It’s not realistic for us to think that we will feel at our very best during every single workout. If you’re like most runners, there will be ups and downs, highs and lows, and sometimes a bit of a boost is necessary to get us out there to train.
Whether you had a late night at work, didn’t sleep well, have a lot on your mind, or just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, you may not be feeling your usual enthusiasm for that speed workout or gym session.
But never fear; we have some workout quotes to help inspire you for the next time you’re feeling a little down in the dumps.
Each of us is motivated in a different way. Some need gentle nudging, some look up to and follow other athletes, and some just need tough love. Whichever your style, we have some workout motivational quotes to help get you to the finish line of your very first 5k race, your next marathon PR, or that gym workout this very afternoon.
Our workout quotes are broken up into the categories, so you can just skip to your specific style or try them all on for size to see which fitness quotes work for you:
Motivational Fitness Quotes That Will Inspire You
We all need some inspirational quotes to top up our fitness motivation every once in a while to remind us that if we work hard enough, our dreams can come true.
- “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” -Muhammad Ali
- “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” -Matt Biondi
- “The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race. It’s to test the limits of the human heart.”-Bill Bowerman
- “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars.” -Les Brown
- “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”-Confucius
- “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” -Walt Disney
- “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” -Michael Jordan
Related: 30 Profound Michael Jordan Quotes From The Legend Himself
- “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” -Nelson Mandela
- “The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.” -Michelle Obama
- “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” -Michael Phelps
- “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” -Jim Rohn
- “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.” -Mark Spit
- “Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can.” -Lowell Thomas
- “Do not let what you can not do interfere with what you can do.” -John Wooden
Gym Motivational Quotes (That Will Have You Pumping IronIn No Time)
Feeling sore after your last workout? Wincing at the thought of having to push through another strength training session?
- “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” –Mahatma Gandhi
- “If something stands between you and your success, move it. Never be denied.” -Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
- “In training, you listen to your body. In competition, you tell your body to shut up.” -Rich Froning Jr.
- “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” -Jim Ryan
- “The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion.” -Arnold Schwarzenegger
- “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.” -Sylvester Stallone
Workout Quotes For The Competitive Types
Hard work lays the foundations for success in sports; the only bad workout is the one you didn’t do. For those of us who are striving to be the best of the best, these workout quotes are for you!
- “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.” -Confucius
- “Don’t dream of winning, train for it!” – Mo Farah
- “You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face.” -Gatorade
- “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” -Wayne Gretzky
- “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” – Tommy Lasorda:
- “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” -Michael Jordan
- “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” -Vince Lombardi
- “Work hard in silence. Let success be your noise.” -Frank Ocean
- “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” -Jerry Rice
- “I may win and I may lose, but I will never be defeated.” -Emmitt Smith
- “It hurts up to a point and then it doesn’t get any worse.” -Ann Trason
- “I will sacrifice whatever is necessary to be the best.” -J.J. Watt
Related: Game-Changing Wisdom: All-Time 30 Greatest Sports Quotes
Workout Quotes To Kick Your Butt, and In Turn, Make You Kick Butt!
As I mentioned before, some of us need tough love to motivate us to work hard and get out of our comfort zone. In these workout motivation quotes, you’ll find just that!
- “If you don’t practice, you don’t deserve to win.” -Andre Agassi
- “Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.” -Lance Armstrong
- “Success is what comes after your stop making excuses.” -Luis Galarza
- “When I was younger, I was always taught not to make excuses.” -Derek Jeter
- “If you do the work you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.” -Michael Jordan
- “Most people fail, not because of lack of desire, but, because of lack of commitment.” -Vince Lombardi
- “Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going!” -Jillian Michaels
- “Someone who is busier than you is running right now.” -Nike
- “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” -Will Rogers
- “You shall gain, but you shall pay with sweat, blood, and vomit.” -Pavel Tsatsouline
Running Workout Quotes
For all of our runners out there, here are some motivational fitness quotes for before your next run.
- “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” -John Bingham
- “If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.” –John Bingham
- “Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see.” -Jimmy Buffett
- “Runners don’t quit. We fade; we “hit the wall”; we’re sometimes reduced to a walk. But we keep on.” -Amby Burfoot
- “It never gets easier, you just get better.” -Jordan Burroughs
- “The road to success runs uphill.” -Willie Davis
- “I’m either completely committed to what I am doing or have a few screws loose, who knows. –Courtney Dauwalter
- “Running allows me to set my mind free. Nothing seems impossible. Nothing unattainable.” –Kara Goucher
- “Run often. Run long. But never outrun your joy of running.” -Julie Isphording
- “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up.” –Dean Karnazes
- “If you don’t think you were born to run you’re not only denying history. You’re denying who you are.” –Christopher McDougall
- “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable!” -Jillian Michaels
- “Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.” -Steve Prefontaine
- “What seems hard now will one day be your warm-up.” -Unknown
- “There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.” – Zig Ziglar
- “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy… I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” -Art Williams
- “Running is the greatest metaphor for life because you get out of it what you put into it.” -Oprah Winfrey
- “I often hear someone say I’m not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner.” – Bart Yasso
- “Run. Because zombies will eat the untrained ones first!” – Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide
Final Words of Wisdom
To finish up, let’s read some workout quotes that seem more like words of wisdom to me. (As a running coach, the last is my absolute favorite!)
- “My greatest skill was being teachable. I was like a sponge. Even if I thought my coaches were wrong, I tried to listen and learn something.” –Michael Jordan
- “Running strengthens self-motivation.” -Tumpal Sihombing
- “To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise.” – Gene Tunney
- “If at first, you don’t succeed, try doing what your coach told you to do the first time.” -Unknown (Even though I’ve said it enough, I feel as though it should be mine!)
Now that you have plenty of workout quotes to choose from, take your favorites and make signs to put up around your house, on the fridge, on your desk, in your home gym, or write them all over your running log and training plan.
The important thing is to put these motivational fitness quotes where you will see them the next time you need that extra boost. There’s always a reason to get up, get out there, and give it your all!
Whatever your fitness goals, whether it’s for good health, weight loss, wellness, or cardio improvement. Let these quotes fuel your training! If you’re still struggling for motivation, consider working out with friends, or a personal trainer.
Do you have a favorite motivational fitness quote? Which of these fitness motivational quotes was your favorite? Let us know below!
