Your battle to succeed in powerlifting is won or lost in your mind long before you chalk up and curl your fingers around the knurling of a barbell.

There are lots of articles and tips on getting you revved up to perform. THIS ISN’T ONE OF THEM. Learn to conserve your energy between sets.

Just the other day, I was listening to a motivational speech that got me going. That speech made it clear to me that an evolution of the thought process and perception of what training should be is how lifters and strength athletes progress to the higher levels.

Sorry to burst your bubble. There’s really no such thing as 60 seconds to a huge PR. Training, whether it’s mental or physical, requires practice.

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who have no time under the bar, no idea of why they’re training, and no vision for their future powerlifting career. Once I started to understand why I lift, I became a better lifter overnight.

This breathing exercise will help you to perform your heaviest sets with much more confidence and ease. It will take practice to get the hang of the process, but once you do, I promise, it’s absolutely worth it.

When recovering from a recent hamstring tear, I started using a simple practice that can not only make training more intense, productive, and satisfying, but can also help you handle anything in training — including injury.

If you are limited by the work and sacrifice that are required to be a champion, then embrace your mediocrity!