Diesel Mindset – Misses are Just Warm-ups
DIESEL MINDSET Part 2
Check out Part I = > Diesel Mindset Part I
If you are reading this site, then chances are you take your training very seriously.
You maintain a very tight training schedule.
You watch your diet, eating and hydrating for sustained high performance.
You track your training results, whether formally or informally.
You take each set and each rep seriously.
And if you are someone who is serious about their training, you know that FAILURE is occasionally a part of the equation.
Sometimes when people FAIL at a lift or MISS their desired reps in a set, it can really have an effect on them.
That set can linger in the back of their mind and have a negative effect on the rest of the workout.
There’s no place for negative thinking in a serious strength or muscle building program.
You have got to move past that sh*t and not let it eat you up inside or else it is going to hold you back.
It’s time to change your MINDSET and look at failure, misses, and other non-successes differently.
Next time you miss a lift or fail to hit your mark, whether it is a squat, deadlift, bench, snatch, clean, press, curl, push-down, pinch lift, gripper attempt, etc, you need to approach it like this:
MISSES ARE JUST WARM-UPS
You missed a lift – JUST A WARM-UP – get it next time.
You didn’t hit depth – JUST A WARM-UP – get it next time.
You lost the jerk out in front – JUST A WARM-UP – get it next time.
The fact of the matter is, sometimes it’s just “not in the cards” for you to hit that big lift or set that big PR.
There are so many variables that impact performance and if just one of those is slightly off that day, it can affect your upper range lifts.
Factors Affecting Performance
- Hydration Status
- Nutrition the day of the workout and days before
- State of Warm-up / Excitation
- Spinal / Joint Alignment
- Recent Sleeping Patterns
- Recent Stress Levels
That’s a lot of stuff to have all in line. Not everyone is going to keep all of those points in order, every day and some are completely OUT OF YOUR CONTROL.
Now, I guarantee you can think of a time where you missed a lift, re-grouped, and then came back and hit it for a successful lift.
The fact is, your body may need an extra attempt in order get ready to do something amazing.
That little thing that is “off” might actually get corrected during your miss and you might be ready to set a new milestone if you try it one more time.
So does it make any sense at all to just stop trying something because you failed at it one time???
Below is an example from a recent training session where I failed, MULTIPLE TIMES, but just kept on going and ended up setting a substantial PR for volume.
I was lifting what is called a Fatman Blob Clone.
It is an iron weight that is cast from a mold from an Original Fat Man Blob. I don’t know the actual weight, but Clones are much harder to lift than other Blobs because they ended up coming out bigger and they surely seem heavier as well.
More info on “the Clone” = > Blob and Clone Facts
Here’s the video from that workout where I talk a little bit more about the concept Misses are Just Warm-ups.
When you push yourself to new heights, Failure is a part of the game.
Misses are part of the game.
However, Misses don’t have to be the end of the game.
MISSES ARE JUST WARM-UPS.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
Articles You Might Also Like:
- Misses are Just Warm-ups – Part Two
- First Blobs. Now Globs? WTF???
- Grip Training: The Fatman Clone Block Weight
- Success is Built on Small Victories
- The HARD is What Makes it Great
Tags: approach to strength training, diesel mindset, mindset, serious training
January 17th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Good idea for a Diesel t-shirt slogan, Jedd!
January 17th, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Thanks for posting that. I needed that read, I’ve been having some crappy workouts and needed a good kick in the pants. Thanks
January 17th, 2011 at 7:52 pm
Great article and vid! Very inspirational.
January 17th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
@ Todd – Thanks brother. That’s not a bad idea…
Jedd
January 17th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
@ Jon C.
Anytime you have a bad workout, come back here and we will set you straight brother.
Jedd
January 17th, 2011 at 10:59 pm
@Josh McIntyre – Thanks brother. Keep up the good work.
Jedd
January 20th, 2011 at 10:46 am
i’m going to apply this mindset to my deadlifting. before if i failed at a max effort lift i would call it quits. not any more, and i agree with the t-shirt idea!
January 20th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
That’s exactly it. Just because you miss once doesn’t mean you won’t get it next time. Good work.
January 20th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
WHoa son! This gotta be the BEST article on this site! PERIOD! This reminds me of back in time when I first succeeded Pressing the 32KG Kettlebell Bottom’s Up! I tried & I tried & I tried even more! But THEN Suddenly at the 10th time I succeeded, the FUNNY thing though, is that I did it as a Challenge at a Certification here in Holland, & I was already fucked up & had a lot of lactic acid buildup in EVERY Muscle of my body, nontheless I succeeded! I believe, that having a mindset where you actually REALLY BELIEVE that you WILL SUCCEED, doesn’t matter HOW MANY times it will take you or HOW LONG it will take you, you’ll get it DONE! You’ll succeed, as long as a person believes he can achieve a PR the same day as he tries, he can! It’s all in the mind man… no joke! The good part about me Bottom’s Up Pressing the 32KG, was that I won it & could bring it home with me! It was a challenge there & the one who succeeded, would win the 32KG Kettlebell & take it for FREE! Guess what? I was the ONLY one who succeeded there, because I Attacked that Kettlebell Metal peace of shit! ANd in the end I WON!
Thanks again for this article, it made my day! Keep up the great stuff!
Have a good day & Set a few couple of PR’s while your at it, will ya!?
January 20th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
btw, that 32KG Kettlebell Bottom’s Up Press Challenge was in November of last year! Still, for me that IS back in time…
January 21st, 2011 at 9:38 am
Wow, this is a great article indeed. The only time you fail is when you quit! If you fail at a lift just use that as motivation for your next lift. Everyone has good and bad days.
January 26th, 2011 at 7:47 am
Thanks for a great post. very informative. I totally agree with you, having is the right mindset is most important of all. I Have already shared this post with a few of my friends and they loved it.
Thanks.