The Mental Trick That Gets You The Extra Rep

How do you get that extra rep when it seems you are all spent? Use this trick coming straight from psychotherapy!

Gnnngnnngnnnh!

Everyone who ever tried to get out one more rep on that last and most difficult set knows the feeling: come on, come on, come on, I know you are in there!

But it feels like your muscles are locking up and you couldn’t move the bar if your life depended on it.

Let me show you a simple method that uses one of our most ancient instincts to make that extra rep happen:

A Workout Trick From Psychotherapy

I mentioned this comes out of psychotherapy and it does. People who, for example, have a problem with self-esteem can’t voice their frustrations toward the person that upset them. This pent-up aggression goes inwards and people become self-destructive. Not good.

To have them keep their mental kettle intact and still vent steam, some therapists hand those patients a pair of boxing gloves and introduce a sandbag. Without fear of social repercussions the stored anger is released, not hurting the patient or anyone else.

The way I adapted it we use a frustration that isn’t as acute as in people who go into therapy, but nonetheless already exists. If it helps you too in keeping your sanity or from blowing off at the wrong time and moment, all the better!

Picture courtesy of Casey Fleser.