Motivation and diligence are like any other muscle you need to work out. And that’s especially true when trying to hit your fitness goals.
There are limiting beliefs that need to be overcome and new habits that need to be formed. And that means you need all the self-motivation you can get. You’re not always gonna have a friend hitting you up to go the gym, and there are gonna be plenty of days when you wake up and you’re just not feeling like putting in the work.
So to grow your own motivation and stay energized, these gym quotes are gonna give you the boost you need. They’ll help you stay on top of your goals and give you that pick-me-up on the days when things feel extra hard.
And whether you’re doing an at-home pilates session or you’ve been at the gym and you have 30 minutes left, these workout quotes will keep you inspired and moving.
So scroll and grab a few of these motivational gym quotes for your next workout!
Related: Want more inspiration? Here are more motivational quotes for every other part of life.
90 Motivational Fitness Quotes
- “I may not be there yet, but I am closer than I was yesterday.” — Misty Copeland
- “Strive for progress, not perfection.” — David Perlmutter
- “Be your own motivation.” — Jon Jones
- “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” — Beverly Sills
- “Stop dreaming, start doing.” — Unknown
- “Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” — Abraham Lincoln
- “Set the bar and conquer” — Unknown
- “The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger
- “It’s not about having time but it’s about making time.” — Unknown
- “There are no shortcuts—everything is reps, reps, reps.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger
- “Sweat, smile, repeat.” — Unknown
- “It never gets easier, you just get stronger.” — Unknown
- “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky
- “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” — Jim Rohn
- “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” — Robert Collier
- “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
- “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” — Michael Jordan
- “Be stronger than your excuses.” — Unknown
- “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” — Billie Jean King
- “Push yourself because no one else is going to do it for you.” — Rhyanna Watson
- “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” — Benjamin Franklin
- “If you want to be the best, you have to do things other people aren’t willing to do.” — Michael Phelps
- “There’s no secret formula. I lift heavy, work hard, and aim to be the best.” — Ronnie Coleman
- “The only way to define your limits is by going beyond them.” — Arthur C. Clarke
- “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” — Sean Patrick Flanery
- “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” — Vince Lombardi
- “The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow.” — Stephen Richards
- “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing.” — Pelé
- “If something stands between you and your success, move it. Never be denied.” — Dwayne Johnson
- “You don’t get what you wish for. You get what you work for.” — Daniel Milstein
- “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does—that makes you a winner right there.” — Venus Williams
- “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” — Walter Elliot
- “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” — Michael Phelps
- “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” — Vidal Sassoon
- “There’s no talent here, just hard work.” — Conor McGregor
- “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” — Tim Notke
- “Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use.” — Ruth Gordon
- “A river cuts through rock, not because of its power but because of its persistence.” — Jim N. Watkins
- “Train hard, stay humble.” — Unknown
- “Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” — Bo Jackson
- “If you ever lack motivation to train, think of the people who want to see you fail.” — Unknown
- “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” — Winston Churchill
- “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Sweat is magic. Cover yourself in it daily to grant your wishes.” — Anonymous
- “The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” — Bruce Lee
- “Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.” — Pat Riley
- “You can have results or excuses. Not both.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger
- “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” — Tommy Lasorda
- “I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” — Michael Jordan
- “Your body can stand almost anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.” — Unknown
- “Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise.” — Frank Ocean
- “You can’t cheat the grind; it knows how much you’ve invested.” — Eric Thomas
- “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.” — Robert H. Schuller
- “Don’t limit your challenges; challenge your limits.” — Jerry Dunn
- “There’s no way around hard work. Embrace it.” — Roger Federer
- “A champion is someone who gets up when they can’t.” — Jack Dempsey
- “Excuses don’t burn calories.” — Unknown
- “Work until your idols become your rivals.”— Kwon Ji-yon
- “He who sweats more in training bleeds less in battle.” — George S. Patton Jr.
- “A one-hour workout is 4% of your day. No excuses.” — Unknown
- “You don’t have to be extreme, just consistent.” — Jim Rohn
- “Don’t dream of winning, train for it.” — Mo Farah
- “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” — Confucius
- “The successful person is the one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at them.” — David Brinkley
- “The difference between try and triumph is just a little ‘umph.'” — Marvin Phillips
- “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” — Jim Rohn
- “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain
- “Hard work compounds like interest. The earlier you do it, the more time you have for the benefits to pay off.” — Sam Altman
- “Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” — Bruce Lee
- “You don’t find willpower; you create it.” — Anonymous
- “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.” — Bob Parsons
- “A year from now, you’ll wish you had started today.” — Karen Lamb
- “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” — Marv Levy
- “Your success is found in your daily routine.” — John C. Maxwell
- “You’ll never always be motivated. You have to learn to be disciplined.” — Unknown
- “Confidence comes from discipline and training.” — Robert Kiyosaki
- “Don’t be afraid of failure. This is the way to succeed.” — LeBron James
- “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” — John Wooden
- “If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.” — Epictetus
- “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines practiced every day.” — Jim Rohn
- “The body achieves what the mind believes.” — Napoleon Hill
- “Focus on progress, not perfection, and you’ll reach your goals faster than you think.” — Unknown
- “Success isn’t owned, it’s leased. And rent is due every day.” — Rory Vaden
- “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
- “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'” — Mary Anne Radmacher
- “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” — C.S. Lewis
- “Don’t be upset by the results you didn’t get from the work you didn’t do.” — Unknown
- “Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.” — Vince Lombardi
- “You don’t have to be the best. You just have to be better than you were yesterday.” — John Wooden
- “First you form the habit, then the habit forms you.” — Unknown
Grace Moser is the author and founder of Chasing Foxes, where she writes articles to help women create a life they love in big and small ways. She's been a full-time traveler since 2016 and loves sharing her experiences and exploring the world with her husband, Silas. Her lifestyle and travel advice can also be seen on sites such as Business Insider, Glamour, Newsweek, Huffpost, & Apartment Therapy.