Bodybuilding Quotes

The people who put limits on your abilities, goals, or dreams, may not be the people you want to associate yourself with. ~ Robert Cheeke

Bodybuilding has been the tool that single-handedly taught a little black boy from the projects to use his mind to achieve success. it taught me to see things for what they can be. I had 17-inch arms; I imagined them to be 24 inches. The power of my mind allowed me to achieve what I imagined. ~ Kai Greene

Bodybuilding is not just a sport; it's a way of life. If every aspect of your life is not focused on making the sacrifices necessary to build your best physique, you will ultimately fail and never reach your full potential. ~ Robert Cheeke

Bodybuilding is 80% nutrition! ~ Vince Gironda

Periodization isn't magic--you can't out-periodize your genetics, drug users, or stupidity. ~ Craig Cecil

You can actually program your cells toward better health and fitness. ~ Mike Rabe

Most people use excuses to cover up mistakes, but it takes less time to do something right the first time. ~ Robert Cheeke

Before starting a fitness program or diet, know why you're doing it. Have specific goals with deadlines and visualize the end result each night before going to bed. ~ Robert Cheeke

Most of us have the tools we need, we're just not sure how to use them. ~ Robert Cheeke

As we get older the muscle structure tends to atrophy at a faster and faster rate. The ideal remedy for this is bodybuilding. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

You're gonna have to go through hell, worse than any nightmare you've ever dreamed. But when it's over, I know you'll be the one standing. You know what you have to do. DO IT! ~ Tony Burton

I never set limits or created mental barriers. You may have read that I imagined my biceps as big as mountain peaks when I did my curling exercises. This visualization process was essential if I was to gain the kind of mass and size I needed to win the mr Olympia contest against monsters like Sergio Olivia and Lou ferrigno. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

If you don't follow a good nutritional plan, you're bodybuilding with one arm behind your back. ~ Shawn Ray

Laugh a lot. Laughter will make even the dreariest situations a whole lot more enjoyable. ~ Robert Cheeke

A surrogate activity is an activity that is directed toward an artificial goal that the individual pursues for the sake of the "fulfillment" that he gets from pursuing the goal, not because he needs to attain the goal itself. For instance, there is no practical motive for building enormous muscles, hitting a little ball into a hole or acquiring a complete series of postage stamps. Yet many people in our society devote themselves with passion to bodybuilding, golf or stamp-collecting. Some people are more "other-directed" than others, and therefore will more readily attach importance to a surrogate activity simply because the people around them treat it as important or because society tells them it is important. That is why some people get very serious about essentially trivial activities such as sports, or bridge, or chess, or arcane scholarly pursuits, whereas others who are more clear-sighted never see these things as anything but the surrogate activities that they are, and consequently never attach enough importance to them to satisfy their need for the power process in that way. ~ Theodore J. Kaczynski

I train for two reasons. Number one, I love working out, and number two, I want to win. You can't win if you don't train to the best of your ability. ~ Branch Warren

The reason I have entered into bodybuilding and weightlifting is to inspire everybody to pray and meditate so they can bring to the fore their own inner strength. If everybody brings to the fore his own inner strength, the world will eventually be inundated with peace. ~ Sri Chinmoy

The modern fitness scene is largely defined by the presence of pumped up, muscle-bound bodybuilders, expensive exercise machines, and steroids.

It's wasn't always this ways.

There was a time when men trained to become inhumanly strong using nothing but their own bodyweight. No weights. No machines. No drugs. Nothing ~ Paul Wade

I was a personal trainer for about a decade. I competed in powerlifting, and I did a bodybuilding competition. I was heavily entrenched in the personal training world. ~ Matt McGorry

You are right to be wary. There is much bullshit. Be wary of me too, because I may be wrong. Make up your own mind after you evaluate all the evidence and the logic. ~ Mark Rippetoe

There is a Tony the Tiger inside of all of us just waiting to be unleashed. ~ Robert Cheeke

Most people are afraid to follow their dreams. The thought of failure is too much for them to handle so they never even try to achieve them. ~ Robert Cheeke

Be open to other people's opinions, ideas, and try new things. One of the best ways to learn is to feed off other people's experiences. ~ Robert Cheeke

To feel strong, to walk amongst humans with a tremendous feeling of confidence and superiority is not at all wrong. The sense of superiority in bodily strength is borne out by the long history of mankind paying homage in folklore, song and poetry to strong men ~ Fredrick Hatfield

Shoulder width is an absolute requirement for displaying the V taper that will make or break your physique. ~ Dorian Yates

I challenge myself everyday to be the most positive and enthusiastic person I know. ~ Robert Cheeke

