65 Motivational Quotes for Personal Trainers | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

65 Motivational Quotes for Personal Trainers

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

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UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

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Everybody needs motivation at some point in their life. Personal trainers must have the ability to hone in on what motivates someone and flip the switch to unlock their inner ability to achieve their fitness goals.

We hope these 65 motivational quotations will be a resource as you find yourself in need of inspiration and as you work to motivate and inspire others. Keep your nose to the grindstone.

Grow and manage your business with our All-In-One Fitness Business Management Software. Request a demo today.


Motivational Quotes for Trainers

“The man who has no imagination has no wings.” – Muhammad Ali, 3-time Heavyweight Champion

“Today, you have 100% of your life left.” – Tom Landry, 2-time Super Bowl Champion and NFL Coach of the Year

“Age is no barrier. It’s a limitation you put on your mind.”– Jackie Joyner-Kersee, 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist

“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.”– Derek Jeter, 14-time All-Star

“It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.” – Evander Holyfield, 4-time World Heavyweight Champion

“Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.” – Arnold Palmer, 62 PGA Tour titles and 7 Major Championships

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.” – Fred Devito, Member of Exhale Mind Body Spa’s Founding Team and Executive Vice President of Mind-body Training

“If you are afraid of failure you don’t deserve to be successful!” – Charles Barkley, 11-time NBA All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist

“Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” – Jerry Rice, 13-time Pro Bowler and 3-time Super Bowl Champion

“What do you do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.” – Dean Smith, 2-time Division 1 Men’s Basketball Champion and a Member of the Basketball Hall of Fame

“You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.” – Jerry West, 14-time NBA All Star, NBA Champion, and Olympic Gold Medalist

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” – Babe Ruth, 7-time MLB Champion and a Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden, 10-time NCAA Division I Men’s Champion, 5-time Coach of the Year, and a Member of the Basketball Hall of Fame

“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” – Wayne Gretzky, 4-Time Stanley Cup Champion, 9-Time NHL MVP, and Hockey Hall of Fame

“Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.” – Vince Lombardi, 2-time NFL Coach of the Year, 2-time Super Bowl champion, and 6-time NFL champion

“Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” – John Wooden, 10-time NCAA Division I Men’s Champion, 5-time Coach of the Year, and a Member of the Basketball Hall of Fame

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”– Muhammad Ali, 3-time Heavyweight Champion

“Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.”– William A. Ward, Author

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Mark Twain, Author

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” – Les Brown, Former Member of the Ohio House of Representatives and Motivational Speaker

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.’ – Amelia Earhart, First Female Aviator to Fly Solo Across the Atlantic Ocean

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson, Author

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“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand, Author

“I would rather die of passion than of boredom.” – Vincent van Gogh, Painter

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein, Scientist

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” – George Addair, Inspirational Speaker

“Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou, Poet and Civil Rights Activist

“I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.” – Florence Nightingale, English Social Reformer and the Founder of Modern Nursing

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar, Inspirational Speaker and Author

“Fall seven times and stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb

“Dream big and dare to fail.” – Norman Vaughan, American Dogsled Driver and Explorer of the South Pole

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”– Vince Lombardi, 2-time NFL Coach of the Year, 2-time Super Bowl champion, and 6-time NFL champion

“The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.” – Benjamin Mays, Civil Rights Activist

“Give yourself an even greater challenge than the one you are trying to master and you will develop the powers necessary to overcome the original difficulty.” – William J. Bennett, Author and Political Theorist

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.”– Charles R. Swindoll, Politician and founder of Insight for Living

“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.” – Stephen Covey, Businessman, Speaker, and Author

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”– Maria Robinson, Author

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill, Politician, Statesman, and Noble Prize Winner

“The biggest shifts in business come from working on yourself.” – Simon Lovell, Fitness Marketing Coach and Mentor

“It’s not about being the best. It’s about being better than you were yesterday.” – Stephanie Chapa, NPC National Bikini Competitor and Fitness Model

“If something stands between you and your success, move it. Never be denied.” – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Actor, Producer, and Professional Wrestler

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell, American Statesman and a Retired Four-star General in the US Army

“You can have results or excuses. You can’t have both.” – Bret Contreras, Personal Trainer, CSCS Certified, and Author

“If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?” – Joe Namath, Super Bowl Champion and a Member of the Football Hall of Fame

“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, 6-time NBA champion, 5-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Olympic Gold Medalist, and a Member of the Basketball Hall of Fame

“In baseball and in business, there are three types of people. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened.” – Tommy Lasorda, 2-time World Series champion, 2-time NL Manager of the Year, and a Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

“Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” – Bo Jackson, NFL Pro Bowler, MLB All-Star, and Heisman Trophy Winner

“Show me a guy who’s afraid to look bad, and I’ll show you a guy you can beat every time.” – Lou Brock, 6-time All-Star, 2-time World Series Champion, and a Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

“Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.” – Lou Holtz, Multi-time Coach of the Year and a Member of the College Football Hall of Fame

“Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like muscles of the body.” – Lynn Jennings, Long-distance Runner and 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist

“Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” – Matt Biondi, Swimmer and Eleven-time Olympic Medalist

“If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail.” – Mark Spitz, Swimmer and 9-time Olympic Champion

“To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.” – Picabo Street, Olympic Gold Medalist

“Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.” – Larry Bird, 12-time NBA All-Star, 3-time MVP, 3-time Champion, and Olympic Gold Medalist

“If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?” – Joe Namath, Super Bowl Champion and a Member of the Football Hall of Fame

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali, 3-time Heavyweight Champion

“It doesn’t matter what your background is and where you come from, if you have dreams and goals, that’s all that matters.” – Serena Williams, Tennis Player and 39-time Grand Slam Champion

“Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” – Bethany Hamilton, American Champion Surfer

“It isn’t the mountain ahead to climb that wears you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” – Muhammad Ali, 3-time Heavyweight Champion

The Takeaway

Motivation is a crucial component of a well-designed personal training program. In order to motivate clients, you must first motivate yourself. Use the quotes above as a motivational pick-me-up before a training session so that you can provide your clients with the service that they deserve.

Grow and manage your business better with our All-In-One Fitness Business Management Software. Request a demo today. 

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