Overtrying

Everyone has been there, when you really want to crush a lift. You are staring at the bar like it's the third grade bully that stole your chocolate milk and hitting this lift is the knockout punch that leaves you free for the rest of your elementary school career to enjoy that chocolaty goodness with you PB&J sandwich. The gym quiets down and everyone turns in as you step up to the bar. You set yourself, take a deep breath and ... for the 47th day in a row the bully has your chocolate milk and you are left struggling through a sticky PB&J sandwich. What happened? You had attended 6 months of boxing lessons and had watched non-stop Tyson montages for the last 2 days in lead up for your Monday bout.

You Overtried. No that is not a word I realize but it should be. We could point to the bell curve for arousal and discuss how peak performance occurs at the apex between lack of arousal and excessive arousal. I think it is easier to state that you Overtried. Your technique was likely off because rather than carefully checking each system like a pilot you hoped in the simulator at the Galaxy Cinemas and tried to beat your friend to the first gold hoop in the sky. I see it most often in heavy Olympic lifts, rather than allow the hips to do the work and keeping the same body mechanics the arms and shoulders become the major mover and we try and beast mode the bar up.

The lesson here, relax a bit. Know exactly what you did to hit the 4 previous lifts before and do the same thing. Don't alter any section of your lift from set up to finish. if you always tap you heels three times and recite the alphabet then do that. Pick short mental cues for yourself as you set and then lift don't over think or over-hype the process. Don't Overtry and chances are you get to drink your chocolate milk.