Tag: fitness quotes

Posted on

3 Fitness Quotes to Motivate Your Group X Class (Part II)

Fitness quotes by Michael Boyle, “Most people give up right before the big break comes—don’t let that person be you.”

Motivation is one of the most fascinating parts of the fitness industry. Muscle movement and exercise physiology has became almost an exact science. Burn more calories than you consume. Increase your weight or your reps, etc. But, there’s so much about psychology that’s still unknown. A lot of it is trial and error — or finding what works for you. So, you may say ten different fitness quotes in your class, but only one will resonate with each participant. Even more interesting is that each participant may latch on to a different fitness motivation.

As fitness instructors, it’s important to mix up the motivational techniques in class to make sure that each person hears or feels the motivation they need to push themselves. I shared three fitness quotes in Monday’s post, and here are three more different quotes to introduce in your fitness classes.

  1. “If you ain’t pissed off for greatness, that just means you’re okay with being mediocre,” said Ray Lewis.

Fitness quotes by Ray Lewis, “If you ain’t pissed off for greatness, that just means you’re okay with being mediocre.”

I personally find it very motivating to acknowledge the status quo and question whether that’s good enough for me. It helps me recognize that I’m comfortable in my current situation and can push myself further than this.

  1. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway,” said Earl Nightingale.

Fitness quotes by Earl Nightingale, "Never give up on a dream..."

This is a great one, because it helps participants think big. No goal is too big, because we have so much time (long-term) to devote to it. This may not be a great one for busy participants, like working moms or the 6 a.m. participants that squeeze in a 45-minute workout on the way to their day job. If folks don’t have much time, this quote might have them questioning why they’re spending their precious time at the gym.

  1. “Most people give up right before the big break comes — don’t let that person be you,” said Michael Boyle.

Fitness quotes by Michael Boyle, “Most people give up right before the big break comes—don’t let that person be you.”

This one is such a no-brainer for a fitness class. This fits perfectly at the end of an interval or set, when participants are going to want to start falling off.

With these fitness quotes, you’ll have a new arsenal of motivational topics to share with your Group X classes.

For more ideas, check out the fitness motivation and cueing page.

Posted on

3 Fitness Quotes to Motivate Your Group X Class (Part I)

Fitness quotes by Einstein, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

When I ask someone why they go to Group X classes, folks will more often than not tell me fitness classes motivate them to work harder than they would on their own. I’m quick to agree, having wasted hours at the gym by myself. As fitness instructors, it’s important to keep that in mind when planning your classes. It’s not just about the exercises, but also about what you will say to convince participants to work harder. Great instructors will use a mix of motivational techniques, including personal anecdotes, visualization and fitness quotes.

Sometimes tried and true motivational strategies will start to feel stale or overused. If that’s the case, you’ll want to pack away the phrases used too often and replace them with something new.

Here’s a look at three fitness quotes you can introduce to your Group X classes to power them through the next challenge.

  1. “I will sacrifice whatever’s necessary to be the best,” said J.J. Watts.

Fitness quotes by J.J. Watts, “I will sacrifice whatever is necessary to be the best.”

This is one of my favorite quotes, because I like to change my mindset from what do I have to do to achieve the next level to what do I have to sacrifice. Play into this question of how much participants are willing to sacrifice to make a difference in their bodies by equating that uncomfortable feeling of working out with sacrifice.

  1. “The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone who is not a champion,” said Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Fitness quotes by Arnold, “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.”

This is a great one to try when you’re teaching a particularly long set of exercises. Especially when you finish a set with an isometric hold or small pulse that leaves little room for distraction. It’s also easy to slot in, because you have to say it right before the end of a set when participants start to drop their weights.

  1. “Insanity: doing something over and over again and expecting different results,” said Albert Einstein.

Fitness quotes by Einstein, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

This is one of those fitness quotes that’s a bit tricky for me, because I don’t want participants to think they’re doing something wrong by coming to class each week. So, make sure to focus this one on the fact that members have to continue to challenge themselves with their exercises. Doing the drills that challenged them a year ago won’t help them continue to make progress.

These fitness quotes will help to bring fresh motivation to get Group X participants to take their effort level up a notch.

For more ideas, check out the fitness motivation and cueing page.