How-to take EGO out of lifting? 

Doing Alan dirty with that thumbnail

Nice thumbnail. I'm awaiting Alan Thrall's companion video

TBF I care about Jordans and Austins PRs more than my own at this point

I struggle with this. After I hit some round-numbered milestones, like sets of bench at 225, sets of squat at 315, sets of DL at 405, and sets of press at 135, I didn't want to scale back the weight because it felt like I was reverting to a previous strength level even though that's an irrational thought.

I feel called out by the "how much caffiene, Rick Ross and IronMind Oly lifting" comment... so damn funny/true

The "don't add weight until I can do this for a complete workout" has been my goto for a month or so now. Not very long, but I like it a lot.

That seems like such a better way to train. Let the weight determine the reps we do. Not make an pre-determined decision on how many reps at a certain weight. Especially considering how we know that our day to day weight capacity changes. Obviously with the long term goal of eventually hitting higher 1RMs. But having a rep range just sounds like the right move from a programming standpoint. Love the content!

double progression is what lifters have been doing for almost 80yrs. It takes the stress off of constantly adding weight. Own the weight🏋🏽

To quote the Dalai Lama, "it's okay to have desire, just be smart about it".

So good to hear that if I'm not constantly going up in weight, I'm wasting time or not progressing. Consistency is more important than absolute weight on any given day.

I definitely feel you guys are leading the conversation on this stuff. People are starting to listen. It's quite exciting. You've changed the way I train and I'm way more positive going to the gym and thinking the long game

That’s easy, I go to HOT Barbell in Southern California where there are a bunch of heavy lifters. Just when I think I’m strong, I’ll either see a powerlifter deadlift 300 kgs for reps, a strongman Press 280 lbs Overhead like a feather, or a lady Squat 300+ lbs easy Good reminder at how weak I am lol

Extraordinary information. Appreciate the benefit of your experience!

Dang this is great stuff. Thanks for sharing yall's insight.

I have now come to terms with how things in life don't go the way you want them to. Particularly with training, especially when I suffered a number of injuries that set me back big time after having just PR'd. I haven't been lifting for very long, but thanks to barbell medicine I have graduated from the "I need to lift more today!!!" mindset. Do I want to improve performance? Absolutely. But in the grand scheme of things, I would much rather have seldom/inconsistent progress and be healthy than good progress but get hurt. Man, it just isn't worth the pain (at least not for a recreational lifter such as myself). Love the content, keep it coming!

Thanks. This is really encouraging.

I needed to hear this.

Love seeing Bells of Steel and Pioneer as sponsors.

Leave Alan Thrall out of your thumbnail 😂

I settled into this some time ago. My weightlifting journey started seven plus years ago. I'm coming 72, so definitely a senior lifter. When I changed the rep range to 6-9 instead of 4-5, all of the joint pain disappeared. Also, if for instance, I normally get 7 reps, and today there are only 6 in the tank, I let it go. As I told my brother, who also lifts, you can't recognize a good workout, if there aren't a few bad ones to compare to.

I think there’s also this thing for newer lifters that’s like.. you see all these jacked, strong people on Instagram, you wana be like them, you attach your self worth onto how close you are to them, you ego lift so your totals can be closer to theirs, etc.

After catching covid for the first time right at the tail end of a peak where I was the strongest I've ever been, getting back into training with out having a negative mindset has been really rough. Training in rep ranges and lifts that I don't normally do has really helped though. It's definitely hard to leave ego at the door with something like powerlifting/strength training since the main purpose is to perform as well as possilbe, but this setback has kind of forced me to adopt a healthier perspective on progress

It's so funny because I use to watch Ironmind videos to hype me up for the gym. Really struck home 🤣

I got into powerlifting after doing Ironman Triathlons. I have found it difficult to shed the Ironman mindset of pushing through discomfort and training on the edge of my capabilities at all times. I know I need to for all the reasons in this video but also because lifting makes me anxious most days. I hope to relax into the mindset Jordan and Austin talk about here.

It was not a black cloud it was because you were a lot younger. When you get older, working out to stay in shape and be healthy is what is important

Alan Thrall sent me here. My question is, can a small recent inguinale bulge/hernia be eliminated with intelligent training without surgery? Thank you for your teaching.

Where do these guy find jeans that fit those huge quads snd still fit at the waist.

been training for over 40yrs🏋🏽My pr’s today were my light warmups from ‘80s. It f#c$s my head up! I do also do physical labor.. getting old sucks!

