Attacking the Gym

If there’s one thing I have noticed in this big wide world of brawn and iron is that you simply can’t put enough emphasis on exerting max effort while training. Press, pull, squat or pull that bar like you were hit with a healthy dose of gamma radiation and had a new affinity for purple pants.  This holds true for any max effort lifting or max sprinting.  Approaching either like a sloth and you can bet those wheels will be spinning like a carnivals tilt -o- whirl!    

 

Whether it’s something dark and brooding or manic and energetic, that heightened sense of awareness has to be present when you step on those rubber mats.  Obviously everyone has their own little quirks and methods for reaching that state of mind.  From talking to themselves, the bar and any other inanimate object in their line of sight to applying chalk like an aging Vegas show girl does makeup, pick something that works for you.

                                            

Its universal, the guys who really get their CNS jacked up and motor units firing like a V12 Lamborghini are the ones who seem to consistently hit their lifts.  What I can promise you is if your training persona resembles droopy dog after a long nap then don’t expect to make any considerable gains.  The intent is key and the intent has to be there, even if the bar is moving an inch a second.  Forget what the weight on the bar is; push it like you are going to throw it through the ceiling and into a parallel universe of fire and brimstone.  

 

Don't approach your training like this guy!

 

Don’t completely disregard form to achieve this; we want to hit the muscle the lifts were designed to hit. But we want to hit them hard and intensely causing your body to say “whoa, I gotta make a change.” With proper rest and recovery, your body will grow and strength will be sure to follow.

 

 

In Strength,

 

Brian Matthews