4 Stoic Quotes for Tough Workouts

I love Stoic philosophy. The Stoics have been my guides since I was a teenager. I’ve burned through copies of Epictetus’s Discourses and The Enchiridion. My copy of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations is thumb worn, and I’ve bought more copies for friends than I could ever remember. The minds of these good men have molded my own.

The Stoics focused on staying in the here-and-now and on emotional regulation. It makes their sayings and quotes perfect mantras for coaching yourself through tough workouts. You might be skeptical. But I’ll show you how men, long dead and speaking on how to conduct yourself through life, are the perfect guides for dealing with the discomfort of hard training.

We’ll start with a quote from my favorite Stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius.

“You have power over your mind – not outside events.”’

-Marcus Aurelius

You can’t control what Chris, or I, write on your training program, and you can’t control the truth that many of the workouts will make you seriously uncomfortable. Sometimes the discomfort is that of going slow. Other times it’s the very real burn in your legs and lungs. No matter the situation, all you can control is your response to it. You can lean into the discomfort and tell yourself that you’re fine. Or you can let it seep into your mind and overwhelm you. You have the power to manage it well.

“It does not matter what you bear, but how you bear it.”

-Seneca

Do you whine to yourself when it’s time to do a workout, or a part of a workout, that you don’t like? Or do you tell yourself, no matter what this is, I’ll give it my best effort and focus on doing it well?

If you whine, you create a pattern of whining. Do that consistently, and every time you’re in a similar situation, you’ll whine. Your brain will create the pattern. Guess what happens next? Yes, you keep whining. But you also make the workout more difficult, more unbearable, because your brain perceives it as a bigger threat than it truly is.

Bear all parts of all workouts well.

“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?”

-Epictetus

You could read that as “demand the best FROM yourself,” too.

It’s true that you won’t always perform at your best. It’s called your best for a reason. However, you can always give the best of yourself that’s available on that given day. Sometimes that’s being smart and toning your workout down because you know going full bore will put you in the trash can. Other times, it’s ignoring the voice in your head telling you to slow down because you’re uncomfortable.

Each situation gives us an opportunity to demand the best for and from ourselves.

“No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself.”

-Seneca

This, of course, applies to women, too.

Each bit of adversity, even when it’s provided by a voluntary workout, gives us a chance to develop more of who we are – to demonstrate more of who we are to ourselves.

It helps to frame those difficult moments as opportunities to reveal your character. It’s not sanctimonious bullshit, it’s real life. If you can’t stand toe-to-toe with a difficult workout, what will you do when something truly hard comes your way?

Each and every effort, big or small, is a chance for us to prove to ourselves that we are who we want to be.

Keep these quotes with you. Read over them before you walk into the gym. They’ll offer you a powerful framework for managing your mind through tough workouts.

4 Stoic Quotes for Tough Workouts

“You have power over your mind – not outside events.”’

“It does not matter what you bear, but how you bear it.”

“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?”

“No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself.”

You might also like:

Sign up for FREE access to our Hybrid Performance Training Tips