Tags
bdcf, BS - ME, C&J ME, cleans, dl, DL - ME, elite training, FS - ME, Max Effort, mental fatigue, mental focus, mental strength, Oly lifting, physical fatigue, Sn ME, snatch, sports performance
I was sitting down giving cues to a couple of clients on their technique, and I started to notice that the advice that was given to some needed a further explanation above and beyond what they were used to. After long days at work people get a little foggy, sometimes they get a little frustrated or irritated when they are asked to do something they normally do while in the box. Normal under duress is NOT normal. As to what is Normal to someone may be a different definition to another.
Yes, I said. Go ahead and back away from the bar. The cues were either going to work or they were not. What was going on was not that their techniques just tanked, it was what I was observing – their attitudes when they walked into the door. Some came in feeling ready and willing to put out 100 percent while others were a bit hurried from the previous day, family life, work, and being stuck in traffic or the thought of either their commute to work or their commute home was wearing thin on them.
Either way, morning, afternoon, and evening hours we get clients that put out tremendously and then others that have mental fatigue. Work, life, emotions and improper nutrition all affect how we perform. Most will point out that they didn’t eat well all day and that if they could have eaten that last Caesar salad with the extra bacon on top they could have done it all the way. All would have had stellar performances.
Hey there! I’m no Einstein here, not even a Plato. What did come to mind though is to have people pull away a little longer, explain to some the situation they find themselves in and explain in detail again the hazards of a mental fog and frustration that you bring into a mix of Max Effort and a lack luster package of whoop ass. The Bar WILL WIN.
Your performance is just 10 ~ 20 percent of the equation, the other 80~90 percent is mental and I can tell when you either have it or you don’t. When you don’t, I have to be the one that says to you “Stop”. Put the bar back and just observe what you’re feeling. The success or lack there of will be mental and not physical. When it comes to safety, I will and have been known for ruffling some feathers and stepping on some toes.
I care about my friends, and would not like for them to get hurt while reaching for a PR for one thing or just getting through a tough WOD. Getting frustrated at your performance when your mind is not into it and trying your best to pull an 80% effort for an all out expectation is NOT the way to do it. I will step in, and if I’m the Butt Hole for it then so be it. Your safety is my primary concern. So, if you don’t want to listen to what your body is telling you I will be the one that will voice what you don’t want to hear. While at times I will be a shouting board (mostly receiving end) for you.
Don’t get mad, get centered and safe. You lift better when you’re a bit more into it mentally than physically.
I care about you enough to stop your progress and take the brunt of your frustration, but also wise enough to tell you to shove it!
I love ya, that’s why. Dumb apes. When will they ever learn?
Mental prep work for you –
