Take a piss before a heavy set even if it’s the last one before going home.
Flush my nose with water. Clean my nose even if it’s empty before a heavy set.
Align benches I sit on between sets.
Tidy up around the lifting platform/squat rack before I start lifting. Usually there are plates lying around.
Allways use the same bar for the main lifts.
Allways use the same brand of plates and the same colour. The 25 Kg plates come in different red shades, I allways take the maroon ones. Why? German paratroopers have maroon berets, I am one of them.
Allwas relax before a new max atempt in the deadlift/oly lift by satnding in front of the bar for minutes and looking at it.
Allways take a sip of water before a set.
Yell after every set either of the following: “yeah buddy!”, “lightweight baby!”, “nuthin’ but peanuts!”
The most valuable lesson I learned in quantum mechanics classes is: the most important thing is symmetry!
Question for whoever wrote about the rattling. How does it make a difference to the rattling and movement if the hollow part is out or in. They still have the same contact area.
No they don’t. When you put the plates on the correct way you put the bigger plates on first and the hollow part facing in. This means the lip on the hollow side is touching the flat.
If you put the bigger plates on first and the flat part on the inside the lip does not touch the smaller plate.
Unless you just use 45s for everything like a real man does.[/quote]
My bad, I understand where I went wrong now. i am going to try this morning with the plates facing in.
Actually, it is legs today, so it wont matter what way I stack all 16 45’s on the bar
Before I lift, I breathe really deeply several times, rocking back and forth on my toes. I will slap my outer thighs twice and take one final breath before beginning the lift.
Yeah, the plates have to face in for me. It just looks odd when they face out.
Match the weights. At home, I have a couple different brands but I have to make sure I have the same 45s or 35, etc.
When I worked out at a gym, I had to have the bar lined up with the ceiling tiles. Often, that meant moving the bench. If not, I would try to line it up while I lifted, that isn’t good.
Even at home, I won’t stand in my power rack between sets of squats. I must leave the rack. Once I enter, it is all business.
I must have the bar as far forward on pins as they can get.
When doing exercises outside of the rack, I must either be centered facing the rack or facing away from it. I can’t stare at a side wall (this doesn’t apply at a commercial gym though).
I also do the heel tapping thing before DLs as well as the toe tapping before benching.
Socks must be pulled up before DLs and I wipe my hands on my shorts before grabbing the bar. A towel just doesn’t do it for me.
I always take 2-3 deep breaths with my eyes closed before doing a set of bench presses. I start the lift with the last breath and open my eyes at the same time.
When doing heavy dumbbell presses, the left one is raised to my leg before the right but I lift the right one to my shoulder before lifting the left one.
[quote]ledfist wrote:
The hollow parts of plates face inwards… I learned this a while ago, but never learned why. Any reasons?[/quote]
Back when wightlifting was only olympic lifting, the first plate always faced the inside so your lifting partner could see what weight you were using and load the other side of the bar evenly. After the first plate all other plates should be facing outwards to be easily read.
I have one plate facing in and the other facing out to mess with all you OCD people.
What’s funny about all of these rationalizations “weight closer to center of bar, etc…” is that the plates are probably different by a couple pounds per pair. Now you’ll all be weighing your plates to make sure they match.
[quote]danger-kelly wrote:
I was reading the SRC thread and I noticed that people seem really intense about people in their space, moving their things, doing krappy lifts near some serious lifts (The Shithag comes to mind). I was wondering what superstions/borderline OCD behavior other lifters have. I’m not talking about incapacitating things like how some people have to wash their hands 30 times and turn off the lights 5 times. Interesting things to me are:
What do you visualize before heavy sets? Think about Simmons/Coleman watching you with disgust? Kicking sand in the face of the high-school bully? Winning NCAA 100m dash?
How much chalk do you put on your hands? Just some on the calluses? Cover the whole goddam palm? Use a towel? Wrist straps worn in just a certain way?
Do you have to hike up your shorts or socks? Tighten/loosen your shoes? Crack knuckles?
Do you grab the bar exactly the same way? Thumbs near the inner rings? Outer part of your hand touches the bar first? Hell, do you sit on a bench exactly the same way?
I’ll share the first one, then let’s hear about yours:
Weight plates on a barbell are of the same brand at each stage of a warmup
Example:
Troy BB: 45#
plus IronGrips 45’s: 135#
plus Keys 45’s: 225#
plus IronGrips 25’s: 275#
And for christ-sake, the hollow parts of the plates must face inwards. To not do so is almost as bad as a squat rack curl, and will earn you an automatic stereotype from me (no-charge!) as a rookie/loser/dumbass.
[/quote]
Yeah, I’m superstitious about that. I saw a guy lifting with one plate facing outward, the other facing inward. I was fuckin’ disgusted.
I also have a pair of gloves that are fuckin’ shredding to pieces, but I can’t get rid of them! Those and an old-ass towel!
I am not really that anal. I prefer the hollow part to be out, but I dont give a shit. I will sometimes even have a 2.5lb plate on one side and two 1.25lbs on the other side which I know some would consider killing me for.
Helga, we could never lift together. You’d drive me crazy with that shit.[/quote]
[quote]BSims wrote:
Wow. I need my clients to read this thread cos they think I am nutty and here I am similar to y’all.
Since forever I have put the side with writing on it inwards and each pairing of weights must match. Why? Cos I want all of the energy of the weights coming into me giving me power. A little eastern mysticism, maybe, but always to the inside.
Also, each pairing of weights must be the same brand. Don’t care if i use three brands on the bar but they have to match the other.
And unless I am doing O-lifts, then no collars. If i can’t balance the weight on a free weighted lift then my ass ought to be on the idiot safe machines. [/quote]
[quote]ytbones wrote:
I have to have the least amount of plates possible eg if I’m doing a lift with 135 lbs then I need a 45 on each side NEVER a 25 and two 10s. It just feels lighter for some reason.
If I am doing 125 lbs for one set and 135 for the next I will strip off all the weights and put the 45s on.[/quote]
It should feel heavier from the floor, you have farther to lift it.
[quote]cap’nsalty wrote:
I don’t think it matters whether the hollow part faces in or out, as long as they all face the same way.
My personal thing, which I’m sure a million people have: when squatting, I unrack the weight, step back, step out, then do this weird little shuffle thing with my feet till it feels right.[/quote]
Before heavier squats, I have to grab the bar perfectly, squat all the way down while holding onto the bar, stand to get set, lift and step back.
When doing dumbbells, I have to have them be tight. Bastards don’t know how to finish a heavy set of benches without throwing the weights and jacking them all up.
When I do dumbbell bench, I have to rock back and fourth with my breathing. Back while inhaling and fourth when exhaling, otherwise when i go back with the weights i feel way off and have trouble getting the initial lift off.
As for plates, we have the rubber octoganal ones with the grip holes, I have to line all the angles up, especialy when I squat.
