Check out all 160 motivational gym quotes below!

I’ve always loved motivational quotes. Mainly because they put me in a good mood. I love to be inspired to become the best version of myself. So, why not enjoy workout motivation quotes before heading to the gym or engaging in your favorite mode of physical fitness?

Finding whatever you need inside or from the outside world to take that first step is part of the game. Ultra-athlete, author, and Navy SEAL David Goggins often talks about how he never wants to run. So he sets up his shoes and running clothes out the night before so they are the first thing he sees. He will stare at his shoes, fighting that inner voice that tells him to take the day off. Until eventually, he wins the battle and puts them on.

Let these motivational workout quotes do the same for you. Stare at them every time you don’t want to work out. Watch how reading a few quotes from tough people changes your perspective. If you have fitness goals, these quotes will drive you out of your comfort zone and on to achieve great things.

The best way to do great things is to make a bit of daily progress toward your goals. And maybe that little progress is a one-hour workout, or a run, or a hike. Whatever it is, you need to have a clear vision of your goal and laser-like focus on achieving it.

You can do it. You’ll be stronger today and stronger tomorrow.

Now, go get it!

5 Quotes by Arnold Schwarzenegger

“For me, life is about continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger 

“What we face may look insurmountable. But I learned something from all those years of training and competing. I learned something from all those sets and reps when I didn’t think I could lift another ounce of weight. What I learned is that we are always stronger than we know.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

“You must have a sincere and burning desire to achieve what you dream, dedicate yourself to making progress, and take control of your circumstances to change your body.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

“There are no shortcuts—everything is reps, reps, reps.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

1 Quote by General David Hackworth

Strive for self-improvement through constant self-evaluation. Never be satisfied. – Col. David Hackworth

3 Quotes by Thomas Jefferson

“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” Thomas Jefferson

“I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” Thomas Jefferson

“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time, who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done, if we are always doing.” Thomas Jefferson

3 Quotes by General George Patton

“A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood.” Gen. George Patton

“Do more than is required of you.” – Gen. George Patton

“A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.” Gen. George Patton

5 Quotes by Michael Jordan

“Failure makes me work even harder.” – Michael Jordan

“If you do the work, you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.” – Michael Jordan

“Heart is what separates the good from the great.” – Michael Jordan

“Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.”  – Michael Jordan

“Every time I feel tired while I am exercising and training, I close my eyes to see that picture, to see that list with my name. This usually motivates me to work again.” – Michael Jordan

1 Quote by Admiral Chester Nimitz

“I have just taken on a great responsibility. I will do my utmost to meet it.” Adm. Chester Nimitz

5 Quotes by Michael Phelps

“I want to be able to look back and say, ‘I’ve done everything I can, and I was successful.’ I don’t want to look back and say I should have done this or that.” – Micahel Phelps

“I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.” – Michael Phelps

“So many people along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do, will tell you it can’t be done. But all it takes is imagination. You dream. You plan. You reach.” – Michael Phelps

“It doesn’t matter what else is going on. When you walk into your arena or – whatever you excel at- you’re there to take care of the job that you have to do.” – Michael Phelps

“I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything.” – Michael Phelps

1 Quote by General George C. Marshall

It is not enough to fight. It is the spirit which we bring to the fight that decides the issue.” Gen. George C. Marshall

4 Quotes by Pablo Picasso

“Everything you can imagine is real.” Pablo Picasso

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso 

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” – Pablo Picasso

“He can who thinks he can, and he can’t who thinks he can’t. This is an inexorable, indisputable law.” – Pablo Picasso

5 Quotes by Tim Grover

“In order to have what you really want, you must first be who you really are.” – Tim Grover

“Do. The. Work. Every day, you have to do something you don’t want to do. Every day.” – Tim Grover

“The drive to close the gap between near-perfect and perfect is the difference between great and unstoppable.” – Tim Grover

“Being relentless means demanding more of yourself than anyone else could ever demand of you, knowing that every time you stop, you can still do more. You must do more.” – Tim Grover

“The only way you can light other people on fire is to be lit yourself, from the inside.” – Tim Grover

2 Quotes by Jillian Michaels

“Be brave and be patient. Have faith in yourself; trust in the significance of your life and the purpose of your passion.” Jillian Michaels

“Why choose to fail when success is an option?” – Jillian Michaels 

3 Quotes by General Douglas Macarthur

“You are remembered for the rules you break.” Gen. Douglas McArthur

“There is no security on earth, only opportunity.” Gen. Douglas McArthur

“There is no substitute for victory.” Gen. Douglas McArthur

5 Quotes by Winston Churchill

” I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” – Winston Churchill

“You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory however long and hard the road may be. For without victory there is no survival.” – Winston Churchill

