If you read my weekly Adam Up ezine, you’ll know that I have taken up weightlifting. I really enjoy it. I came from an endurance background and as a runner, I had a number of mental skills that stood me in good stead, but heck, it is a whole new world and is testing my body in very different ways. I have had to learn a LOT!

Having built a base of strength, at the beginning of the year, I set myself the quarterly goals of hitting a 120kg back squat, a 100kg bench press and a couple of other goals including ones to do with my pull-ups and so on. I was therefore delighted that at the gym’s testing day a couple of weekends back, I back squatted 145kg and have since benched 112kg. Ok, so for a guy my size, those numbers are not massive just yet. I was completely new to this, never done anything like it before, and I am in my 40s (and boy, some days, doesn’t my body know it!) with a busy life and so on, so it is not without challenge, but I am really pleased with my progress and the way my body has responded. I have big aims for the year and am really looking forward to seeing where I am at by the end of the next quarter.

My Olympic lifts have improved as a result of a Sonny Webster seminar I attended last weekend, so I may be posting some clean and jerks and some snatch lifts here soon too.

Here is a clip of my back squat from that day as well as a clean lift from the day:

I’ve written about how I’ve been using self-hypnosis and some valuable sports psychology principles to help with my strength, and I must say that all my challenges and victories are greatly influenced by my mindset, it is overtly obvious and great to see it in real-life action!

I’ll keep referring back to this from time to time and will keep you posted of my progress.

Here are some of the processes I’ve been using with my weight lifting to date that I’ve written about so far this year:

1. The Hypnotic Power Breath: For Explosive Strength and Energy.
2. Gym Workout – Maximise Your Gains – Use Self-Hypnosis For Post-Workout.
3. Using Self-Hypnosis To Mobilise More Effort and Strength.

Jut a short blog entry today, I’ll be back next week. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend, it is going to be sunny one here, so there’ll be some beach time for sure!