Managing Training Expectations with Autoregulation and Psychological Flexibility

September 8, 2023

The Impact of Training Expectations

As powerlifters, we understand how expectations from a training session can impact future performance and your mindset around long-term performance. It’s common to be influenced by our perception of effort and exertion from previous sessions. Powerlifting requires significant mental fortitude to overcome these potential mental hurdles.

There’s a psychological concept called “expectation bias,” where we perceive reality through the lens of our expectations. If we expect a lift to feel heavy, it likely will. Conversely, if we expect weights to feel light after a relatively strong session last week, we may feel disappointed if that doesn’t happen (9).

While some training expectations are inevitable, powerlifters need to cultivate psychological flexibility. This means adapting our mindsets and training approach based on the circumstances. For example, don’t beat yourself up if you miss a planned training session. Shift your focus to what you can control going forward. Maintaining this mentally agile perspective is key.

The Importance of Adapting Your Training Approach

In the early stages of powerlifting, it’s common to see continuous strength and performance improvements. However, as you become more advanced, progress can become less predictable and may stall at times. It’s crucial not to see this as a failure but rather a normal part of the process.

The mindset that you must always add more weight can be destructive and lead to overtraining. Strength doesn’t always increase linearly—many factors like stress, sleep, nutrition, and health impact performance (2).

Instead of demanding constant e1rm increases in the Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift, we may focus on other training metrics to maintain a positive and healthy relationship with training.

For example, your ability to express 1RM strength may be slow to improve.
Firstly, that is a relatively normal feeling for most powerlifters after the first few years of training. Secondly, your ability to express strength on any given day will fluctuate for many reasons as referenced above. So, we could shift our focus on gluteal or erector spinae development for a few months to help improve force production and future strength potential.

This way, we focus less on acute strength progression, and more on the conditions which must be met to drive strength progression like type-2 muscle fiber hypertrophy, protein intake, sleep, and perception of competence.

Remember, setbacks are temporary. Even when you feel discouraged and demotivated, there is always a way forward, even if it requires a new training approach or a uniquely different mindset from the one you are used to.

Understanding this can help motivate you to stick with your training through the unpredictability of life.

Programming with Flexibility in Mind

In the past, powerlifters adhered to rigid programs, setting strict rep and set schemes. However, this one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t account for individual differences.

Being adaptable is key.

Using autoregulation involves adjusting training based on your daily readiness. For example, add weight or sets if you feel strong and well-recovered or reduce training stress when fatigued.

This approach also applies to deloads – implement them as needed based on your body’s signals rather than just what your program dictates.

A 2021 review on autoregulation for resistance training programs supports this individualized approach. It found auto-regulation led to similar or better results compared to a standardized program (3).

When programming, incorporate flexibility by including varied rep ranges, intensities, and lift options. This makes it easier to modify workouts based on your current needs, preventing over and under training. The key is being adaptable rather than rigid in your training. (3)

Setting Global and Specific Objectives

To stay motivated and focused on your training, it’s essential to set both global and specific objectives. Your global objectives are the overall path of your training, like improving your squat, bench, and deadlift. These are the big-picture goals that you’re working towards over the long term.

On the other hand, specific objectives are the steps you need to take right now to help you advance towards your global goals. These could include things like improving your form on a particular lift, increasing your mobility, or optimizing your nutrition.

Research shows that setting both short and long-term goals is useful for motivation and performance (5).

By setting both types of goals, you can ensure that you’re making progress towards your long-term goals while also focusing on the immediate steps required to maintain positive momentum. This dual focus can help prevent feelings of overwhelm that can come from focusing too much on the outcome and not enough on the short-term wins and strategies which lead to long-term success.

Understanding Your Body’s Signals

One of the most important skills that a powerlifter can develop is the ability to understand their body’s signals. This skill is particularly important when it comes to determining how hard to push yourself during a workout.

After a heavy set, it’s essential to check in with your body and assess whether your muscles have more to give. This assessment doesn’t mean pushing yourself to the brink of exhaustion, but rather understanding the varying degrees of muscle fatigue and knowing when it’s enough. Overtraining can lead to injury and burnout, so it’s crucial to strike a balance between challenging yourself and respecting your body’s limits.

So, how do you know if a muscle has more to give? It’s a subjective sensation that differs from person to person. However, it’s influenced by factors such as energy levels, mental focus, and body sensations of muscle fatigue. If you feel like you could perform another set with efficient technique, without pain, and without overshooting your RPE, then you probably have more to give. Conversely, if your form is deteriorating or you’re feeling excessively fatigued, it’s probably a good idea to move on.

Learning to interpret these signals can take time and practice. It’s also important to remember that your perception of exertion can be influenced by numerous factors, including your sleep, nutrition, stress levels, and even your mood. Therefore, it’s crucial to consider these factors when assessing your performance and capability for the day.

Eric Helms Ph.D has dedicated many years to showing the benefits of using RPE and other auto-regulative strategies to help strength athletes improve their performance. (6)

The Role of Rest and Recovery

In addition to training hard, it’s also important to prioritize rest and recovery. Your muscles need time to repair and rebuild after a tough workout, which is why rest days are an essential part of any training program.

Recovery also involves aspects such as nutrition and sleep. Consuming a balanced diet with enough protein can help support muscle repair and growth, while getting enough sleep can aid in recovery and improve performance.

Research confirms the importance of these recovery factors. One study found powerlifters need approximately 1.6 grams of protein per kg of body weight daily for optimal muscle protein synthesis (8). Another study showed poor sleep quality is associated with reduced powerlifting performance (8).

In addition to physical recovery, it’s also crucial to focus on mental recovery. Powerlifting can be mentally demanding, so it’s essential to take time to relax and recharge mentally. This could involve activities like meditation, reading, spending time in nature, or anything else that helps you unwind and de-stress.

A 2015 study found that incorporating relaxation techniques helped competitive powerlifters lower cortisol levels, decrease anxiety, and improve performance (10).

Conclusion

In conclusion, improving your powerlifting performance involves more than just lifting heavier weights each week. It’s about understanding your body, setting realistic objectives, adapting your training approach as needed, and prioritizing rest and recovery.

At ZAO Strength, we’re here to help you discover your true strength potential. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced powerlifter, we can provide the guidance and support you need to reach your goals. Apply now for our 1-on-1 powerlifting coaching or join our community coaching for more resources and support.

Remember, strength is a journey, not a destination, and we’re here to help you every step of the way.

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