Motivational phrases to power through a workout
My relationship with fitness has changed significantly since I started lifting at 16. When I was 17, I was a competitive powerlifter who participated in regional and national powerlifting meets until I hit burnout at 19.
From powerlifting to uplifting
I’ve gone through the wringer: body dysmorphia from impossible beauty standards, rigorous diets because of my sport’s weight-class nature, competition pressure since I wanted to win so badly—you name it.
Back then, I felt like my worth was tied to how I performed or how I looked physically. But now that I’ve grown into my 20s (and with university and jobs coming into play), letting go of those terrible notions of myself meant that fitness looks different to me.
Yes, I still powerlift—barbell squat, bench press, and deadlift—but not to look a certain way, or because of the pressure to compete. I do it simply for my health, especially at a time in my life when most days I’m sitting down, staring at a laptop screen.
I won’t deny though that there have been difficult days when I just want to lie in bed and do nothing—specifically when I’m exhausted from long work or school hours, or when my muscles are feeling a bit too sore from previous workouts. Life just sometimes makes it harder to exercise, but I’ve never let it stop me from pushing through a workout.
Motivational quotes to keep you going
Some people get shocked when they find out I’ve been consistently lifting weights for strength and reaching a 10,000+ step goal for my cardio health for years. They ask how I do it, and honestly, it’s mostly because of what I tell myself when it’s time to hit the gym.
Here are the three motivational phrases I say to help me stay on track, even on the most difficult days.
“There was never a workout you’ve regretted”
This saying is what gets me to step foot in the gym in the first place. Every time I catch myself not wanting to work out, this serves as a reminder that, despite how poorly I may perform, there was never a time I actually regretted hitting the weights or going for a run.
Ten out of 10 times, I always come out feeling proud of myself for finishing the workout.
“What a privilege it is to be challenged”
When it’s time to do a difficult training day, whether that be a heavy squat session or a long-distance run, I find myself thinking: “What am I even doing? Why am I pushing myself? I can literally just quit right now, go home, and order food?”
I’m sure other people feel the same way. Hard workouts are hard for a reason. Whenever I find these thoughts about quitting creep in, I like to remind myself that not everyone can afford to challenge themselves this way.
Working out is expensive in terms of money and time. Not only that, but as a woman, I understand that going to the gym now is a serious privilege. Back then, women couldn’t even officially run marathons until the 1970s or lift heavy because it was seen as taboo. Therefore, being able to push oneself is such a privilege, and when you acknowledge that, your perspective on how you approach exercise will change for the better.
“Being strong is the biggest flex you can have”
In a world where you can easily buy weight loss drugs for non-health purposes and just aesthetics, hurting your inner body and mind to reach society’s beauty standard isn’t really a testament of discipline anymore.
But you know what screams discipline though? Building muscle and developing strong bones.
There are so many long-term benefits of working out and building strength, including protecting your physical health from a variety of ailments and diseases, enhancing your mental well-being from endorphins, and overall making daily tasks easier by increasing your energy and improving your sleep. We also aren’t getting any younger, so all these health advantages from strength and aerobic exercise will certainly not make you regret doing them.
No matter what physical activity you choose, be it an early morning or a squeezed-in lunch-break session, at the end of the day—fitness isn’t about competing with anyone else. It always comes down to you versus yourself. And in that battle, you will find out that your willpower can be stronger than you think.
So take a deep breath, stretch out those muscles, say the affirmation that works for you, and focus, one rep at a time.
