Spark Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 Listen, I like having worked out, but the actual working out part is a little more difficult when it's happening. I've got a mental trick that I use when I'm doing multiple reps, particularly when I'm doing more than, say, fifteen in a set. For example, today I did three sets of 22 squats. First set, I just counted. Second set, I got to 12 and then started over, counting to 10. Third set I got to 12, then started over. I got to 5 and then started over again, counting 5 one more time. I find that when I look at what's needed to finish the set can sometimes seem to take forever. I get to 12 and think, "Oh my GOD there's no way I can make it to 22, that's forever from now!" but if I tell myself that I'm at one and I just need to do ten more? Well, hell. I can do ten. If it turns out that five is feeling really rough, I can start over counting again because no matter what's going on, I can do five squats. Or at least that's the way that my mind seems willing to fool itself. Yeah, I'm still doing all 22, and on some level I know that, but it really helps me to start over counting halfway through sometimes. So do you folks have any thoughts about mind games that you play on yourselves? 2 Quote Level 10 Superhero Trainee (Ranger)Str 20 Dex 12 Sta 15 Con 15 Wis 13 Cha 16 My Battle Log: Getting Back on the HorseChallenges! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10NerFiWriCh Completed: 1! My book! The Mercenary's Guide to Ruined Seattle. To all you saints and sinners!You losers and you winners!Here's to one more day above the roses! Link to comment
Oramac Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 I like that strategy. Personally, I use what I call "Owing Myself" to get it done. I typically lift alone, so I don't have a spotter. If I've recently added weight and I get to the 4th or 5th set and rep #3-5 and I know I can't do it without killing myself, I just skip it and say I "owe myself X reps" for however many I couldn't do. Then I just add a 6th or (very rarely) 7th set to finish all my reps. 1 Quote "Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back." - Captain Malcolm Reynolds Current Challenge Also, I Agree With Tank™ Link to comment
Elastigirl Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 I count reps backward. That way when I get to the hardest part I can tell myself it is only 1 or 2 more reps than I'm done 1 Quote Wisdom 22.5 Dexterity 13 Charisma 15 Strength 21 Constitution-13 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind' Luke 10; 27 Link to comment
Spark Posted April 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 Probably a less-complicated version of my tactic. Quote Level 10 Superhero Trainee (Ranger)Str 20 Dex 12 Sta 15 Con 15 Wis 13 Cha 16 My Battle Log: Getting Back on the HorseChallenges! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10NerFiWriCh Completed: 1! My book! The Mercenary's Guide to Ruined Seattle. To all you saints and sinners!You losers and you winners!Here's to one more day above the roses! Link to comment
Guzzi Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 Yeah, I do this. I set myself a target, at which point I can bail, knowing that I've given myself permission. I tell myself "just 10... just 10... (or just one more round...) that's all you gotta do..." Even I know that I'm never actually going to stop at that point, it's always "another 10.... Come on! You got another 10 in you...." But it helps. 1 Quote Make Life Rue The Day Turning back the clock Recipe book 14 Life is far too short to take seriously Link to comment
Überleben Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 I don't really have a mind trick for reps with my stuff. I tend to just tell myself "If you can't do this, you're a giant pussy" and grit my teeth and do it. I don't like me calling me a pussy :I With hiking though, I use what my friend likes to call my "super shopper technique", which isn't a bad name for it, I do the same thing when I'm shopping too. I hate spending money, so I hunt for deals. And when I find a deal I usually go "I bet I can find a better deal" and keep looking. I do the same with rest spots. "Wow, this is a nice spot to rest, but I bet there's an even nicer spot just up there." then when I get to that spot I either say the same thing, or I say "Nope, this spot isn't as nice, but there's no point in turning back now, there must be a better spot just up there." I think my record of doing this was an extra three miles. My newbie hiking friend was very unimpressed when we finally rested. 4 Quote “Freedom is what we do with what is done to us.†~ Jean-Paul Sartre Back on form next challenge Link to comment
Truetopath Posted April 6, 2014 Report Share Posted April 6, 2014 I saw a meme on one of the social networking sites that had a picture of a kitten and it said "every time you skip a rep a kitten dies." Now being the superstitious type I'm surely not going to be responsible for the mass murder of kittens. Just my way of looking at it. 1 Quote Link to comment
