Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. His achievement in the sports entertainment has allowed him to leave the ring and make the transition to Hollywood. Although he is currently a big name in the entertainment scene since he made his acting debut in 2001 in The Mummy Returns, occasionally he returns to WWE to entertain his fans because he has not forgotten the WWE universe who first loved him.
Being an actor and wrestler, one have to look good and tough. This of course includes Dwayne, who has spent the majority of his life working out in the gym. It was a labour that combined effort and dedication to be a world-renowned professional wrestler and one of the highest ever grossing actors in Hollywood.
Being an entrepreneur, one of the fundamental keys to success is to ensure that you’re constantly “getting your sweat on”. If you’re unfamiliar with that phrase, it basically means to have a thorough work out to work up a sweat, but that can be applied to entrepreneurship too seeing as most founders work their butts off to put their blood, sweat and tears into their products.
Research shows that most of the successful people in the world have extremely regimented schedules to help them to focus throughout the day and have a stronger body to ward off sickness. In the same way, entrepreneurs too have to follow strict schedules and planning to make sure they are consistently heading towards the right direction.
Therefore, fitness and entrepreneurship have more in common that we might think. Here are 5 valuable fitness lessons from Dwayne “The Rock “Johnson so that you get your sweat on regularly, in fitness and in your startup.
1. Alter your workout plans according to your goals and schedules.
Dwayne always ensures that he is at his best physically when he steps onto the movie set, therefore he dedicates his time and energy to looking at his physical peak. He changes his workout depending on the movie roles.
“For different roles my condition and training and diet does alter, Depending on the role, it will really dictate the type of training I do. For ‘Hercules,’ it was a 22-week diet, while for ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ it was about a 14-week diet, and for ‘Pain & Gain’ I wanted to come out looking bulky, big, and dangerous, so we adjusted accordingly.”
Source: Bodybuilding.com
Therefore in business, set your mind first on your priorities and goals. And then alter and shape your schedule to achieving those goals. If you are focusing time and energy on matters that are not even contributing to your objectives, then you have to rethink your schedule.
2. Stay focused and disciplined towards your fitness goals.
When Dwayne was filming “Hercules”, he worked out 6 days a week for 6 months to bulk up. He also got up from the bed as early as between 3 and 5 am just to train.
“I love training when the sun is coming up because it allows me to put on my headphones and step off the crazy treadmill that is everyone’s life. I have my headphones on and I’m listening to my music, and I’m 100 percent focused. There’s no wasted time or effort when it comes to me and the weights. With something like “Hercules” I was in costume and make-up for a few hours before shooting, so I’d have to get in the workout early.”
Source: Bodybuilding.com
It’s easy to get distracted, especially when you have so much on your plate. It’s not your fault, really. Entrepreneurs have to worry and plan about multiple things at once. There are, after all, so many aspects about running a startup. So that’s why it’s important to not everything overwhelm and consume you. Stay focus, think of the bigger picture, and stick to the game plan with discipline. Eventually, you’ll get there.
3. The number on the scale doesn’t matter.
You’ve probably heard of the Body Mass Index (BMI), but do you know that it’s not accurate at all? Simply put, it’s bulls***. The measurement doesn’t know how to differentiate between fat and muscle.
That being said, if you’re at the normal weight according to BMI, don’t be too happy, there’s still a chance you’re actually overweight or obese. We put Dwayne’s height and weight to a test, and according to the BMI measurement, he is obese. So what? He is buff and strong. Here’s what he told to Esquire when he was asked about his weight.
Two-forty, 250, 260, depending on the role. I think for San Andreas I was 240. But I think what’s interesting is when you finally make that decision and clarity becomes king in your life, the weight doesn’t become an issue. Like, who gives a f**** how much you weigh?! Just go out there and put on a great performance.
Source: Esquire
The success of being an entrepreneur should not solely be motivated by numbers. Numbers rise and fall, whether the number is your the net profit, or app downloads, or returning customers—those numbers will in fact fluctuate. If you’re going to be affected by every decrease, then you are going to be demotivated very quickly. Instead, focus on your vision, improve your product and service, and keep your eyes on the prize.
4. Workout with a partner, you will be more motivated to push yourself.
Dwayne was already involved in the wrestling scene at a tender age of 5 as his father, Rocky Johnson also happened to be a wrestler. Dwayne maintains that he got his zeal for fitness from his father.
“My dad was very strict, he was an athlete, even when I was a little kid, he’d say, ‘You have to eat to nourish the body and not to please the tongue.’ I was six years old! That’s why my taste buds are boring.”
“My dad says, ‘I’m getting up at six; you’re gonna get up at six, too. I’m having my coffee; you have your orange juice. I’m going to the gym; you come to the gym with me.’ And then on the mats, I would roll around and these guys would throw me around and wrestle around with me. It was always, ‘What you want?’ You gotta get up in the morning, you gotta get after it, you gotta put in the work, you gotta sweat. There’s gonna be heavy iron and there’s gonna be a lot of sweat, and it’s gonna be dirty.”
Source: Independent & Esquire
Having a good partner and mentor in your entrepreneurial journey will have a significant positive influence on us. Therefore be selective with who you decide to work with. Someone with positive traits could influence you to set a more ambitious goals and work with you to attain them; whereas negative traits could narrow down your goals or give you more trouble to clean up after.
5. Train hard and reward yourself.
Research has shows that rewarding yourself could keep you on track on your exercise routine. when Dwayne was filming for Pain & Gain, Dwayne went through 150 days (4 months plus ) of clean dieting without a single cheat meal. To reward himself, Dwayne reward himself with 3 rounds of epic cheat meals that looked like this.
When I wrap #HERCULESMovie it’ll be 172 days straight (new personal record) of a strict & intense 7 meals a day diet for the role. This cheat day will be fun. #SilverbackDestroys #RecordsAreMadeToBeBroken #DontCheatYourselfTreatYourself #HellYeahIDipMyBrowniesInMilk
And if you’re kicking ass w/ your training/diet goals – enjoy yourself a damn good #LegendaryCheatDay
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Don’t overwork yourself without giving yourself a break every once in a while. You don’t want to wear yourself out before you even reach to your destination. Go on, take a break, you deserve it.