This Bar Is Light

This bar is light.

That’s what I tell myself every single time, no matter what the lift is, no matter how many plates are on the bar.

This bar is light.

• It can be a snatch, a thruster, a front squat, or a deadlift.

• There can be 85 lbs on it or 225 lbs.

• It can be a practice jerk with PVC pipe or it can be a 10lb PR on a 1RM back squat.

Still, this bar is light.

It might sound stupid, but it works for me. Really works. Because if I approach that bar with the idea that the weight is heavy, then it will feel heavy. And if my mind is weighed down, then my chances of making that lift go way down.

Like when I see a woman shake her head “no” in the middle of a workout. I want to yell “Stop shaking your head!” from across the room. (But I don't.) I know the gal with the head shake is probably trying to psych herself up, but usually she doesn’t realize she just psyched herself out.

If you think the weight is heavy, it will feel heavy.

Heavy is hard to lift. But light? Light is a cakewalk. You can do light.

Jason Khalipa, shortly after winning the 2008 CrossFit Games, said this to me: “If you think you can’t do another push-up, you can’t.” He was talking about the power of the mind.

Put the right thoughts in your head and get out of your own way.

See? This bar is light.