Progress: It is Your Responsibility - In Charge for Succcess
( Find the Proper Inner Mind-Frame for Progress - fitFlex Articles - Learn, Share and Discover! ) ..
At a certain moment in time, two guys-in two different gyms-are about to do a set of squats. Both guys have 315 on the
bar, and for both of them it's a heavy weight.
The kicker is that the two even look pretty similar; they're about the same age, have similar physiques and so forth.
What's funny is how differently they approach the set.
The first guy remembers all the bad stuff he's ever heard about squatting: how squats will ruin your knees and break
your back, and, if they don't kill you, they'll at least leave you with a big rear end. He even tells himself that
it's okay not to squat because other exercises are supposed to be just about as good. He builds on that foundation,
reminding himself that his last set, 275, felt heavy, heavy, heavy, and it's really not very likely that he'll make
the 315. "Oh, well," he sighs, "I guess I can try, but I don't think I'll make it." And he doesn't.
The second guy thinks about all the good stuff he's ever heard about squats: how they're magic for gaining size and
strength even if they're a lot of work. He reminds himself that the greatest squatter of all time, Paul Anderson, said
he always hated doing squats but that he put up with them because he knew they'd help him reach his goal of being the
world's strongest man. The second guy remembers that more than 50 years ago heavy squat programs gave bodybuilders and
lifters a whole new idea of what "fast gains" and "big gains" meant. Using that as a warm-up, the second guy thinks to
himself, "I can do this weight." And he does.
That's only the tip of the iceberg. If you really want to see how differently these two guys approach their training,
listen to what they say to themselves after the set.
The first guy says, "See, I knew it. I knew that weight was too heavy. I knew I couldn't do it. I'm not built for squats,
and they're dangerous anyway. If I had better genetics, I could do it."
The second guy says, "See, I knew it. I knew that even though it was heavy, I could do it. I knew it wasn't much more
than I did last week, and if I tried hard, I could do that weight."
Psychologically speaking, the key difference between the two guys has to do with the idea of personal responsibility.
That's not the type of responsibility that keeps people from driving when they're drunk or letting children play with
loaded guns. It has to do with your deep-down beliefs about who's in charge: you or someone else. Notice that the first
lifter looks outside himself for reasons to explain why he can't squat 315- it's a dangerous exercise, he's not built for
the movement, he's genetically disadvantaged. He attributes control of his fate to what psychologists would call external
forces, things outside himself-and if something is external, you can't control it. That reduces your motivation in a very
big way. Why try to do something that's beyond your control? This lifter admitted defeat even before he got under the bar.
The second lifter feels that through his own efforts he can make the weight. He sees himself as being responsible for
outcomes. His sense of personal responsibility and personal control motivates him to try harder.
The eminent research psychologist Martin Seligman has demonstrated that when people-or animals-have no sense of controlling
their fate, they quit trying and accept whatever happens, no matter how shocking. On the other hand, if you teach them that
they have control over what happens to them, they take charge of their situation, which gives them tremendous advantages.
For anyone who's lifting weights, the implications are striking.
Consider the person who feels he's buffeted by external forces. He's forever blaming his lack of progress on everything
from genetics to his gym to "those drug fiends." Because he sees himself having hue responsibility for or control over
those elements, his training gets less than 100 percent effort.
On the other hand, the person who feels that what he does directly influences what he gets always digs a little deeper.
He's the guy who makes the last three reps that the other guy never even tried. He's the guy who takes the time to pick a
good training routine and stick with it. He's the guy who takes his nutrition and his recovery very seriously because he
feels they matter.
Generally when you're aiming for a star, it's hard to go overboard in terms of taking personal responsibility for your fate,
but there are exceptions. Suppose you're sitting at a red light, and out of the blue a car slams into you. Do you take
responsibility? "Of course not,' you say but some people blame themselves for everything that goes wrong in their lives,
whether or not it was something they could have controlled. When they do this in a big way they can become seriously depressed.
Be sure to keep an eye open to the real possibility that there are some negative things that you may not be able to control.
There really have been crooked judging decisions, fraudulent food supplements and worthless routines. Don't make yourself
responsible for things that are clearly beyond your control.
Also, as Seligman points out, it's wise to consider bad events as temporary. When you miss a weight, don't think that means
your progress is over forever-you just missed the weight today. Next workout or the one after that you'll probably make it.
It might be that you were tired today a little overt rained or any number of other things-none of which are permanent.
Seeing yourself as being in charge and pulling setbacks into the proper perspective are two of the keys to making progress: It's
your responsibility.
|
