We all have our own unique lifting beliefs and preferences.

It happens to everyone when they find themselves at the gym everyday. Eventually there will come a time when you begin to create habits, routines you follow almost independently of your own conscious mind. In some rare cases habits turn to rituals and rituals into superstition. It’s Friday the 13th so we thought, why not touch on some of those habits and superstitions some bodybuilders seem to be plagued with.
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Facing the plates the “right” way

Ever took a good like at the plates after you’ve loaded it onto the barbell? For some of us, all the plates face inward, lettering not visible on the outside, while the opposite is true for others. Whether the plate lettering is facing out or in, it’s clear that a great deal of people load their weights specifically to their liking, all of it an unconscious act.
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Getting on the machine on a specific side

Almost like getting up onto a horse or a bike, when you hop onto a machine or bench, do you find yourself picking a specific side to get on from? It’s not uncommon. A lot of lifters find themselves getting onto a machine on one side or another. Now this may not be the biggest superstition, but many a lifter has found themselves psyched out by mounting a machine “incorrectly”.
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Only doing an even number of reps

For those of us who don’t do reps to failure, the notion of doing an non even number of reps seems a bit off. Let’s face it, most people who do any exercise never usually stop at 13 or 31. For the most part, if the number’s not ending in 5 that is, a person will do reps up to an even number like 8, 12, or 20.

What are the last two superstitions? You might be surprised. Check out page 2!

Gripping barbell with a specific hand first

Once you’re on the bench and are right about to lift the bar from the rack, have you ever have that nagging feeling that you’ve done something wrong. For some reason things just seem off if you grab the barbell with the “wrong” hand first. Sounds crazy, but check it out next time you do some sessions in the gym. You may find that you’ve created a habit.
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Picking a locker with your “lucky number”

Some guys tend to go into a locker room and, if the locker isn’t assigned, throw their gym bag and equipment into “their” lucky locker. Certain lifters think by picking lucky locker number 7 before they actually get to hitting the weight that their training will end up being blessed with gains. Not true, but if it’s a habit then some guys will find that their mind muscle connection could be disrupted by breaking their routine.

Have any interesting habits you find yourself doing in the gym? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

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