Powerlifter Ed Cohn: Motivation is in the brain. Passion is in the heart.
Ed Coan is an American powerlifter and is widely regarded as one of the greatest powerlifters of all time. His lifts are legendary and throughout his career he has been able to set over 71 world records in powerlifting. That kind of talent and success doesn’t come without great passion. That’s why he appeared on a podcast this week to talk about how his passion for elevating athletes to elite champions intersects with diet and training: Generation Iron and Barbend’s The Mike O’Hearn Show. In the latest episode of Ed Coan warns athletes to worry less about motivation and find the true passion behind their irons.
Motivation in bodybuilding, strength sports and fitness has become an industry of its own these days. Just open up social media or YouTube and you’ll find tons of channels and videos to get you excited for your workout or competition. Motivational fitness playlists flood Spotify, and the guru’s words of wisdom go viral on a daily basis.
But Ed Coan and Mike O’Hearn probably take the opposite view on fitness motivation. It’s all bullshit.
It may sound shocking at first, but it comes from a much more thoughtful place than you first believe. It can also be used as an excuse to avoid hard work. If you’re feeling low on motivation, you have an excuse to avoid going to the gym or skip healthy meals for a cheat snack instead. Never make art again?
That’s why Mike O’Hearn spoke with Ed Coan at length about the difference between motivation and passion. Motivation isn’t inherently bad, but it’s only a small step towards success. Motivation must lead to passion. Only passion can take you a long way. It’s what allows you to delve deeper into new places.It also gives you the patience to not cut corners or rush to success.
Let’s dive into Ed Coan’s recap of his explanation of motivation and passion. Also, let’s see how motivation and passion play an important role in maintaining a training routine and diet.
“Zero motivation. It means nothing. Passion is everything.”
– Mike O’Hearn
motivation vs passion
Mike O’Hearn begins his interview with Ed Coan with a simple question. How would you define motivation? How would you define passion? Korn answers without stuttering. Motivation is in the brain. Passion is in the heart.
What Ed Coan essentially points out is that motivation is a psychological tool. This is a way to trick the brain into wanting to do something. Passion, on the other hand, is essential to human existence. If you are passionate, you don’t need any external motivation to drive you again. why? Because I don’t want to do anything else.
Of course, passion cannot be manufactured. It is something that needs to be deeply evaluated and determined. Perhaps you are not very passionate about becoming a bodybuilder. Maybe you thought it was a fun hobby and wanted to compete to make money. Mike O’Hearn claims (in past episodes) that this is a recipe for failure. Without true passion, you will never become a high-earning champion. Because someone with that passion will sneak you out.
“If you walk slowly, you move faster.”
– Ed Cohn
How Passion Affects the Law of Diminishing Returns in Weightlifting
There are old commercials that joke about bodybuilders just “picking things up and putting them down.” While true on a fundamental level, repeated weightlifting will eventually lead to diminishing returns.As your body adapts and grows, you’ll need to adjust your goals and find ways to keep pushing your limits. . Once a plateau is reached, this can become very difficult.
Motivation is most important in moments like this. But again, external motives are only temporary. If you hit a plateau where you don’t know exactly how to crack, you may fail. But if you are passionate about it, you will do it no matter how long it takes.
Ed Coan talks about how perseverance is critical to true athlete success. Ironically, moving slowly is the fastest and best way to succeed. Coan points out that too many lifters change routines mid-program. why? This is because they overestimate their strength and want to improve faster.
Ed Coan emphasizes the importance of adapting and evolving the program, but do it in pieces. For example, let’s say you set a goal for a 10-week program. Do not change goals or programs until this he is 10 weeks. Once complete, you can re-evaluate and change your goals to improve. However, if you are impatient and make changes mid-program, you may actually be denying the true results. These tasks may take some time.
Passion often gives us that patience. Instead of rushing towards trophies, accolades, or money, focus solely on your love of the sport. It could be argued that this problem has resulted in a number of worrisome habits, including increasing his PED with higher doses and bodybuilders turning to steroids at a much younger age. . It’s also possible that you over train, burn out, or give up when you could have otherwise been successful in the end.
“It’s like school. You can’t jump from grade 1 to grade 10. Everything in between. All the building blocks are there to get to the end result.”
– Ed Cohn
wrap up
The hardest part of passion is having to find it. cannot be created. It is an inner journey that every person must take as they decide what will satisfy them in life. But I hope Mike O’Hearn and Ed Coan’s words here give you the tools to better assess and determine what drives you.
You can read Ed Coan’s full comments on the latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show above. Catch new episodes every Friday only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network, or wherever the podcast is downloaded.
