I remember reading not that long ago that there's nothing wrong with scrolling through your phone between sets. The only problem with that is that I probably read it on social media. Pretty ironic.
With training going well I have been entertaining the idea of doing a bench-only meet. It will give my lifting purpose. Plus, with the amount of running I do, It would be good to take a little focus off my lower body training anyway.
At 52 I have no illusions of breaking records. However, if I'm going to compete, I want to prepare myself as best as I can. So I have been going over my training cycles and past practices. A very serious area of focus for me has always been on sports psychology and mental preparation.
During training between sets, I would always focus on my breathing. I would also frequently practice visualization or repeating a mantra on cues and technique. Meanwhile, I have been pretty much watching other people lifting or panda videos on social media.
During training this past Friday I figured I'd have a little experiment regarding time spent between sets. Last Friday during my bench amrap I got 295 for 8 while doing my usual social media scrolling or posting. Between each set this week I focused on nasal breathing into my belly for each rest interval. With 300 lbs I hit 10 reps. What makes that even more impressive is that I still had the remnants of a brutal cold or flu I had been recovering from.
I know it should not come as a surprise that focusing on lifting between sets makes a difference. What I do hope is that it serves as a reminder to all of us on how we should be spending that time. I have nothing against social media, but if you are trying to optimize your performance in the gym, put your damn phone away.
