Your workout mantra

[The Tin Man]

My phrase, when a run isn't going well or I'm about to go up a rough hill is "Okay Matt, let's see what you're made of!"

I am apparently made of tougher stuff than I often give myself credit for, judging by my response in those times.

[andygates]

"Yeah, I got this."

[Corbab]

I use "You can do anything for this many strokes/minutes/seconds longer" a lot. My other favorite is the neck flex with accompanying Hulk noises, or my war face, which has improved considerably since I started really working.

[Loren Wade]

"Yeah, I got this."

Adopting this.

Thank you Mr. Gates.

[RaeVynn]

Generally, it's "I can do this"... repeat as necessary.

During my HIIT sprints, I usually try to visualize the zombies chasing me... when I walk (on the treadmill) I read and/or listen to classic rock music.

I also count my reps out loud...

[Nairoz]

For me, when my mind's racing and I'm starting to think I can't do this, normally something along the lines of "Shut the **** up and train". Simple, crude, but it seems to do the trick - my mind keeps trying to be a limiting factor, and I won't let it be!

That, and when I can, I imagine people cheering me on. That really gets me going. Because maybe one day I won't have to imagine if I actually stick to it and don't give up

[don-don]

I don't have a certain one that I use, it depends what kind of mood I'm in.

Mostly I count to try and block out/ make me focus what I'm doing.

I tell myself to "stop being such a girl!!" little bit weird, considering I am one Also to "get myself some balls" not that I'd really want any lol

When I start feeling the pain and think about stopping I mock myself "pah you call this pain? You've given birth 3 times, twice with no pain relief, this is not pain, now MOVE your ass"

[Hermione Gainser]

Why do I picture you saying it in a voice you'd use to say "Good doggie" and petting the barbell?

:looks around: you're stalking me, aren't you?

Adopting this.

Thank you Mr. Gates.

ditto this.

[Sundae]

I just go with the "you need to want to succeed as much as you want to breath" quote and its helps me push myself to finish runs strong.

[notacommittee]

I like the "You can do anything for x time" one.

I also trash-talk myself. If I go on and on about how I'm strong/powerful/brave/whatever I'll feel so good I stop working. If I tell myself "you're so pathetic, you're so weak, why can't you even lift [xx lbs]; any half-developed teenager can do that, etc. etc." then I can push myself as far as I need to. Sometimes I even slap myself or pinch myself or something as "punishment" if I'm thinking of quitting. IDK why it works but it really does.

[Rosie]

When I'm out running my thoughts switch from "you can make it to the lamppost, you can make it to the bin" to "this will get easier, you have to go through the hard stuff for it to get easier" I know this to be true because when i first started running I struggled on 2km and now I can run 5 or more without even stopping so I know the more i put in, the more I train, the easier it will get.

When I'm on the rowing machine at the gym I get a bit competitive if theres someone on the machine next to me who have been there for 5 or more minutes and I just keep thinking to myself "You cant be done first, they've been going for ages, you can't tire out first" usually works for me as I can keep going for a few minutes after they've done!

[GreenMatt]

The two I use most often are: "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" (Steve Prefontaine) and "Keep going, keep going, keep going, until something inside you says - keep going" (Frank Horwill).

Oh, and quite often just a repeat of something like "What would Chrissie Wellington do? What would Mo Farah do? What would Haile do? What would Ian Sharman do?" etc etc etc. Good to have people to look up to!

[airen123]

Just keep on trucking...

it's my signature on here and my outlook on life.

[Fogo]

When I start to slow down, I often think of Link.

[hfurm]

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do." Eleanor Roosevelt

[Rooks]

When I'm running, I'm either trying to focus on the music and not my body... or lately, when I've started to get that urge to quit, I literally try and reason with my own conscience. Usually something like this (in my head of course):

"You gotta stop. This hurts."

"Ok. I'll stop if you can tell me what hurts."

"Well... your legs."

"Nope, my legs don't really hurt."

"Your way out of breath."

"Nope, actually I'm not out of breath. Just gotta focus on breathing deeply."

"Well... umm..."

And then suddenly I've gone another .2 of mile, I'm not focused on quitting anymore and I just keep going. It's been slightly amazing to essentially trick the wussy part of my brain into just shutting up.

[DblElK]

I have found that Groucho Marx's quote "I am going to live forever or die trying" really has impact on my workout. If I find myself having difficulities in any aspcet of life I just remind myself that if I want to excell I can never give up, even if it feels like it may kill me.

[Tola Seng]

For general motivation my mantra is: "No Excuses!"

When I need to finish a rep: "And One!" ( I love basketball)

When I need to get into the proper mindset before a heavy set: I squeeze my left wrist with my right hand. It's a "binding technique" I've created for myself to get an instant "high."

Otherwise, my mind is pretty blank (just calm) throughout my workout.

[ElectronicGoddess]

I always tell myself, "Suck it up and one day you won't have to suck it in." Occasionally, I tell myself how much I love the exercise. Like "I love chair pose. I can feel how strong my thighs will be from holding this pose."

[ElectronicGoddess]

Mine's in my sig. Trying to remember the exact words distracts me from how much pain I'm in.

One of my favorite books!

[ElectronicGoddess]

If I am running, I sing songs I learned in the Navy when we'd go on company runs. Helps me with my breathing, keeps my pace steady, and distracts me from my desire to stop and pee on the side of the road. I do this outloud, although I don't shout myself hoarse anymore.

Now I'm going to start thinking, "Heeeeyyyy, Captain Jack...." the next I go running!

[Oklibrarian]

"if you're growing, then it's all good" (when I'm being a perfectionist"

"you have accomplished x, you can do this too."

Plus I have a carefully designed workout playlist of inspirational/geeky stuff that has a good beat. It's just long enough to take me through cardio and post-workout stretching, and I can often get lost in the lyrics.

[SwimBikeRun]

When I'm swimming, it's "Breathe, stay calm, have fun."

When I'm running, it's "You know you're a little bit faster than this."

When I'm in the gym, it's "You with the iPhone, get the f- out of my way. I've got work to do!"

And when I'm racing, I just wonder who let all these other people out onto my race course.

[progress126]

"Yeah, I got this."

I too am adopting this mantra.

[Warrior Princess Lisa]

When I'm running and my legs are tired it's "Tired Legs are Happy Legs" I know it makes no sense, I have two big energetic dogs & I always say tired dogs are good dogs, as in, if I take them for a long walk in the morning they won't get into any trouble during the day. I have no idea how I warped it so much, but it makes me think of my dogs and that cheers me up. If I'm at the gym, I just tell myself to quit being a baby and just do it. I have no idea where I got that from, but I don't like being called a baby even from myself, so it works too!