Psych
About this book
StrongFirst is proud to present the definitive text on achieving excellence in any sport through the power of your mind. If you desire to align your chakra with your Zodiac sign or wish to figure out why it is your parents' fault, you have picked up a wrong book. PSYCH is 100% psychobabble free. It is the step-by-step manual to athletic superiority for men and women who take charge. The author became a world champion and record holder in a sport for which he had zero genetic predisposition--using the meticulously researched and professionally applied strategies he reveals on the pages of PSYCH.PSYCH and be awesome.--Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman, StrongFirstFrom the Introduction to PSYCH by Dr. Judd Biasiotto"When I first started powerlifting, I was at best a joke. In my first seven meets I finished dead last. I wasn't just beaten either, at times, I was absolutely destroyed. It wasn't uncommon for me to find myself two or three hundred pounds behind the leaders going into the deadlift. After the deadlift, well, the leaders weren't even in sight. I hate to admit this, but some guys could have beaten me without even benching. Their squat and deadlift totaled more than I totaled on all three lifts. Heck, at that time, even women and children could beat me. There was even a joke going around that the U.S.P.F. [powerlifting federation] was going to revoke my lifting card because I was impersonating a powerlifter. At least I think it was a joke. My little sister Mary Jean would say, 'Judd, you have to quit competing you are embarrassing the family.' She was serious.Obviously, I've come a long way in the sport. During my career, I had literally gone full circle-from one of the worst lifters to ever step on a lifting platform, to one of the best. And I did all that with a body that is not genetically constructed for powerlifting. In fact, it's been said that I have the body of an 11-year-old stamp collector and that my legs are so skinny they look like a pair of pliers in shorts.How did I do it? Well it wasn't the way I stacked or staggered some anabolic drug. In fact, I've never taken any drugs. The way I achieved world class status was through my mind. I learned to play the game of powerlifting above my shoulders. Through scientific means, I learned to take control of my environment, the people in it, and best yet; I've learned to take control of myself. The secret to my success and strength lies in these abilities.The best part of all this is that you can achieve these abilities just as I have. That's what this book is all about. It's designed as a learning manual and was written with the intent of presenting a systematic approach to prepare you for powerlifting competition.The methods in this book are based on scientifically validated research. They will work whether you believe in them or not. The only thing that is required is understanding and practice. If you apply the concepts outlined for you in this book, I flat guarantee you that your competition results will increase significantly. I'm not just blowing smoke here either; I'm speaking straight from the stone tablets."About the authorDr. Judd Biasiotto has worked as a sports psychologist with numerous amateur and professional athletes and sports teams, including the Kansas City Royals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Cincinnati Reds. Built, by his own admission, "as an eleven year old stamp collector", Biasiotto took on the sport of powerlifting. For a long time he finished dead last in every meet he entered.