November 1986 marked a seminal moment in the world of barbells, weightlifting, physical culture and the manner in which the Iron Game was presented to the public. As described in Peary Rader’s editorial, Iron Man magazine had changed hands. He had mentioned his advancing age as one reason for the change, but he was optimistic that there will not be a great deal of difference in the magazine. Unfortunately, we who were around back then and are still here today- 39 years later- know all too well what happened to that once great magazine. It would be hard to overstate just what a great magazine Peary Rader’s Ironman was in its day. It would be equally hard to overstate the collective sadness that serious lifters experienced when the “new” Ironman became an imitation of the Weider magazines, with a focus on steroid-bloated bodybuilders with articles geared towards pumpers, posers, and toners. I remember that Larry Licandro wanted nothing to do with Ironman once Peary Rader left the scene, and quite honestly, nobody at Bruno’s cared for the new version.
However, just before the magazine changed hands, Peary Rader was able to put together a fantastic issue. An appropriate send-off, so to speak. In addition to the regular articles devoted to weightlifting, powerlifting, and nutrition, there were THREE articles written by Bradley Steiner. I have written many times about how I feel about Mr. Steiner’s articles and books. He was one of the truly great authors, devoted to the dissemination of sensible, drug-free training advice. As I have often mentioned, if you can get your hands on some of his books, then you will be graced with a treasure trove of information that will always be relevant.
In this particular edition of Ironman, one of the articles that caught my eye was titled “The Role of Concentration in Barbell Training.” Now, concentration has always been an important part of any trainee’s program. Unfortunately, it is something that has long been taken for granted by many lifters. Back in 1986, lifting, specifically competitive powerlifting, was foremost in my thoughts and efforts. Today, nearly forty years later, I still love the feeling of challenging myself to train as hard, heavy, progressively, and consistently as possible. I was recently reminded of this by a quotation that I saw recently on social media. It was a quotation by the great John Davis which went: “This sport is hard enough to do when you want it more than anything else in the world. If you’re halfway in and halfway out, you don’t have a prayer.”
Naturally, when a legendary figure such as John Davis speaks, you should be compelled to listen intently. Sadly, in 1986, John Davis had been dead for two years. But Bradley Steiner was going strong at the time, and his article about concentration served as an inspiration to countless individuals who sought to get bigger and stronger. Two salient points that he makes early in the article, are that concentration is an indispensable key to progress in any form of weight training, and secondly, and that concentration itself is “the deliberate focusing of attention by an act of will upon a given task.”
Mr. Steiner goes on to make eight great points related to the idea of concentration. Taken individually, or as a group, these ideas will assist anyone who “hoists the steel.”
Always have a clear vision of your goal. The importance of having a definitive goal is crucial to getting stronger.
Arrange for your training to be done in an undisturbed setting. Back in 1986, we didn’t have to worry about the ubiquitous cell phones, or other distractions that are a regular part of nearly every commercial gym. Believe it or not, back then, we were able to get through a workout without being in constant touch with the outside world. Unfortunately, loud disruptive toners and posers have always been around, and blocking them out has always been a challenge.
Take several minutes to “psyche up” and prepare for a workout. This is particularly important if you are training right after work, or school. But focusing on what you want to achieve, and visualizing your success will assist you in achieving a state of concentration conducive to success.
Take each workout exercise by exercise. In other words, thins about what you are doing. Not what you just did, or what you are about to do. This is often easier said than done, especially if you are lifting heavy and are attempting near-limit lifts on several movements.
Avoid lengthy pauses between sets that allow distractions. As a powerlifter, I used to be guilty of taking longer than usual rest between sets. I had mistakenly believed that longer time between sets would allow for me to train at my highest level. Instead, it was an invitation for distractions. Rest only as needed to regain your strength and energy.
Be certain that you increase the challenge of your workload whenever possible. Progression is the sine qua non when it comes to getting stronger. If your workouts are too easy, then there is no need to focus as strongly as when they are challenging.
Pay strict attention to proper form, and be sure to work the muscle through a full range of motion. Anyone who has access to YouTube or other forms of social media should get a chuckle out of this point, particularly in light of the fact that most – if not all- of the videos posted today, feature someone doing a back squat that is a mile high. Or doing what’s called a “bench press” by bouncing the bar off their chest and using about a six inch range of motion. I recently saw some yo-yo claiming to do 40 reps with 315 Lbs in the Bench Press. He took the bar off the uprights, then proceeded to bounce it off his chest 40 times. Each “rep” only moved off his chest a few inches. Yet, as his partner took the bar after the 40th rep, he proudly proclaimed that he had just performed a “world record” in repetition bench pressing. Always train with strict, proper form. This will automatically help you focus your attention to completing your reps that will build muscle and power.
Always get that last beneficial rep. We’ve all been raised on the fact that the last two or three reps are the ones that build true power. If your sets are too easy, then you will not make progress. The secret is to tax your muscles while at the same time not make your last set a desperate grinder that causes you to struggle as if your life depended on it.
Concentration has always played a big role in athletics, and the world of strength is no different. If you are able to focus your attention towards achieving your goals, while avoiding distractions, you will have a better chance of being successful in your weight training endeavors. You can succeed without a lot of other things, but never without total concentration upon your goal.