“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender!” – Winston Churchill

“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” – Winston Churchill

“We have not journeyed across the centuries, across the oceans, across the mountains, across the prairies, because we are made of sugar candy.” – Winston Churchill

3 Quotes by John F. Kennedy

“…I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.” – John F. Kennedy

“The stories of past courage…can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this, each man must look into his own soul.” – John F. Kennedy

“A man does what he must—in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality.”- John F. Kennedy

5 Quotes by Theodore Roosevelt

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.” – Theodore Roosevelt

 “I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…” – Theodore Roosevelt

2 Quotes by Carl Brashear

“It’s not a sin to get knocked down; it’s a sin to stay down.” – Carl Brashear

“I aint going to let no one steal my dream.” – Carl Brashear

3 Quotes by Haruki Murakami

“And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” – Haruki Murakami

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Say you’re running and you think, ‘Man, this hurts, I can’t take it anymore. The ‘hurt’ part is an unavoidable reality, but whether or not you can stand anymore is up to the runner himself.” – Haruki Murakami

“For me, running is both exercise and a metaphor. Running day after day, piling up the races, bit by bit I raise the bar, and by clearing each level I elevate myself. At least that’s why I’ve put in the effort day after day: to raise my own level. I’m no great runner, by any means. I’m at an ordinary – or perhaps more like mediocre – level. But that’s not the point. The point is whether or not I improved over yesterday. In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be.” – Haruki Murakami

3 Quotes by Cal Ripken Jr.

“As long as I can compete, I won’t quit. Reaching three-thousand is not the finish line as long as I can contribute.” – Cal Ripken Jr.

“Stubbornness is usually considered a negative, but I think that trait has been a positive for me.” – Cal Ripken Jr.

“The streak has become my identity; it’s who I’ve become.” – Cal Ripken Jr.

1 Quote by Nolan Ryan

“My job is to give my team a chance to win.” – Nolan Ryan

2 Quotes by Jerry Rice

“Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.” – Jerry Rice

“The Enemy of the best is the good. If you’re always settling with what’s good, you’ll never be the best.” – Jerry Rice

4 Quotes by Jim Rohn

“If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn

“We must all wage an intense, lifelong battle against the constant downward pull. If we relax, the bugs and weeds of negativity will move into the garden and take away everything of value.” – Jim Rohn

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.” – Jim Rohn

“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.” – Jim Rohn

“Character is a quality that embodies many important traits, such as integrity, courage, perseverance, confidence and wisdom. Unlike your fingerprints that you are born with and can’t change, character is something that you create within yourself and must take responsibility for changing.” – Jim Rohn

2 Quotes by Henry David Thoreau

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms…” – Henry David Thoreau

3 Quotes by Benjamin Franklin

“He that would live in peace and at ease, must not speak all he knows or judge all he sees.” – Benjamin Franklin

“Lost time is never found again.” – Benjamin Franklin

“Wish not so much to live long as to live well.” – Benjamin Franklin

2 Quotes by Henry Ford

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

“The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all but goes on making his own business better all the time.” – Henry Ford

5 Quotes by David Goggins

“You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.” – David Goggins

“If you want to master the mind and remove your governor, you’ll have to become addicted to hard work. Because passion and obsession, even talent, are only useful tools if you have the work ethic to back them up.” – David Goggins

“We can’t control all the variables in our lives. It’s about what we do with opportunities revoked or presented to us that determine how a story ends.” – David Goggins

“The pain that you are willing to endure is measured by how bad you want it.” – David Goggins

“I don’t stop when I’m tired. I stop when I’m done.” David Goggins

3 Quotes by Sam Sheridan

“It’s easy to do anything in victory. It’s in defeat that a man reveals himself.” – Sam Sheridan

“Push on when you think you can’t, and next time that moment will come later.” – Sam Sheridan

“Fighting is a way to feel, an anti–video game, a way to force some-thing to happen. That’s what brought me back to it, because when I’ve fought someone, I know something has happened. How many days of your life pass you by that you could take or leave? When nothing really happened?” – Sam Sheridan

3 Quotes by Ernest Hemingway

“But man is not made for defeat… A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” – Ernest Hemingway

“In order to write about life first you must live it.”  – Ernest Hemingway

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” – Ernest Hemingway

2 Quotes by Andre Agassi

“What you feel doesn’t matter in the end; it’s what you do that makes you brave.” – Andre Agassi

“There’s a lot of good waiting for you on the other side of tired. Get yourself tired.” – Andre Agassi

