There’s a popular fitness quote which goes something like this:
“Haters are my motivators!”
I used to be a big believer of this.
Indeed, 15 years ago the best way to get me to do something was to tell me that I couldn’t fucking do it.
I’ve trained thousands of men and women in the gym since then, and along the way I discovered a much more powerful technique – one which has made me 100% more productive and consistent than I used to be! – and the weird thing is I got it from Rocky III!
“The Eye Of The Tiger”
You’ve gotta love the Rocky movies.
I don’t think there’s another movie series which manages to deliver so many important life lessons about the challenges we face growing older; love, loss, grief, greed, it’s all there!
In this particular case we’re focusing on the third instalment, 1981’s Rocky III.
Shortly after being pummelled to a convincing defeat by the daunting Clubber Lang, Balboa falls into depression and puts his defeat down to the fact that his opponent is simply too good, too big, and too strong.
The manner of the loss was so devastating that most experts agreed.
However, former rival Apollo Creed offered a different perspective:
“You lost that fight for all the wrong reasons. You lost your edge, and you didn’t look hungry. Now when we fought, you had the “eye of the tiger”, the edge, and in order to get that back we need to go back to the beginning. Hey, maybe we can win it back together.”
– Apollo Creed
In one cool as fuck speech, the great Apollo Creed has just explained the mechanics of intrinsic motivation.
As Creed points out, Rocky is no longer training with a purpose.
In the first movie Rocky is trying to prove to himself that he can go the distance with the best in the world, and in the second his goal is to become the champion, but if we fast-forward to 1981 we see Balboa going through the motions, fumbling his way through an unfocused training camp which seems to be more about entertaining the crowds than anything else.
Creed notices this, and having experienced some difficulties adapting to retirement, his offer to help Balboa (“Maybe we can win it back together!”) was as much about sparking motivation within The Italian Stallion as it was about giving himself a project/goal, too.
That’s intrinsic motivation 101.
You see, we perform better when we have a clear goal that we actually care about. One which is not dependent on the words or actions of others, but on our own desire to accomplish something.
In Rocky’s case, the way Apollo framed his offer made all the difference:
“Us fighters know the feeling of losing, and we get sick trying to deal with it. You need to make it right for yourself now, or you’ll be sorry you didn’t.”
– Apollo Creed
Suddenly the fight is no longer about titles, or prestige, or even winning. Instead, it’s about overcoming the mental health issues he’s enduring, and Balboa sees the value in mastering this so it doesn’t haunt him for the rest of his life, which acts as the spark for him to train with a purpose again.
Simply put; he has a new goal.
By the time the re-match comes along he’s in the best shape of his life and his victory over Clubber, although never his primary objective, was merely a result of all the work he’d put in both physically an mentally.
(Interestingly, Lang shows signs of the unfocused mindset that once dogged Balboa!)
This wasn’t a coincidence, as Stallone later explained:
“The third Rocky movie is all about change.
Life is full of hard challenges, some of them are tough as nails, and for Rocky the challenge comes in the shape of this unbeatable opponent, who forces him to dig deep within his heart and ask some important questions.
In the end he realizes all the external stuff doesn’t really matter, and he finds what truly motivates him. This means he’s okay with facing his fears on his own terms.”
– Sylvester Stallone
What Can We Learn From This?
Don’t. Get. Me. Wrong.
If your ex-boyfriend Todd made lots of nasty little “jokes” about your weight, or if a family member snarks “I’ll give you a week” when you tell them you’ve joined a gym, it definitely feels amazing to see their jaws hit the floor when you lose 3 dress sizes and build a butt that can crack a walnut.
That’s just human nature.
However, I’m not saying sticking it to your haters is a bad thing, I’m saying giving them power is.
Intrinsic motivation: When the desire to engage in a behaviour arises from within the individual, because they find it satisfying.
Let’s go back to the example of Rocky.
After failing in his first attempt against Clubber Lang, where his motivation was nothing more than “to shut his big mouth up!”, he sets a new goal.
Rocky’s new goal was so personal and meaningful to him, and that’s what ultimately enabled him to take his training to a level which could not be derailed by the words or actions of others.
In the final third of the movie he openly admits that he is okay with winning or losing the re-match, because the journey has actually been about fixing his mental health more so than recapturing the title.
That’s the power of intrinsic motivation.
Research shows us that intrinsic motivation is an incredibly powerful tool for helping us to achieve our goals – not only in the gym, but in every aspect of life – because it helps us to sustain our efforts long after the initial burst of motivation has faded.
A 2012 review study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity confirmed that once the initial adaptations to a positive lifestyle change have subsided, the intrinsic motivation levels of the individual become the #1 factor in determining how likely they are to achieve their goal. (1)
That’s because it creates drive.
The difference between drive and motivation is that motivation is fleeting, whereas drive is a long-term adaptation to proper goal setting. It’s the stuff which gets you out of bed to go smash the gym on a rainy Tuesday when everyone else just snoozes their alarm. That’s drive, and it’s created by having intrinsic motivation.
So before you embark on your fitness journey, take a moment to consider your own personal fitness goals. These are the things which you want to accomplish without any input or pressure from others.
This will help you a lot when the dust settles, and the novelty wears off, and as Adrian puts it, “When everyone’s done chanting your name!”
I’ll leave you with the words of Joe Donnelly:
“I say it time and time again. Be mindful of your external factors, especially with regards to motivation.
I hear the phrase “haters are my motivators” far too often. That’s all find and dandy, but heed my caution, when you are influenced in such a strong way by a subjective third party, they now own your ass mentally. They may bring about your rise, but they’ll also bring about your fall. For if haters motivate you, then the yes men, the fans, and the kiss-asses will be your undoing, as they will give you a sense of false ego and complacency.
And what happens to you when your haters and fans are no longer around? Your false sense of pride crashes and your fragile level of motivation disappears.
Measure yourself against who you were yesterday. That’s the only form of intrinsic motivation there is. It requires no external input, and only you can judge how far you’ve come.”
– Joe Donnelly
Further Reading:
If you enjoyed this blog, then you’ll probably also like reading these.
>> The Rules To Ripped
>> Six Reasons You Have No Energy
>> How Sylvester Stallone Has Adapted His Training Over The Years
References:
- Teixeira P. J., et al. Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: A systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act (2012).