I get this a lot from clients while we're working on technique-

"I have too many cues going through my head."

What I want to touch on here is (1) the process I use to approach the bar and (2) the process of transitioning of thinking about cues to "feeling" cues or to put it plainly, executing on them.

Humans are good at remembering things in 3's. It feels more natural to me to breakdown each lift into a beginning, middle, and end.

 

Beginning - The Set Up

This includes everything up until the moment before you unrack the bar in the squat and bench, or pull the slack out of the deadlift. 

Position - (Body) Part - Pressure: The focus here should be on finding proper positioning, cueing whatever body part you're focusing on as determined by you or your coach or training partners, and generating proper pressure.

As an example for when I squat: I grab the bar and set my hands. Then I set my feet (using feel and not visual cues (because in competition every rack or mono can be different). As I get under the bar, I find the position on my back. Allow the bar to sink in. Depress my scaps and focus on feeling my lats. Brace. Breathe. Unrack.

Now, this is all second nature for me because I've done it the same way thousands of times. As I'm going through it I'm not THINKING, but I'm FEELING all of these things.  But I started by THINKING through these steps. As you practice and progress, you go from thinking to feeling, making mind/muscle connections as you go.

 

Middle - Initiating the Lift

This is the moment you start moving the bar. This is where you have to be ultra focused in the thinking/feeling process.

Thinking too much here is futile especially under heavy weight. While under a heavy weight, the body is in fight or flight. It doesn't give a shit that you're trying to use your triceps to lock out a bench. It will do whatever is necessary to lock it out if you haven't trained it to do so optimally.

As an example for when I bench: As I initiate the lift, ALL I'M THINKING ABOUT is using my lats to pull that bar down to my chest. Everything else is automated. While that cue works for me, it may not work for everyone.

Some lifters may be execute a lift completely blank, but I've always found it helpful to cue ONE THING through this part of the lift. Calm like a bomb - being able to weather the storm with ONE THING on your mind.

 

The End - Finishing the Lift

This is it. You have to become more singularly focused here than during any other point of the lift.

The calmer you can remain mentally, the better you will be in finishing heavy lifts.

I'll use deadlifts as an example here. We've all seen the lifter unlock the knees and try to ramp the bar up their thighs. They've thrown everything out the window at this point.

I was that lifter at one point early in my career too. The cue for me...HIPS. As the bar slowed down, I had to cue my glutes to drive through and wedge under the bar to calmly finish the lift. What's funny is it looks calm, but we all know the mental storm going through your mind at that time.

You can THINK all you want in this position, but this is where it's ALL ABOUT FEEL. That's where training under the proper conditions can teach you to cue, feel, then trust that feeling.

 

This is a very simple, surface level approach to how you can improve your mental training process as it pertains to improving your technique. It's simple, but not easy. It takes time, continuous mental effort, and repetitions. Good luck and...

Stay calm like a bomb.