Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One of my most important training tools
is an old wooden chair that I keep out in
the garage.
It's my secret weapon for great workouts.
When I train, I position it by the back door,
away from lifting platform and close to
Trudi's hyperextension bench.
Yes, Trudi has her own hyperextension
bench. She's had it since we first met.
I knew she was a keeper when I learned
she had a hyperextension bench out in
the garage.
I have a special good luck towel. It used
to be green but now it's a faded sort of
grey-green color. It's torn, ripped, and
fraying. I use it to wipe the sweat out of
my eyes and off my hands in-between
sets. I drape it over the chair while I do
my sets.
In-between sets -- and this is the important
part -- I sit down, face the platform, and
close my eyes.
I go over the previous set -- rep by rep if
I was doing reps -- and I focus on what I
did, and how to do it better in the next
set.
And then I visualize the next set.
I go over it from start to finish.
I begin by seeing myself walking toward the
platform. It's always the same pace, the same
stride, the same number of steps.
I always stop in exactly the same place.
Approaching the bar is an art. You don't just
amble up to the bar. You make walking to the
bar the BEGINNING of your set.
Note: If you need to change the weight on the
bar, do it BEFORE you do your visualization, so
you can walk right up and lift instead of having
to change the weight and then get back into
proper mental focus.
What else do I see when I visualize the set?
I see myself standing over the bar -- setting
myself -- locking my back -- crouching down
over the bar -- and lifting it.
In my mind's eye, I lift the bar in perfect form.
Then I open my eyes -- chalk my hands -- walk
to the bar -- and lift it.
And more often than not, I lift it perfectly --
EXACTLY the way I visualized it.
That old wooden chair is my THINKING PLACE.
It's where I sit and think.
And it's where everything starts to come
together.
That's because THINKING is one of the most
important things you can do when you train.
Make no mistake about it. Strength training is
just as much a mental endeavor as a physical
one. The more mindpower you bring to your
training, the better.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. I cover the mental aspects of strength training
in these books:
Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 2. I also cover the mental aspects of strength
training in my CD, Unleashing Your Inner Strength:
The Seven Keys to Concentration. If you're interested,
shoot me an email.
P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- and links
to all of my e-books on Kindle -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Mindpower
builds body power." -- Brooks Kubik
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