Every January, the gyms swell with people who have made the resolution to get into shape… and by April 1st, most of them have long stopped their treadmill-running and bicep-curling ways.
We all desire to become and remain physically healthy. So why do we try so hard to get into shape yet fail so miserably? Perhaps it is because we don’t understand exactly WHY we want to lose fat and gain muscle.
After mulling this over for several years now, I have come to the conclusion that there are four innate reasons why people want to get into shape, which are “hardwired” into our DNA and not merely conscious choices on our part.
If you ask someone why health, fitness, and wellness are important to them, you are going to get an answer that is any combination of these “Core Four,” although it may not seem apparent on the surface. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Status
The desire to gain status is one of the most fundamental drives of not only humans, but most animals as well. Hierarchical societies (such as humans) have a subtle, though subconsciously understood ranking of the individuals therein. The higher up the status ladder you are, the more access to resources such as food and sexual partners you have. Hey, I know this isn’t very P.C., but this site isn’t here to dance around the facts.
In modern societies, status is bestowed more on those with high incomes and conspicuous assets than those with superior physical ability, but it wasn’t always this way.
Before the advent of agriculture (about 10,000 years ago), humans were unable to “stockpile” much in the way of assets as they do today. As a result, status was given to those who were able to protect the tribe from violent outsiders and intimidate rivals from within the group.
This “primal” status recognition based on physical prowess is still understood by humans today, although we don’t consciously recognize it as much. By building muscle and losing fat, we are actually priming ourselves to defend our “tribes” and intimidate the other guys trying to step on us on the way up.
2. Attraction
Closely related to status is sexual attraction. Think of these as the two politically incorrect reasons guys want to get in shape. Like the first reason, this has been deeply ingrained in us through eons of evolution.
In species where female choice plays a big role in sexual selection (as it does in humans), what women want in a man plays a major evolutionary role. Those who don’t attract women don’t pass their genes on to the next generation, so our DNA has a vested interest in making us irresistible to the fairer sex. In addition to being high-status guys that lead and protect our groups, it is also important to embody the physical characteristics that women find attractive.
3. Energy
Have you ever had a day where you felt invincible? No illness, no injuries, no lethargy? You’ll have a lot more of these days the healthier you become.
When I say “energy,” I’m referring to neither the scientific definition nor the New-Agey “woo-woo” one (although it is related to both.) Instead, I mean the ability to effect change in the world at the present moment, unencumbered by hindrances.
When you build a strong, healthy body, you are less susceptible to sustaining physical injuries that could keep you in a state of lowered effectiveness and you are less likely to come down with the illnesses and physical maladies that sideline so many people. You feel energized, not willing to sit on your butt all day watching TV, but instead to get going and make things happen in your life.
4. Longevity
If energy is concerned with the “here and now,” then longevity is all about the future. You may have all the energy to make things happen in your life, but how long can you keep it going? Most people want to live a long life, not burn out at a young age. (Think Sean Connery, not James Dean.)
Although many guys are impatient and want to get into shape RIGHT NOW no matter what it takes, it’s important to do it in a way that doesn’t threaten to end your life at an early age. Instead, you should be getting healthy in an effort to EXTEND your life.
The 9-9-9-9 Plan
Did you have any “a-has” when reading that list? Does it more or less sum up the reason why you want to get (or keep) your ass in shape?
What most guys do is focus all their energy on one or two of these four. On a scale of 1-10, they want to be a 10 in, say, status and attractiveness. However, due to the law of diminishing returns, in order to get to a 10, you will have to put in a TON of time, energy, and possibly money, which means you’ll be neglecting the other areas.
So guys will spend lots of time in the gym, drinking protein shakes and taking other supplements, possibly even taking steroids, but end up getting injured and possibly shortening their lifespan. Conversely, you can spend your whole life trying to extend it, doing caloric restriction, taking lots of vitamins, and eating a raw vegan diet, only to become emaciated and sallow.
If you want to specialize like this, I certainly won’t stand in your way, but there is a better solution, which I call “The 9-9-9-9 Plan.” Here, you focus your health objectives on hitting the 80th-90th percentile of all men in status, attraction, energy, and longevity as far as you can control it. In backing off of perfection a bit, you open up a lot more space to focus on the other areas. And that’s what I plan to give you with this site – awesome, practical information to help you become one sexy, powerful, energetic, and long-livin’ dude!
I'm a science geek, food lover, and wannabe surfer.
{ 10 comments }
Darrin,
Great thoughts on motivations for getting in shape. One other reason I’d add is the sense of self accomplishment. I go through phases where I like the personal challenge of lifting more or doing more pushups or pullups. However, you captured the core reasons above.
Dave
I had to give it some self-reflection and decided the initially that it was to be special like being the only one “. But when I deeper down it was really putting off dying as long as possible.
raymond
I have to admit I have found myself going after the “10” quite a few times, and you’re right, when you stop obsessing and take a step back you generally end up a lot happier. And I think most of us guys are guilty of focusing a little too much on the first two reasons (status and attractiveness). I do want to look my best, but not at the expense of my health or sanity 🙂 Great post!
Darrin,
Good post. It’s interesting that a lot of the driving forces behind our motivation are subconscious and built into our genes. Hence the reason why so many dudes “let themselves go” once they get married since they are no longer on the prowl.
Alykhan
@Dave:
Great point. I’m doing a couple of posts on athleticism vs fitness and why my blog is going to be focusing on the latter (as I will define it). I’m definitely going to use your idea of self-accomplishment in one of them.
@Raymond:
Looks like you’re all about the longevity aspect! But the good part is you can integrate all four and optimize them together.
@David:
I think it’s also interesting how diet and exercise are actually LESS effective at improving your status and attractiveness than it is improving our energy levels or helping us live longer. I’m not going to get much outside of the physical aspects of improving the first two, but that is why I included my earlier posts on body language and voice tonality.
Another one, that I often cite, is using training as a means to detox and release the ‘stress’ that every day life seems to continually pound us all with.
Nothing like getting annoyed at work to the point of mental explosion, then taking it all out in the weights room on the squat rack.
Motivation x 10 🙂
I’ll freely admit that much of my focus on working out is vanity. But, fortunately, vanity and performance often go hand-in-hand. So, not only am I going to look better, I’ll perform better on the field, too.
-Drew
@Clint,
Nice! Physical exercise is, after all, the most effective cure for depression. I’ma file this one under “Energy” since it helps us to be more effective in the moment, more focused and less bogged down with all of life’s stressors.
Darrin,
Great post! I love the way you explain how to get the most out of your workouts. If people focus on all four of your areas not only will their fitness levels improve but their lives will improve.
– Tim
@Tim:
Thanks for visiting! And that’s exactly the goal I’m going for here. 🙂
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