Outsourcing your emotions

How often do we walk up to the bar knowing that we have put in the work to pull some big numbers but also knowing that there is no way that the relatively giant bar sitting in front of us is going over our heads? I would wager that the vast majority of the lifts that we miss, we miss before we even step onto the platform. Now this isn't a new concept but it is one worth mentioning.

Seneca said, "You act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all that you desire."

Let that sink in for a moment as I translate. We prioritize our fears above our desires. I 100% agree with this statement. We get so caught up in what we fear might happen, that we rarely scratch the surface of the greatness that will happen if we let it. This is what I refer to as letting your head get in the way of what you could be feeling. It's what happens when that moment of truth comes and you psych yourself out, you crumble in the culmination of your training and passion. Unfortunately this is often times fairly public.

So how do we get around this phenomenon? People often refer to mental toughness, or manning up, etc. I propose a far easier method that in my opinion works extremely well not only in weightlifting but in most high stress situations, that contain value. I propose that we outsource our emotions to those that have a better view of what is going on, (or in some cases a beautifully simplistic perception). Let me give you an example; It is your first weightlifting meet, you are terrified. You have to wear this weird singlet that you didn't know you were supposed to wear underwear underneath of it. So not only are you scared of making a fool of yourself because you feel that your abilities are sub par no matter what your coach tells you, but you also feel like an extra to a Miley Cyrus music video. None of these emotions are positive. None of them put you into a place that encourages peak performance. So what do you do? I say you stop living in your head which is filled with fear and embracement and live in the head of your coach. Because guess what your coach knows your abilities better than you do. Your coach has seen the way you move when you are excited, in the zone, mentally and physically impoverished, depressed, pumped, tired, the list goes on and on and on. The one common denominator should be your coaches voice, and cues indicating relative success and failure. So with this person by your side through all of that garbage, who probably put up with more of your crap than they deserved to, don't you think they are probably feeling the same things as you? So let them, let them take the brunt of the worry and fear. They will probably even be uncomfortable enough to make sure you get some undies ASAP. Really how many people need to be ticking years off of their lives stressing while you are up there? Just one, let it be someone else.

With your head clear now all you have to do is focus on the feeling. Focus on the feeling of a perfect position. Feel your shoulders over the bar. Feel your back as solid as iron. Feel your lats engage. Feel an unbelievably rapid extension. Feel a crisp clean catch with the bar over your head. Feel it don't think it.

Next post will answer these questions?

So what if you don't have a coach which generally speaking is the way we go through life. Say you literally have no one to lean on. What do you do where do you send those unwanted emotions?