My body is like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don't think about it, I just have it. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

When someone compliments me on my physique, positive attitude, or enthusiasm, I walk on air the rest of the day. ~ Robert Cheeke

Some are born strong and others are made strong. ~ J.R. Rim

People ask me why I work so hard and why I have this compassion to reach the top and be great. I respond by telling them, "I work insanely hard because people said I couldn't do it." When someone tells me I can't do something, or that I'll never achieve my goals and visions, I am determined to prove them wrong. ~ Robert Cheeke

Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems. ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

When you got a guy that has purpose, now your in a dog fight. ~ Daniel Cormier

It takes a strong individual to live passionately, and with having quality in their conviction, that sets the results one achieves. ~ Steven Cuoco

Just remember, somewhere, a little Chinese girl is warming up with your max. ~ Jim Conroy

I said, "I'm satisfied teaching the martial arts."
"Not me," Arnold responded. "Bodybuilding is just a stepping-stone to me. I plan on becoming a real estate mogul, and from there, I plan to get into the movies."
I had to smile as I said to myself, "How's he going to be an actor when he can hardly speak English? ~ Chuck Norris

I will persist until I succeed! ~ Og Mandino

The pain of discipline is nothing like the pain of disappointment ~ Justin Langer

Why bother lifting weights if you aren't following a sound nutritional regimen? Sure, it may be fun, but are you really accomplishing anything? ~ Robert Cheeke

Do nice things for people who may be less fortunate than you. ~ Robert Cheeke

I've made many good friends in bodybuilding, though there are few I'd trust to oil my back. ~ Lee Labrada

Bodybuilding is men on a stage in their underwear wearing brown paint showing other men their muscles. It is training for appearance only, and at the contest level requires a degree of vanity, narcissism, and self-absorption that I find distasteful and odd ~ Mark Rippetoe

Never let external factors affect how you are going to make your body and mind stronger today. ~ Pense Andrew

The unique thing about bodybuilding is that when I compete it is just me on a stage alone. There is no field, no bat, no ball, no skis, no skates. All other athletes have to use equipment, like a football. But I don't use anything in competition except myself. It's just me up there. Me alone. No coach. No nothing. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

Work harder than anyone you know, and be lucky enough to be blessed with the genetics it takes. ~ Nasser El Sonbaty

Every year I want to experience something that makes me say, "this is the best day of my life." ~ Robert Cheeke

When lifting weights, nothing feels better than achieving a high point on the bench press with no help from your spotter. ~ Robert Cheeke

Bodybuilding has been my life; if it weren't for bodybuilding, I don't know what I'd be doing. I look at bodybuilding as who I am. ~ Tom Platz

Gold's was the first bodybuilding gym made for bodybuilders. ~ Joe Gold

ONE OF THE GREATEST EXPERIENCES IN LIFE IS ACHIEVING PERSONAL GOALS THAT OTHERS SAID WOULD BE, 'IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTAIN.' BE PROUD OF YOUR SUCCESS AND SHARE YOUR STORY WITH OTHERS. ~ Robert Cheeke

In 2010, I was ranked top 50 in the deadlift in three different weight classes, and I won my first natural bodybuilding competition. ~ Matt McGorry

Imagine yourself at your funeral. Ask yourself what you want your family and friends to say about you. How will you be remembered and what impact will you have had on other people's lives? How did you make the world a better place? ~ Robert Cheeke

The path to added muscle is consuming more calories than the amount needed to keep your current bodyweight unchanged. ~ Dorian Yates

Positive thinking can be contagious. Being surrounded by winners helps you develop into a winner. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

The psychological tools I've gained from bodybuilding will never atrophy. ~ Tom Platz

Strong and healthy is the new sexy. ~ Ronda Rousey

It is harder to be a lifter than a bodybuilder ... lifting is purely masculine whereas bodybuilding entails feminine traits. Bodybuilding reminds me of a woman getting ready to go somewhere. Can you tell me that greasing your body up and posing in front of a mirror is masculine? A bodybuilder puts strength secondary to his physique, whereas the lifter puts strength foremost because it is more masculine to do so. ~ Doug Hepburn

I didn't leave bodybuilding until I felt that I had gone as far as I could go. It will be the same with my film career. When I feel the time is right, I will then consider public service. I feel that the highest honor comes from serving people and your country. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

