CrossFit_ 3 Mental Toughness Tips - Bodybuilding

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VITAL STATSName: Jackson Yee

Occupation: Fitness

Trainer

BodySpace: jax4444

Website:

mentaltoughnessguy.com

You don't have to be a CrossFitter to apply some of their strategies for

mental toughness to your own workout. Here are three tips to develop a

stronger mind and a better physique!

If you saw any of the 2014 CrossFit Games in July, I'm

sure you noticed some of the incredible physiques

cheering in the audience and competing in the arena.

When I first started CrossFit 10 years ago, the emphasis

was on cardio. Back then, most participants had that lean,

supple look. Since then, CrossFit has exploded into a

more well-rounded and intense training protocol. Today,

CrossFitters have to be strong, powerful, and able to work

for long periods of time. As the sport has evolved, so

have the bodies of CrossFitters. They are now bigger and

leaner than ever.

In order to survive the evolution of CrossFit, I had to

come up with mental strategies in order to cope with the

overwhelming workload. If not, the demands of CrossFit

would have crushed me and forced me to quit the sport I enjoy so much.

Although I've applied these mental strategies to my improvement in CrossFit, they aren't

exclusive to CrossFitters. These mental strategies are applicable to everyonefrom the

competitive bodybuilder to the marathon runner. Use them to make yourself better, no

matter your sport or your goal. When you learn how to push your body to the limit, you

expect your physique to look better than ever.

1 THE MIND WILL ALWAYS LEAD THE BODY

Many gym-goers struggle to learn how to push themselves beyond the limit of their

perceived limitations. If you're tired, you stop, right? The problem with pushing yourself

only so far is that your body will stop changing. As your body and mind grow accustomed

to a particular workload, they'll stop making progress.

What CrossFit has taught me, and what I think everyone can apply to their own fitness, is

the idea that the body can always do more. The average CrossFit WOD (Workout of the

Day) is deliberately designed to fatigue your body to the point where you don't think you

can go on. The lesson in the WODs is that when your body is totally exhausted, you must

look for a different energy source. And guess what? Your body will do it.

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D A V I D MO RI NGOD2 DOI T

CROSSFIT:3 MENTALTOUGHNESS TIPS

SETTING ANDACHIEVING GOALS

DEDICATION,CONSISTENCY, FOCUS

GOAL SETTING

MIND POWER

Fear

SELF IMPROVEMENT

TIME MANAGEMENT

by Jackson Yee

Last updated: Mar 17, 2015



You must learn to rely on your mind to push you through the suffering. It is in your

mentality, not your 20-inch biceps, that your true power lies. When you learn to depend

on your mind, you'll be amazed at the unlimited amount of strength and endurance that

your body has. "Whatever you convince your mind to believe," says Bobby Ashhurst,

CrossFitter and Pursuit Rx athlete, "will become a reality." Once you discover that your

mind can will your tired body to lift heavier weights, do more reps, and perform longer,

you can develop a better physique, perform better in sports, or be mentally tougher for

any aspect of life.

So the next time you want to quit, listen to that positive voice in your head and let it push

you to keep going!

2 DON'T FEAR FAILURE

getmorin 9 months ago Follow

551 likes 6 comments



2 DON'T FEAR FAILURE

If you lift weights, you probably know they have to get progressively heavier in order for

your muscles to grow. However, there will come a time when lifting a challenging weight

will be an intense struggle. You might even fail.

These big weights can be scary. They can push you beyond your comfort zone and make

you feel like a total wuss. That's a good thing. The worst thing you can do is be overly

hesitant to try again. Don't live in your comfort zone! Instead of lifting weights you know

you can handle all the time, plan for PR attempts, try that bigger dumbbell, and constantly

strive to get better every time you walk into the gym.

To CrossFitters, professional weightlifters, big powerlifters, and even college and high-

school athletes, fail lifts are part of a positive progression. It is a sign that they are

overcoming fear and doubt. Once the fear of the heavier weight is eliminated, you can be

persistent in your pursuit of smashing old personal records with giant weights. These big

weights are why CrossFitters can pack on big muscle.

Don't wait any longer. Go for a new one-rep personal best in your deadlift or back squat

today. If you fail, who cares? Just adjust your training and try again in a few weeks!

ONCE THE F EAR OF THE HEAVIER WEIG HT IS ELIMINATED, YOU CAN BE PER SISTENT IN YOUR

PUR SUIT OF SMASHING OLD PER SONAL R ECOR DS WITH G IANT WEIG HTS.

3 CHANGE YOUR WEAKNESS TO STRENGTH

Go to any commercial gym and I bet you'll see most guys doing biceps curls or bench

presses, and most gals doing cardio or working on their butts. A lot of people spend the

majority of their time in the gym working on their favorite muscle groups or doing their

favorite exercises.

Sure, you biceps-curlers might have big arms, and you booty-blasters might have tight

buns, but eventually your positive body composition changes will come to a disappointing

halt. Moreover, exclusively or semi-exclusively training just one or two body parts can

make your physique unbalanced, your body more prone to injury, and your overall fitness

a joke.

To be a good bodybuilder, a good CrossFitter, a good athlete, or even just a fit, healthy

person, you must be well-rounded. That means sometimes you have to do movements

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person, you must be well-rounded. That means sometimes you have to do movements

that you suck at.

TO BE A G OOD BODYBUILDER , A G OOD CR OSSF ITTER , A G OOD ATHLETE, OR EVEN JUST A F IT,

HEALTHY PER SON, YOU MUST BE WELL-R OUNDED.

