I like to use the statement “How it feels is a lie” with SOME of my athletes. As you could imagine, it can be taken out of context very easy. So lets break it down:
Some days weight feels heavy in your hands or slow, so you talk yourself out of confidently attacking the lift like you would on a day you “feel” good. This severely limits how many good training days and lifts you can accomplish if you fall pray to this bottle necked. You should be able to go under a bar at the same speed no mater how much weight is on the bar, you are just moving your body down, not the weight. One of the biggest differences between intermediate and advanced lifters is that they don’t slow down when going under on heavy attempts. Intermediate lifters will tense up because if feels heavy and they think they need to ‘use more muscle’. The opposite is true! How heavy it feels is irrelevant. You still need to fight to hold position, transition under just as fast as a lighter rep, and make the lift! Practicing making lifts when they feel heavy is great training!! Then when you go out and attempt that PR lift and it feels heavy you have the confidence to attack a heavy feeling lift and make it anyway. “It Feels Heavy” is a lie the bar tells your mind. Do not believe it! Trust your training and technique.
PS. The “How it feels is a lie” concept does not apply to pain.