Bearded_Dragon Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Probably a less-complicated version of my tactic. I like your tactic tbh, when I'm lifting or running I do something similar, it really helped when I was getting started as it helped me realise how much more I had within me. I'd think, "ok, I'll just run this mile, then see where we are. Oh! Finished that mile, that was ok, I feel fairly far from death, let's do another half mile. Oh! finished that half mile, that was ok, etc. etc. etc." 2 Quote Link to comment
Spark Posted April 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 It's related to a tactic that I learned while writing. "Okay, Spark, gotta write 2000 words today...and 500 done, gotta just write 1500 today! Hell, 1500 is nothing, you can do that. 800 more down...just have to write 700 words? Hell, that's nothing. You can do 700 in a warm-up." I was delighted to find that it worked so well with physical stuff too. Quote Level 10 Superhero Trainee (Ranger)Str 20 Dex 12 Sta 15 Con 15 Wis 13 Cha 16 My Battle Log: Getting Back on the HorseChallenges! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10NerFiWriCh Completed: 1! My book! The Mercenary's Guide to Ruined Seattle. To all you saints and sinners!You losers and you winners!Here's to one more day above the roses! Link to comment
Vintage Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 "Just one more" plays in my head a lot when I'm in the higher rep range. I'll be partway through a tough set of kettlebell swings, thrusters, toes to bar, pull ups, etc. and start wanting to break it up... so I tell myself "just get one more before you break"... and then do it again and again... at some point in this I realize I'm so close to being done that it would be pointless to break it up, so I just finish it out. When I'm getting tired and lactic acid is building, thinking that I have to do 10 more may seem impossible so I'll break it up. But I know I can always do one more. 2 Quote Link to comment
iatetheyeti Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 I'm another one for the "Just X more left..." thing, and most of the time I'll count reps forwards until halfway, then begin counting down. Makes it seem like there's less to do. .And when I'm not counting I'm treating myself to what will either be motivational self-talk or a slew of insults, depending on the mood I started off in. The former does the motivation trick nicely, and the latter gets me angry enough to prove myself wrong. Not the healthiest method in the world, really... 2 Quote "The old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring." Yeti on Flickr - Facebook - Instagram Link to comment
downsfzbk16 Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 like that strategy. Quote Link to comment
fizzifish Posted April 12, 2014 Report Share Posted April 12, 2014 When I'm trail running, I have random tracks of recorded zombie noises (like they are coming out from deep within the forest) in my playlist. Freaks the hell out of me when the tracks play randomly especially if I'm running in the evening. I then proceed to run. FAST. No kidding. 5 Quote Link to comment
iatetheyeti Posted April 12, 2014 Report Share Posted April 12, 2014 ^^That is actually amazing! Stealing for bike rides Quote "The old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring." Yeti on Flickr - Facebook - Instagram Link to comment
Spark Posted April 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2014 When I'm trail running, I have random tracks of recorded zombie noises (like they are coming out from deep within the forest) in my playlist. Freaks the hell out of me when the tracks play randomly especially if I'm running in the evening. I then proceed to run. FAST. No kidding. o.o This is exactly why I started this thread. =D 1 Quote Level 10 Superhero Trainee (Ranger)Str 20 Dex 12 Sta 15 Con 15 Wis 13 Cha 16 My Battle Log: Getting Back on the HorseChallenges! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10NerFiWriCh Completed: 1! My book! The Mercenary's Guide to Ruined Seattle. To all you saints and sinners!You losers and you winners!Here's to one more day above the roses! Link to comment
ContractSoldier Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Good Afternoon, When needing a quick pick-me-up during my regimen I always think of a state of panic. For example when I'm running and I'm starting to fatigue badly "I envision a loved one hurt or in a car wreck, your cell phone is not working and no one is around. You have to make it to that call box or gas station because their life depends on you!" I do the same when lifting, When that fatigue sets in "I envision pulling off wreckage or debris from a loved one because no one else is going to save them." Not being able to perform when a loved one needs me the most is one of my greatest fears and thus my greatest fuels. Just my two cents.. Good Luck and Godspeed 2 Quote Ave Atque Vale! -The Soldier "Civilize the mind but make savage the body." - Chairman Mao"Self-respect is the fruit of discipline." - Abraham J. Heschel"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." - Confucius“Keep your blood clean, your body lean, and your mind sharp.†– Henry Rollins“Tell the negative committee that meets inside your head to sit down and shut up.†- Ann Bradford“Pray not for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.†– Bruce Lee Link to comment
