Hey Fellas! I hope everybody is doing well and you’re excited for the training season.

Today, I would like to discuss an issue in bodybuilding / weight training that is typically overlooked : Fear of performing certain exercises. I’ve seen too many guys in the gym over the years performing the same exercises over and over again, and if you get the opportunity to actually speak with them, you find that much of this stems purely from fear of performing a particular exercise(s).  Unfortunately, many of them eventually get stuck in a rut, or even worse, they quit training entirely.

Let me tell you my own personal story of fear in the gym and how I eventually overcame it. This dates back to 1987. I was a sophomore in high school. I had a good friend named Hans in my drafting class who was a senior, he had his driver’s license and a cool, modified truck. We both decided to get a gym membership together at the new gym that recently opened. Since he lived close by, he would stop by and pick me up and we would go to the gym together a few times per week. We trained for a few months and made some good progress. One day, we decided to incorporate Dumbbell Incline Presses into our chest routine. He did his set without any problem (he was much bigger and stronger than me at the time). Now it was my turn… Keep in mind, this was the first time I ever performed this exercise. I got the weights up without a problem, performed a few reps, then my left arm gave out and the dumbbell came crashing down on my forehead. No major physical injuries, but this incident left me mentally scarred for several years.

Now, let’s fast-forward to the Summer of 1989… I graduated H.S. and I made the decision to go full force with the Bodybuilding lifestyle. I joined a brand new gym in San Juan Capistrano, CA. At the time, this facility had some serious guys training there: Marines from Camp Pendleton, National Level Bodybuilding Competitors, even some Pro Sports guys. I began to train seriously and learn everything I could from magazines like IronMan, Musclemag, Flex, Muscle & Fitness, etc. One thing I began to notice was that all the serious guys performed tons of Dumbbell Incline Presses (Fuck!). They had a firm grasp of this particular exercise, tremendous upper chest development and it was really impressive to see them rep-out with all that iron over their faces.

Up to this point, I was avoiding this exercise due to my own major mental hang-up, but I decided that if I was ever going to make the most of this endveavor, I had to overcome my fear of that dreaded Dumbbell Incline Press. I put much thought into a solution and here’s what I eventually came up with:

I started to use the flat bench with dumbbells, then I added a 45lb. plate underneath for a very slight incline. As I became more comfortable with that angle, I would add another plate. Eventually, I made the transition to the adjustable bench and I would slowly increase the angle of the bench with the pin selector. After a period of maybe 4-5 months, I was performing proper Dumbbell Incline Presses! … See, here’s an exercise that was met with great anxiety, and it eventually become a personal favorite.  Now… there is nothing quite like grabbing those dumbbells, staring in the mirror, locking in your grip, leaning back into the bench and pressing up to the sky, burying your chin with each contraction of your upper chest – I fucking love it.

Why do I share this personal story?  Because if I gave up early on, I would have never come to appreciate this highly effective exercise, or… maybe worse.  If you have a particular exercise that gives you any sort of mental anguish, – let’s talk. There is no reason for something like this to ever hold you back from your own personal development. If we approach it with an open mind and apply a little creative thinking, we can overcome any obstacle in this game, and life as well.

All the best!