Every CrossFittter has a weakness. For me, it was the Olympic lifts. For others, it might be

handstand push-ups or rowing. To be successful in the gym, you must have the mentality

to overcome your weakness. When you work on movements you don't usually do, you

exert your muscles in new ways and recruit different fibers you normally don't use. This

stimulates growth and builds overall muscle in your entire body.

By constantly learning new and challenging physical skills, you force your body to grow all

over. This is a huge reason why veteran CrossFit men and women look great from top to

bottom! You don't have to work out in a CrossFit box to achieve similar results. Pick a new

movement you've never tried before, like front squats or power cleans, and give it a go in

your next workout!

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hills and trails to burn fat, build stamina, and boost her

speed! Think outside the box.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackson YeeJack has been working as a fitness trainer for more

than 25 years. He continues that training while also

pursuing a Ph.D in sports psychology.

View All Articles By This Author

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Rep Power: 0

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repower

Good reading, I'm totally agree with n 3, but, at the same

time, n3 isn't enable to achieve without n1 and 2.

Sep 30, 2014 6:20pm | report

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jax4444

Thanks for your comment on reading my article!

Jack

Oct 2, 2014 3:56am | report

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kiestonreece

Great read! I recently started doing everything that I

HHHHHATE in the gym, and I have seen more results than

ever. I hate heavy weights, I hate circuit training (full body),

and more than ever, I hate clean & press...........and now, those

are a staple in my workout. I push myself to the point that at

the end of my workout, I'm glad I made it, LOL!

Oct 1, 2014 5:05pm | report

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jax4444

kiestonreece - that's why you look like a BEAST!!!!

Great job with working on your weakness!


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HomeWorkouts88

Great tips. I like to think that there are principles we can learn

from every type of training and I definitely want to learn more

about crossfit.


Rep Power: 0

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ht: 5'4"wt: 144 lbsbf: 9.0%

jax4444

I have more CF articles on the way! Let know if you

have any questions on Crossfit.

Thanks again for reading my article!


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chef525

Follow these tips for anything fitness, and you will be Amazed

at the transformations and Achievements your body makes.

Article Rated: 10


Rep Power: 0

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jax4444

I totally agree with you! Thanks!




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SpAgetttt

"The average CrossFit WOD (Workout of the Day) is

deliberately designed to fatigue your body to the point where

you don't think you can go on"

Well I guess all the WODs I've ever done have been far below

average


Rep Power: 0

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ht: 5'4"wt: 144 lbsbf: 9.0%

jax4444

Well I guess all the WODs I've ever done have been far

below average - if that's the case, you got to turn up

the intensity. What were some of your most recent

WODs?


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PTwarrior

Nice article about how our minds come into play not only in

the gym but, anything we take on when it comes to setting

goals and achieving them.

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom.

Oct 2, 2014 11:45am | report

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jax4444

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom as

well!

Jackson


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PedroDVC

Great articule. Never looked back since I started doing

Crossfit and circuit training.


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jax4444

Thanks for the kind words! Glad you took up CV and

staying with it! Keep up the good work!


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Stat911

Short article, but really inspirational. Thank you.


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jax4444

No, thank you for taking the time to be positive with

me!

Jackson




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RealLordSoares

Outstanding article! Definitely key points to keep in mind.

Oct 3, 2014 10:39am | report

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jax4444

Thanks for taking the time and writing me such a

positive review!

Jackson


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mike2lane

This article is right on. I often struggle with getting in that

extra rep or two in the middle of the workouts, but somehow I

find the strength to burst through the last 45 seconds before

the end. This tells me that it is all in my head. You have

motivated me to push harder through my weak moments.

Thanks.


Rep Power: 0

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jax4444

I am so glad I to have helped you! And you have

motivated me to write more articles for BB.com.

Stay strong, push through the fatigue and become

mentally stronger!

Your friend,

Jackson


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61customrebuild

For me the big problem with crossfit is the lack of grace due

to the desperation that falls upon the individual when the

body crosses the line into the survival/aerobic breathing

mode and form deteriorates. But I do like the crossfit torso

physiques with natural strong well-balanced muscularity. My

approach used crossfit type bodyweight suspension moves

for physique development. Olympic bar moves, not for me,

too awkward and unbalanced.

Nov 5, 2014 9:31am | report

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Salahaldin

This article change my life. I'm a rookie to working out and

healthy lifestyle, and that right there is what I needed to read.

Thanks for writing this gospel.

Nov 9, 2014 7:56am | report

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ht: 6'1"wt: 196 lbsbf: 12.0%

PTwarrior

Thanks for the article. Pushing through our pre-conceived

limitations is something that we constantly need to work on.

Training the body is easy, its the training our minds that is

difficult!

Nov 18, 2014 3:10pm | report

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Kayellebee

this is just what I needed - been in a rut for the past couple

days with sub-par workouts. Now I know I've got to mix it up

and get out of my comfort zone... it keeps things interesting

mentally and physically ;)



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Rep Power: 0

mentally and physically ;)

Nov 23, 2014 7:58pm | report

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ht: 5'4"wt: 170 lbsbf: 32.0%

SH50140

Wimpiest triceps ever! But I work them hard to get stronger -

I'm not even sure what those little guys do but if they exist,

they get trained.

Nov 24, 2014 6:35pm | report



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CrossFit_ 3 Mental Toughness Tips - Bodybuilding