Your Brain’s Hidden Power Tool (You’ve Already Used It… Poorly)
by: Josh Bryant
NLP Anchoring – Create Your “Go” Switch
Every time I hear Get Rhythm by Johnny Cash, I’m transported—right back to the 2003 USPF meet in Austin. Not some dungeon gym… a polished hotel ballroom, lit up with clean lines and focused intensity.
That’s what I listened to warming up as I became the youngest person in history to bench 600 raw.
Video of my 600-pound bench press, which I’m describing
John Sanchez pacing like a caged bull. Tim Brunner was pure electricity—firing off attempts, yelling like a man possessed, rallying the lifters.
And then this polished, gallant gentleman. Broad-chested, rail-waisted cowboy in a crisp pearl-snap shirt. Muscled-up with the calm presence of a man who could bench 500, brand a steer before sunrise, charm the ladies before noon, and sell you a full insurance package before dinner. A Texas archetype—swagger and steel in equal measure.
My friend and hero Ed Coan was watching. So was Monte Sparkman. And the Texas Chili King himself—80-year-old former champ Joe Dalton—drove up from Houston to see it and cheer me on. The moment was perfect. Jungian synchronicity. The sweet chariot did swing low… and I was off to the races. God was with me.
My dad had been there every step, every session. He gave me the liftoff—and time froze.
It was silent.
Time folded in on itself—both an instant and an eternity.
No noise. No nerves. No monkey mind. Just pure presence. It wasn’t about weight or numbers. I wasn’t a lifter in that moment—I was a spiritual being having a human experience. Fully alive. Full intention.
It was beautiful.
The bar hit my hands. Boom—I became he youngest man to bench 600 raw. That entire moment is tattooed into my nervous system.
Now, when I need to summon that same fire, I pinch my hand exactly like I did that day—and everything locks in.
That’s anchoring.
Still don’t understand anchoring?
NLP Anchoring is like setting a switch in your brain—built off Pavlov’s dog experiments. It links a physical action (like a hand gesture) to a specific emotion or mental state, so you can flip that switch when you need it most.
Examples of NLP Anchoring in Real Life:
- Ever snapped a rubber band on your wrist to stop cursing? Pain becomes the anchor. Swear = snap = ouch = quit swearing. That’s basic anchoring.
- Want to feel confident before a call or a big lift? Remember a time you were unstoppable. Relive it in full detail—what you saw, heard, and felt. Then, create a physical cue (like pinching your fingers or clenching a fist) at the peak of that emotion.
- Later, fire that same cue—and your nervous system pulls you back into that powerful state.
Mental Training with Vince Anello
Steps to Set an Anchor:
- Choose how you want to feel (ex: confident).
- Recall a vivid memory where you felt that way.
- Pick a touch-based cue (thumb and finger, belt slap, etc.).
- Relive the memory fully. At the emotional peak—use the cue.
- Test it later by repeating the cue and seeing if the feeling returns.
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