Mind games that happen at the Gym

The bench press is probably the best and most basic exercise to build your chest muscles up.

To build up muscle, you need to push the envelope and lift the biggest weights you can get away with, while still keeping good form.

The problem though, is that if you bite off more than you can chew, you could be stuck with a bloody big weight on your chest.. 

My state of mind and attitude play a big part on what I think I can lift, so the right frame of mind is important.

One solution, is to ask someone to ‘spot’ you, and they stand behind you ready to help. A psychological effect of this though, is that it’s now ‘easier’ to lift that heavy weight, partly because your not worried about ‘what if’.

It means you lift weights heavier than you normally would.

So I find it’s hard to max out on the bench press as a result, but then again, been a naturally cautious person, it’s sort of easier to push the worry of ‘getting stuck’ aside, know that I naturally err on the side of caution.