If you’ve ever been to RevFit on a Saturday morning, you’ve likely seen the competitive nature of Gina and her son and daughter (respectively), Dominic and Julia.
It’s all in good fun of course, as Gina likes to remind her kids that she can still run the show if they want to compete against her.
And while Dominic can outlift his mother, there is still a lot of affectionate trash-talking when it comes to how each of them performs in the gym.
As anyone who’s been involved in fitness can attest to, some days you win against the weights, and some days the weights win against you.
One thing we’ve noticed over the years they’ve been with us, is that each of them (and they’re not alone with this), has a distinct mental attitude around lifting.
We’ve watched Dominic not be able to complete a deadlift well-south of his personal best, only to get himself so amped up, that he can pull hundreds of pounds more than what was not moving only minutes before.
Granted, some days, it is purely physical. The body is too tired, or not well-fueled, or recovering from illness, etc.
But “most” of the time, it’s a mind game.
Most recently, both Julia and Gina have been trying to get their next personal best on the trapbar deadlift.
Gina’s current record is 305, aiming for 310.
Julia had been at 270, aiming for 275.
As you can see, the princess has her sights set on passing up the queen for bragging rights around the household.
One Saturday, Gina started her lift first and as she was scaling up that day, each of her lifts were looking solid.
We set the weight up to 285 and she couldn’t budge it.
She walked away from it, tried again, nothing.
So, she took her weight belt off, and continued with the rest of her workout.
Julia was up next and we did a steady build up for her, as well.
This was a particularly sharp day for her.
We loaded the bar for 275 and she nailed it.
We added 5 more pounds to push for 280 and she got that one, too.
We added another 5 pounds to match the weight that Gina had just attempted and I told her: You know, if you hit this, it’s the same weight that your mom had to bail on.
Julia stepped back in the bar and…nothing. No movement.
She tried again, same result.
Gina put her belt back on, walked in to the bar, and tore 285 off the ground.
Sometimes, we just need a fire under our asses to perform.
And on that day, Gina just needed to see that her daughter was closing the gap to get her mind back on task.
Of course, strength training isn’t “all” mental. Some days, the focus and the energy are there, but the body just doesn’t do what it’s supposed to.
But when we think about all the things we want to try and influence in making progress with our bodies, with our health, and against our goals, the mind can be a wildly powerful tool to use.
As Henry Ford has been credited for saying: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.”
My loving suggestion to you this week is to look at the ways your mind guides you, and the way your mind stands in your way.
Consider the ways you speak about yourself: silently, too yourself or loudly, to others.
Are those words true or are you crafting a narrative that needs attention?
We often talk to and about ourselves based on stories others have told us: stories of success, of failure, of redemption, and of despair.
And whatever story we allow to tell ourselves on a loop can be informative, can be persuasive, and can be completely incorrect.
Remember that the brain adapts and you can form new patterns of thought towards something more encouraging.
Sometimes, it’s work you can do on your own, sometimes you need a coach, and sometimes you need a therapist.
Just as Gina and Dominic and Julia have benefited from the right mindset around what their bodies are capable of, the brain can play strange tricks to make you think: Not today you won’t…
The right mindset doesn’t guarantee success, but it can inspire more positive outcomes than negative ones.
Be flexible, be patient, be persistent, but most of all, be kind with the way you allow your brain to work for you.
The goals you set for yourself may take time, physical fortitude, and patience but how you perceive them, well, it’s all mental.
Jason Leenaarts 
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