4 Quotes by Serena Williams

“I don’t like to lose — at anything — yet I’ve grown most not from victories, but setbacks.” – Serena Williams

“Don’t let anyone work harder than you do.” – Serena Williams

“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” – Serena Williams

“Overpower. Overtake. Overcome.” – Serena Williams

1 Quote by Will Smith

“Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.” – Will Smith

5 Quotes by Andy Frisella

“99% of people let others’ opinions and beliefs keep them from ever living the life they want.” – Andy Frisella

“Every valuable lesson you learn in life will come from you failing.” – Andy Frisella

“If you really want people to believe in you, then go out and build something great.” – Andy Frisella

“The only route in life that pays well is the hard route. The struggle, the pain, the frustration, and the overcoming of those things. And not only does it pay, it fulfills you as well.” – Andy Frisella

“You’re the only one who knows, in your heart of hearts, if you are really giving it all you have. You are the only one who knows what you’re capable of — and the only one who can elevate your effort relative to your own standard.” – Andy Frisella

4 Quotes by Inky Johnson

“Challenges are opportunities to prove to yourself and others that you are capable of greatness.” – Inky Johnson

“When you are able to look past your circumstances and see the potential in yourself, you begin to realize that you are capable of accomplishing anything you set your mind to.” – Inky Johnson

“Don’t let the past hold you back, and don’t let the present discourage you. Believe in yourself, trust the journey, and have faith that everything will work out in the end.” – Inky Johnson

“When you are truly committed to something, there is nothing that can stand in your way.” – Inky Johnson

3 Quotes by Denzel Washington

“If you have an enemy, then learn and know your enemy, don’t just be mad at him or her.” – Denzel Washington

“Just because you are doing a lot more doesn’t mean you are getting a lot done. Don’t confuse movement with progress!” – Denzel Washington

“There are two kinds of pain in this world. The pain that hurts, the pain that alters.” – Denzel Washington

3 Quotes by Admiral William H. McRaven

“It is easy to blame your lot in life on some outside force, to stop trying because you believe fate is against you. It is easy to think that where you were raised, how your parents treated you, or what school you went to is all that determines your future. Nothing could be further from the truth. The common people and the great men and women are all defined by how they deal with life’s unfairness: Helen Keller, Nelson Mandela, Stephen Hawking, Malala Yousafzai, and—Moki Martin. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, you still end up as a sugar cookie. Don’t complain. Don’t blame it on your misfortune. Stand tall, look to the future, and drive on!” – Adm. William H. McRaven

“I realized that the past failures had strengthened me, taught me that no one is immune from mistakes. True leaders must learn from their failures, use the lessons to motivate themselves, and not be afraid to try again or make the next tough decision.” – Adm. William H. McRaven

“At some point we will all confront a dark moment in life. If not the passing of a loved one, then something else that crushes your spirit and leaves you wondering about your future. In that dark moment, reach deep inside yourself and be your very best.” William H. McRaven

5 Quotes by Tony Robbins

 “The power of positive thinking is the ability to generate a feeling of certainty in yourself when nothing in the environment supports you.” – Tony Robbins

“The only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.” – Tony Robbins

“Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards.” – Tony Robbins

“Every problem is a gift – without problems we would not grow.” – Tony Robbins

You don’t have to have a reason to feel good. You’re alive! You can feel good for no reason at all!” – Tony Robbins

5 Quotes by Eric Thomas 

“Some of you love sleep more than you love success. If you want to be successful, you gotta be willing to give up sleep. If you go to sleep, you might miss the opportunity to be successful.” – Eric Thomas

“The difference between those who succeed and fail: not taking advantage of opportunities.” – Eric Thomas

“Desire and imagination have the potential to position a person for greatness.” – Eric Thomas

“You can’t cheat the grind, it knows hows much you’ve invested, it won’t give you nothing you haven’t worked for.” – Eric Thomas

“The problem is, you get more excited talking about it, than you do when you actually doing it!” – Eric Thomas

4 Quotes by Les Brown

“A lot of people do not muster the courage to live their dreams because they are afraid to die.” – Les Brown

“Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.” – Les Brown

“Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” – Les Brown

“When you want something, you have to be willing to pay your dues.” – Les Brown

1 Quote by Jack Dempsey

“A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” – Jack Dempsey

5 Quotes by Herb Brooks

“Risk something or forever sit with your dreams.” – Herb Brooks

“Legs feed the wolf.” – Herb Brooks

“Success is won by those who believe in winning and then prepare for that moment. Many want to win, but how many prepare?” – Herb Brooks

