well Trapezkerl, the point is that we are all different and we all need different things to motivate us in the gym but I'm betting that a lot of it is psychological and that we can push ourselves past sticking points if we just focused and admitted to ourselves that we are afraid of the bar and weight...that's the first step toward being able to go heavier...instead of settling for lower weights because we feel more comfortable with them...I'm really talking to those who like myself don't have a training partner (or who prefer to train alone) and therefore don't have a spotter...the fear is an unspoken one because we as lifters are not allowed to show fear of the weights or show that we are intimidated by them for fear of guys like you making fun or putting others down...to sum up, I'm saying if you are still lifting like 135 lbs with no progress, admit to yourself you are scared, and then man up and load up that bar...