the mind simply cannot fathom or tolerate the brutally intense work the body requires to obtain the latter. A weak-minded person will not appreciate the fact that every training session is a battle, each one part of a greater war. Some battles are won and some battles are lost, but, regardless of the outcomes, they must all be hard fought. When the low hanging fruit has all been plucked, the weak-minded lifter will cease to become stronger.
The good news is, like the muscles of the body, the mind can be trained and it too can become stronger. One such way of doing so is by tapping into a state I call autopilot. This is your ace card. To be used only on the top set of the day, the most important set of the day, when the heaviest weight needs to be moved with the greatest precision and when the mind is most likely to stifle high level performance. The basic premise of autopilot is that you're blacking out. You're turning off your brain and almost achieving a state of active meditation. The idea itself borrows from the psychological concept of “flow,” and it shares many of its key elements. But whereas “flow” generally refers to a relatively prolonged state, autopilot is more of a brief but highly intense flash. Your intensity becomes hyper-focused on the task at hand, your adrenaline skyrockets, and the brain turns off. Suddenly, any fear vanishes and the body goes through the motions on its own. Strength is enhanced and technique is dialed in. No cueing, no thinking, no hesitation. And just as fleeting as the moment, you don’t realize you’ve achieved it until it’s already gone.
If you can learn how to achieve this state then you can train unhampered by the mind and begin to explore your true physical limits.
More about flow:
http://positivepsychology.org.uk/living-in-flow
http://www.meaningandhappiness.com/zone ... s-flow/26/
Everybody wants to know the secret training program that’s going to take them to the next level. They want you to tell them what exercises to do, what order to do them in, how often to do them, and the special number of sets and reps that will propel their 300 pound squat up to 500 pounds in 12 short weeks. I’m here to tell you that this program doesn’t exist, and ultimately, whatever program you’re running right now is irrelevant to your long term success.
The thing no one ever mentions when it comes to strength acquisition is mental strength. Mental strength is the precursor to massive physical strength. Without cultivating the former, the mind simply cannot fathom or tolerate the brutally intense work the body requires to obtain the latter. A weak-minded person will not appreciate the fact that every training session is a battle, each one part of a greater war. Some battles are won and some battles are lost, but, regardless of the outcomes, they must all be hard fought. When the low hanging fruit has all been plucked, the weak-minded lifter will cease to become stronger.
The good news is, like the muscles of the body, the mind can be trained and it too can become stronger. One such way of doing so is by tapping into a state I call autopilot. This is your ace card. To be used only on the top set of the day, the most important set of the day, when the heaviest weight needs to be moved with the greatest precision and when the mind is most likely to stifle high level performance. The basic premise of autopilot is that you're blacking out. You're turning off your brain and almost achieving a state of active meditation. The idea itself borrows from the psychological concept of “flow,” and it shares many of its key elements. But whereas “flow” generally refers to a relatively prolonged state, autopilot is more of a brief but highly intense flash. Your intensity becomes hyper-focused on the task at hand, your adrenaline skyrockets, and the brain turns off. Suddenly, any fear vanishes and the body goes through the motions on its own. Strength is enhanced and technique is dialed in. No cueing, no thinking, no hesitation. And just as fleeting as the moment, you don’t realize you’ve achieved it until it’s already gone.
If you can learn how to achieve this state then you can train unhampered by the mind and begin to explore your true physical limits.
More about flow:
http://positivepsychology.org.uk/living-in-flow
http://www.meaningandhappiness.com/zone ... s-flow/26/