Hmmph.

I try really hard not to make excuses for myself while I am lifting. If a weight is not going up, rather than start spinning my mental wheels on all the reasons why that might be (I'm tired or sore, my form is off, I slept badly or ate something different, the rack sucks, I forgot my iPod, etc) I try to focus on the task at hand and getting it done. Try being the operative word there. I am a fairly compulsive over-thinker in all areas of life, and I have yet to get this under control in the weight room. I know my tendency to over-analyze everything is generally ultimately unproductive, so I've been trying to be better about it. It's hard.

On the other hand, I do think it's important to pay attention to factors like stress, work load, nutrition, surroundings, and of course lifting form, to see how these things can be tweaked and changed to help me make the lifts I need/want to make. I think one important factor in this evaluation is to make sure that these reasons for not making a lift become areas for improvement, rather than excuses for performance.

I think I need to start meditating again, as during the brief period where I was sitting for 5-15 minutes a day, I did notice an increased ability to shut out the excuse/explanation part of my brain when I needed to JUST LIFT.

The source of all this reflection is the fact that I squatted today, maxed at 195#x5, but I'm pretty certain only the first 3 reps were to competition depth (no video to confirm, but Keith agreed with me.) After the 3rd rep I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to get down to depth again, but I really wanted to get my five reps in. This is problematic on two fronts: 1) As soon as I thought that I couldn't get to depth again, that pretty much guarantees I can't - the brain is powerful! and 2) about a month ago I knocked 30# off my max working weight for my squat in order to ensure that I hit competition depth on every. single. rep. So I had no business cheating myself on those last two.

I'm also annoyed, because a month ago, at the beginning of my last 5-3-1 cycle, I hit 192#x8, all to comp depth. So 195#x5 shouldn't have been a problem. RRRrrrrrrgh.

Okay, I'm spinning in circles here. Enough.

Training today:
Squat: 6 sets working up to 195#x5,1
Accessory: single leg work, snatch grip deads and kettlebell complex