Christmas Specials:
$50 off Online Coaching with Coach Mash use Coupon Code: MASHCOACHING
$50 off my Learn 2 Lift Seminar January 20th at the Mash Compound use Coupon Code: MASHSEMINAR
20% off all Apparel including the “I Do What I Want” T-Shirt use Coupon Code: MASHELITE
Nowadays everyone wants to talk about programming, mobility, nutrition, etc., but the real divider when it comes to champions is a mental capacity to overcome. I don’t care if it is weightlifting or football, the difference in good and great is “mental edge”. I mean look at Peyton Manning and RGIII. RGIII is for sure the supreme athlete, but Peyton’s ability to make good decisions on the field is what makes him the best in the business.
I have witnessed weightlifters that were capable of hitting world-class numbers, but they never will due to a lack of mental capacity. There really needs to be more research performed in this area, but today I am going to give you some cool ways to overcome. I recommend logging some serious hours strengthening your mental capacity to overcome if you want to truly be great in anything.
It all starts at birth. What did you parents say to you? Did they believe in you, or did they doubt you. Do your friends encourage or tear down? Choose your friends wisely! My best friend Kevin Jones never doubted me, and I never doubted him. If he told me now that he was running for the President of the United States, I would ask him what took him so long. This relationship was key for me! I suggest that you find people like KJ to put in your corner. I also recommend getting rid on the dead beats that want to tear you down.
Learn to relax in the heart of battle! I watched Mash Mafia Team Member Cooper Hanson laugh his way to a lifetime PR Clean & Jerk and Total yesterday. We laughed and joked all day long. He remembered that he loves weightlifting. I know that sounds crazy, but all to often people forget this. My start athlete, Adee Zukier, was talking with me today about this very subject. When she went home to Canada, she forgot that she loves weightlifting. My goal is to remind her why the sport is so awesome. It’s a beautiful sport with an amazing process. Embrace the process and the results will handle themselves.
James Tatum told a group of us the other day at MuscleDriver USA that when he is having a bad day, he just walks out of a door and back in. James has spent some quality time in psychology, so he has some cool ideas for sport psychology. He explained that it resets the brain. It’s like a whole new start, and sometimes it can change to way a session is going. I suggest trying it since James Tatum said it. If nothing else, maybe your beard will grow.
Last, I have known for a long time that “patterning” works! This means that if you perform a sport or event that is relatively the same, you should form a pattern. You should perform that pattern each and every time no matter the situation. I learned this in basketball while shooting foul shots. The key was to do the same pattern each time. A lot of players would switch their pattern during a stressful situation. At that point the body doesn’t perceive the action as well causing a miss. If you perform the pattern, the body goes into autopilot. The same goes for weightlifting or powerlifting. Whether you are performing an opener or a world record, you should approach the bar the exact same way. Illya is a prime example. Whether it is his opener or a world record, he sets up, grips, and rips man! There is a reason that he is a World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist.
I hope that some of these tips help you take your game to an all new level. I believe that you are totally able to overcome mental barriers. It takes work, just like squatting or push pressing. It takes time, persistence, and a focused effort. It all starts by surrounding yourself with the right supporting crew. I suggest starting there for 2015.
We are hosting a Holiday Olympic Weightlifting Meet December 20th at the Mash Mafia Compound. Come hangout with the Mash Mafia Crew, some MDUSA Stars, Coach Mash, slam some bars, and of course KILL Some PRs! Click on the link to find out more:
December 20th Meet at the Mash Mafia Compound
We are hosting a New Year Learn 2 Lift Seminar at the Compound as well! January 10th and 11th come out and hang with Coach Mash and the Mash Mafia. Weightlifting Day 1 and Powerlifting Day 2. Come to one or both days just click on the link to find out more:
New Year Learn 2 Lift at the Mash Mafia Compound
To check out one of the Online Teams, click on one of the following on links:
Eat What You Want! Lift What You Want!
Online Coaching and Mentoring with Coach Mash
Or if you are interested in hosting a Learn 2 Lift Seminar on the topics of Olympic Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Athletic Performance, and/or Eat What You Want Nutrition email me at:
Travis.Mash@MashElite.com