Intent Matters

Intent Matters

Let's talk about something that separates good lifters from great ones. It's not your program. It's not your fancy gym. It's not even your genetics. It's your intent.

When you walk into the gym, do you have a mission? Or are you just going through the motions?

What Lifting With Intent Really Means

Here's what most people do. They see "squats 4x6" on their program. They think, "Okay, let me knock these out as fast as possible so I can be done."

That's not training. That's just showing up.

Here's what lifting with intent looks like. You see those same four sets of six squats. You think, "Awesome. I have 24 reps broken into four sets. That's 24 chances to get better today."

Every single rep gets your full attention. Every rep, you're thinking about perfect execution. Tight setup. Maximum force. Moving that bar as hard as you possibly can. You're not just completing reps. You're refining your craft.

That's the difference. When you train with intent, you recognize that every rep is an opportunity. An opportunity to move better. An opportunity to get your body in the right position. An opportunity to build the skills that will show up on the platform when it counts.

Make Every Rep Count

Think about it this way. If you do 24 squats today, can you honestly say that rep 24 was better than rep 1? Could you see measurable improvement in your technique from the first rep to the last?

That's the goal. That's what coming into your session with intent looks like.

You get a limited number of lifts for skill building. Maybe you have one hour in the gym. Maybe two if you're lucky. You can't be there all day. So you need to make the most of that time right now.

Every rep better than the last. That's the standard.

Don't Forget Your Accessories

Now here's where a lot of lifters lose their intent. They crush their main lifts, then they see accessories and think, "Ugh, I'll just get through these."

You see "Kroc rows 3x20" on your program. You grab a dumbbell that's probably 40 pounds lighter than you should be using. You rush through them because you're "tired." You just want to be done.

Stop right there.

If you want to train with intent, you need to take your accessories just as seriously as your main lifts. Actually, let me say that louder for the people in the back: Your accessories matter just as much as your competition lifts.

Tired Is Just an Excuse

"But coach, I'm tired after my main work."

You know what? We're all tired. Tired is not special. Tired is a choice to quit early.

Here's the real question: Are you here to make excuses, or are you here to train?

I don't care if you're tired. That's a you problem. That's a recovery problem you can fix later. Right now, in this moment, you're in the gym. So, train hard regardless.

What's the worst that can happen? You'll be more tired afterward. Big deal. At least you pushed yourself. At least you gave your body something real to adapt to.

Think about it. If you always quit when you're "regular tired" and never push through to "extra tired," your body never gets the signal to improve. But when you push past that self-created limit, that's when real adaptation happens. That's when you get stronger.

Training Through Fatigue Builds Champions

Having intent means recognizing that fatigue exists and training anyway. You have fatigue from your barbell work? Cool. Now you're going to train your accessories while fatigued. Welcome to competitive strength training.

This is actually perfect. You need to learn how to perform under fatigue. You need to understand what tightness feels like when you're tired. You need to know what you have to pay attention to when your body is screaming at you to stop.

So, throw some extra weight on that accessory movement. Actually, challenge yourself after the main lift. Push yourself that little extra bit. Take it further than you think you can.

You'll be amazed at how much you're actually capable of when you stop setting artificial limits.

The Intent to Improve

When you come into your training sessions, you need one clear intent: to get better by the end of this session.

Not to survive. Not to check boxes. Not to post on social media about how hard you trained.

Your intent is to push yourself past your current limits. Your intent is to execute at such a high level that your body has no choice but to refine its motor patterns. Your intent is to gain technical understanding that will carry over to the platform.

When you train with this level of intent, you're not just building strength. You're building awareness. You're learning how your body moves in space. You're discovering what works when fatigue sets in. You're becoming a better athlete, one focused rep at a time.

Seize the Opportunity

Every training session is an opportunity. An opportunity to challenge yourself. An opportunity to prove that you're serious about this sport. An opportunity to become the lifter you know you can be.

Don't waste it by doing the bare minimum. Don't cheat yourself by going through the motions. Don't let fatigue rob you of the chance to improve.

Show up with intent. Train with purpose. Make every rep matter.

That's how champions are built. Be a damn champion!

Now it's your turn. 

Share this post with your training partners. Talk about what training with intent means to you. Hold each other accountable. Because when everyone in your crew shows up with real intent, everybody gets better.

Let's get after it.