I am of the opinion that, if you have been weight training for a number of years, and at a high level (meaning at the upper quintile of your current max), ego is a driver in most things that you do. In other words, you don't have an ego because you're strong; rather, you're strong because you have an ego. Also, you are most definitely stubborn. ONLY stubborn people keep picking things up until they finally break 600-lbs off the floor. I say that only because I believe it is important to understand that going in. (And I understand that, like all generalizations, it doesn't apply to every lifter.) Akin to what Austin said, we have to Art-of-War this shit and realize the times our egos are our allies and when our egos are our enemies AND treat them accordingly.

But bro, how will everyone on Instagram know I'm a big strong man if I'm not lifting way more weight than I should be for my programming? In all seriousness, though, it's definitely hard not to want to lift more when you're in a light weight or lower RPE segment of training. But I am glad I train typically in the rpe 7-8 range and I've gotten pretty good at judging it. I can train all the time without hurting or feeling fatigued before I even start.

Austin baraki stats 620lb squat @195 455lb bench @196 745lb deadlift @200 Austin baraki way stronger than Eric bugenhagen

It's a personal decision. People have to find their own levels. Always train to bring enough struggle in your workouts but don't become obsessed with heavy lifting. Train for fun and listen to your body.

My ego is the soul of my training, wouldn't even think of not listening to it. This comes from a person who's been lifting drug free for 49 years, retired from construction and get to lift everyday now.

Bruhs, why you doing Alan dirty like that?

As I now see that rapid gains in strength at 59 seem elusive compared to when I was 40, I just accept that I am now adding more volume, a la Gironda!

2 comments, I'm 38, started lifting 2 years ago, not sure what that makes me, a rookie or intermediate, nor do I care, but what I had in mind when I started lifting was that this was gonna be a long run and I really shouldn't care how long it will take me. I am making progress now at a weekly basis. 5 rep range for sets (main lifts that is) and almost every week is a PR for me (increasing the weight on the bar by 2.5 kg) and so I decided that I will continue like this until I hit a wall. To sum, I always found funny yt videos like "build x muscle in 6 weeks" or whatever, what is gonna happen in 6 weeks? For me, deload. And we start again. 2nd, I too fall in the "ego-lifting" trap, but in sense that I'm still unexperienced to judge my form properly (I should probably get some prof. training 😂) and I sometimes overreach not because I am forcing it, but missing on form without noticing and then I have to correct that by lowering the weight and getting sure in the lift.

Yea that's what I do, Increasing variables in this order .. sets, reps, weight. So adding sets is the easiest, adding reps is the second easiest and weight is last. So have progression in all 3 I just cycle out the sets progression and when I finish I add one rep and start with 3 sets again and when I get to certain set x reps I add a little bit of weight and restart everything. Feels slow as fuck, but seems to work pretty consistently .. The hardest thing is always don't fall for the temptation to add 10kg instead of just 5 or 2.5 .. or that I feel great today so let's do 2 more sets and next workout is shit .. Just go and do exactly what you should and go home ..

For the algorithm

Make plans on programming the workout, but do the best you can do THAT day. It is no good to have programmed a 405 squat lift for today two weeks ago, and then go and you KNOW you HONESTLY don't feel it. Specially in the lower range reps. The five and above rep range are wayyyy more forgiving.

To take the ego out of lifting, you must take ego out of the human.

whatever happened to the BBM crew? Are you guys ditching youtube? I only know about your podcast on spotify

But why disrespect Alan?

I just want you guys to know that RU-vid tried to play a Huberman video after this and I told it ABSOLUTELY NOT.

my favorite jacked nerds ever

Us lifters would congratulate a friend for lifting at our frequency, intensity and volume. Why not acknowledge that we’re absolute gym monsters? We’re fkn awesome

It's easy. Just quit Crossfit. Nip it in the bud.

"No one gives damn about your squat."

Who are you competing with? Why are you lifting? If lifting is driving you crazy, perhaps you shouldn't be doing it. And ultimately, as you note, nobody on this planet gives a rats a.. about your PR. If you're doing this to be healthy, then frustration, anger, and bitter determination isn't.

29 seconds until you get to the question. Your intros are 11 seconds longer than Muscle Masochist's, and those were too long. REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE your intros guys, or put the sponsorships at the end. Or have them pop up while you're talking. And the volume on your intros and outros is TOO LOUD. It's two dudes silently talking, I turn up the volume on the speakers to hear you answer the question, then BLAM *HORN MUSIC* - go to 8:11 and listen to Jordan transitioning into the outro. Holy. Anyways, good video.

Fordan Jeigenbaum and Baustin Araki.