Dandizette Posted April 24, 2014 Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 I'm a musician, so when I'm working out with weights, I break things down into multiples of 3 and 4."Gotta keep going! If I can do four more, then I can break!"But then I get to 4 (8, 12, 16-whatever! Exponentials!) and I feel like I can do more, so I just keep doing little bursts of 3 or 4 until I can't anymore. When I'm cycling or walking though, I find my old marching band habits picking up though. So, I'll pick a song to start humming and match my cadence to the beats (or subdivided beats) of that song for the duration of my time. It really helps me set a manageable pace, and if I know the music well, makes me wanna finish so I can enjoy all of it. 1 Quote High Elf | Scout | Level 3[ STR 3.5 | DEX 3 | STA 7 | CON 3 | WIS 7 | CHA 4 ]Second Challenge | Battle Log"I do not intend to make excuses." 100 Plus Miles! 101%101% Link to comment
Spark Posted June 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Two more! First was one I stumbled upon while working sets of 12. When I get to five reps, I start doing the math in my head to figure out what percentage equals 5/12. By the time I get to "Um, well, you'd have to do the division into...wait, I did twelve already?" I'm done! Also, if a rep is being particularly recalcitrant, I glare at the bar and think, "You're nothing but iron. Just Atomic Twenty-Six, you can't beat me." So far I've been right. 1 Quote Level 10 Superhero Trainee (Ranger)Str 20 Dex 12 Sta 15 Con 15 Wis 13 Cha 16 My Battle Log: Getting Back on the HorseChallenges! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10NerFiWriCh Completed: 1! My book! The Mercenary's Guide to Ruined Seattle. To all you saints and sinners!You losers and you winners!Here's to one more day above the roses! Link to comment
Vella Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Listen, I like having worked out, but the actual working out part is a little more difficult when it's happening. I've got a mental trick that I use when I'm doing multiple reps, particularly when I'm doing more than, say, fifteen in a set. For example, today I did three sets of 22 squats. First set, I just counted. Second set, I got to 12 and then started over, counting to 10. Third set I got to 12, then started over. I got to 5 and then started over again, counting 5 one more time. I find that when I look at what's needed to finish the set can sometimes seem to take forever. I get to 12 and think, "Oh my GOD there's no way I can make it to 22, that's forever from now!" but if I tell myself that I'm at one and I just need to do ten more? Well, hell. I can do ten. If it turns out that five is feeling really rough, I can start over counting again because no matter what's going on, I can do five squats. Or at least that's the way that my mind seems willing to fool itself. Yeah, I'm still doing all 22, and on some level I know that, but it really helps me to start over counting halfway through sometimes. So do you folks have any thoughts about mind games that you play on yourselves? Hah - I use exactly that trick! Just keep counting fives... Hmmm, what other tricks do I use on myself .... It sounds really stupid, but I like to really concentrate on the particular muscles that I'm using. Sometimes it helps me focus on my form (oh, hey, I'm engaging that muscle and I shouldn't be/not engaging it and I should), but if things are getting really tough, I like to imagine I can feel it growing and getting stronger Nothing like dangling the carrot of getting stacked to help out with motivation... 2 Quote Previous challenges: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) Link to comment
Rebel Pilot Gar Posted June 11, 2014 Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 Started doing this one back when I did track - When running certain distance loops and I feel like I want to stop I make myself run to the next mailbox/tree/intersection/etc. Then just before I get to that landmark I pick one that's a little further ahead and say I just need to get to that one. I keep doing this until I'm done or the urge to stop running goes away. I also reset the number of reps when I feel like I need to. Say I'm going to 10, when I reach 5 I'll either start over or start counting backwards to get those last reps in. 2 Quote "Always remember, your focus determines your reality." - Qui-Gon Jinn, The Phantom Menace "I Find That Answer Vague And Unconvincing." - K-2SO, Rogue One ”Persistence without insight will lead to the same outcome.” [spoilers], The Book of Boba Fett Link to comment
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