“Great moments are born from great opportunities.”  – Herb Brooks 

“Let me start with issuing you a challenge: Be better than you are. Set a goal that seems unattainable, and when you reach that goal, set another one even higher.” – Herb Brooks

5 Quotes by Steve Prefontaine

“To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” – Steven Prefontaine

“My philosophy is that I’m an artist. I perform an art not with a paintbrush or a camera. I perform with bodily movement. Instead of exhibiting my art in a museum or a book or on canvas, I exhibit my art in front of the multitudes.” – Steve Prefontaine

“Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.” – Steve Prefontaine

“I’m going to work so that it’s a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it.” – Steve Prefontaine

“No one will ever win a 5,000-meter by running an easy two miles. Not against me.” – Steve Prefontaine

3 Quotes by Usain Bolt

“Kill them with success and bury them with a smile.” – Usain Bolt

“A lot of legends, a lot of people, have come before me. But this is my time.” – Usain Bolt

“My hunger is always there.” – Usain Bolt

4 Quotes by Ray Lewis

“I figured something out.  And it is no secret what I figured out.  Whatever the majority of people were doing, I found myself doing the opposite.  I wanted to chase something great.” – Ray Lewis

“I didn’t like where I once was, so I promised myself I wouldn’t be back there.” – Ray Lewis

“You have to get back to being kids again.  You can’t never get tired.  I have something burning inside me.  I am a kid all over again.” – Ray Lewis

“With the mindset that I give everything I’ve got for the man that’s next to me, not me, cause I know what I got while I’m by myself, but when I step on the field, when I step on the turf, what am I willing to sacrifice?” – Ray Lewis

3 Quotes by Rich Roll

“We are all capable of so much more than we allow ourselves to be… So let’s hit reset. Let’s begin anew the process of stepping into that person we always wanted, and deserve, to be.” – Rich Roll

“The only thing I knew with clarity was that a voice deep in my heart continued to chant, Keep going. You’re on the right track.” – Rich Roll

“I loved the pain, and the pain loved me back.” – Rich Roll

3 Quotes by Courtney Dauwalter

“I’m either completely committed to what I am doing, or have a few screws loose, who knows.” – Courtney Dauwalter

“I find a lot of comfort in being uncomfortable. I call it the pain cave. It’s not a place I’m scared to enter. It’s a place I’m excited to find the entrance to.”  – Courtney Dauwalter

 “My mantra when the going gets tough? You’re fine. This is fine. Everything is fine. Keep moving. On repeat. For as long as it takes” – Courntey Dauwalter

2 Quotes by Jessie Owens

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” – Jesse Owens

“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself – the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us – that’s where it’s at.” – Jesse Owens

4 Quotes by Steven Pressfield

“Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.” – Steven Pressfield

“A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It’s only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” – Steven Pressfield

“It’s better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.” – Steven Pressfield

“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.” – Steven Pressfield

3 Quotes by Kobe Bryant

 “The most important thing is you must put everybody on notice that you’re here and you are for real.” – Kobe Bryant

 “After all, greatness is not for everybody.” – Koby Bryant

 “I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.” – Kobe Bryant

2 Quotes by Drew Brees

“Dream big and work hard to make those dreams come true.” – Drew Brees

“When you wake up, think about winning the day. Don’t worry about a week or a month from now — just think about one day at a time. If you are worried about the mountain in the distance, you might trip over the molehill right in front of you. Win the day!” – Drew Brees

2 Quotes by Jay Cutler

“People wanted to know more, and you gave enough but never enough that people weren’t intrigued. And that’s what built guys up so much.” – Jay Cutler

“You have to build yourself or you’re just not relevant.” – Jay Cutler

3 Quotes by Lebron James

“I always say, decisions I make, I live with them. There’s always ways you can correct them or ways you can do them better. At the end of the day,​ I live with them. – Lebron James

“I think the reason why I am who I am today is because I went through those tough times when I was younger.” – Lebron James

“Ask me to play. I’ll play, ask me to shoot, I’ll shoot. Ask me to pass. I’ll pass. Ask me to steal, block out, sacrifice, lead, dominate, anything. But it’s not just what you ask of me. It’s what I ask of myself.”  – Lebron James

Motivational Gym Quotes Conclusion

If you made it through the end of this list of gym quotes, then I know you had a good day.

Staying consistent is one of the most important keys in your fitness journey. When you show up for yourself and others you demonstrate a strong character.

You let the world know that you have come to conquer. I hope sharing this positive energy and words of encouragement were helpful. If you enjoyed these fitness motivation quotes, check out our other quotes articles.

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