A few words in defense of military scientists. I agree that squad leaders are in the best position to know what and how much their men and women need to bring on a given mission. But you want those squad leaders to be armed with knowledge, and not all knowledge comes from experience. Sometimes it comes from a pogue at USUHS who's been investigating the specific and potentially deadly consequences of a bodybuilding supplement. Or an army physiologist who puts men adrift in life rafts off the dock at a Florida air base and discovers that wetting your uniform cools you enough to conserve 74 percent more of your body fluids per hour. Or the Navy researcher who comes up with a way to speed the recovery time from travelers' diarrhea. These things matter when it's 115 degrees and you're trying to keep your troops from dehydrating to the point of collapse. There's no glory in the work. No one wins a medal. And maybe someone should. ~ Mary Roach

Biceps are like ornaments on a Christmas tree. ~ Ed Coan

Trust me when you love something you don't need motivation. ~ Serge Nubret

I have had quite a few injuries during my time and if you are not injured in this sport [bodybuilding], you are not doing anything. ~ Ronnie Coleman

There are some girls who are turned on by my body, and some others who are turned off. but for the majority i just use it as a conversation piece. like someone walking a cheetah down 42nd street would have a natural conversation piece. then when they get to talking to me they see i am not mean but gentle to them and thats all they want to know ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

It's often a razor's edge you'll walk between coaxing adaptation while avoiding exhaustion (or injury). Master this, and you'll unlock the key to continual progress. ~ Craig Cecil

Half-reps may build your ego but they also build half a phyqique. ~ Craig Cecil

Hard work and training. There's no secret formula. ~ Ronnie Coleman

When you succeed be proud of yourself and know that not everyone gets to experience the thrill of success on a consistent basis. ~ Robert Cheeke

I believe that true success in bodybuilding nutrition comes from some variety in diet. It allows for more creativity, enables a bodybuilder to enjoy diversity, and causes less stress emotionally and mentally compared to a very basic diet for which a bodybuilder will lose enthusiasm for over time. ~ Robert Cheeke

Dare to be different. Successful people always stand out. ~ Robert Cheeke

Bodybuilding has come to be seen as a means by which boys can turn desire into identification. ~ Mark Simpson

The barbells and dumbbells you hold in your hands and the way you use them have stories to tell. ~ Craig Cecil

I always go heavy and I always go to failure. ~ Branch Warren

Life is movement. Once you stop moving, you're dead. Choose life. ~ Eugen Sandow

The bodybuilding world has lost one of its greatest legends. I had a chance to speak with Steve Michalik a year ago at The Upper State Bodybuilding competition. We laughed and shared our personal opinions about bodybuilding [today's scene and how it was in the past]. Steve, we'll miss you. R.I.P. ~ Lee Haney

I sometimes wonder why I pushed myself so relentlessly in weight lifting. My motive, I think, was not an uncommon one; I was not the ninety-eight-pound weakling of bodybuilding advertisements, but I was timid, diffident, insecure, submissive. I became strong - very strong - with all my weight lifting but found that this did nothing for my character, which remained exactly the same. ~ Oliver Sacks

For some people hope is all they have. Encourage them and don't take their hope away, for they will be left with nothing. ~ Robert Cheeke

Everyday I attempt to consume 4,000 Calories and 200 grams of protein. I don't always reach that mark but when I go to bed at night I know that I did the best I could given my schedule and the circumstances that day. ~ Robert Cheeke

When you have a childhood dream that still burns and tugs at your heart when you're an adult, you owe it to yourself to pursue and achieve this dream. ~ Robert Cheeke

Your love for what you do and willingness to push yourself where others aren't prepared to go is what will make you great. ~ Laurence Shahlaei

I think sports and bodybuilding were the only things that saved me from getting beat up. People are not pleased, for whatever reason, when you can answer all the questions in class. If not for the respect I got from track, cross-country, wrestling and bodybuilding, it would have been a disaster. ~ Aaron Patzer

I'd rather have a picture-perfect body than a million dollars in my pocket. ~ Robert Cheeke

At least once a month, do something for someone who will never know who did them the friendly favor. ~ Robert Cheeke

Your mind is the strongest and most valuable muscle you can grow in the gym. ~ Greg Plitt

You really can give a 110% effort towards something that you are truly passionate about. ~ Robert Cheeke

Bodybuilding is not only a sport but first an ART. ~ Serge Nubret

Your friends may influence your decisions even more than your parents will. ~ Robert Cheeke

Chess is like body-building. If you train every day, you stay in top shape. It is the same with your brain - chess is a matter of daily training. ~ Vladimir Kramnik

Success rests not only on ability, but upon commitment, loyalty, and pride. ~ Vince Lombardi

Get over it people, I worked my ass off. ~ Phil Heath

There are no shortcuts. The fact that a shortcut is important to you means that you are a pussy. ~ Mark Rippetoe

Just for the record, I'm in favor of drug testing EVERY year just as long as it's a level playing field. The problem arises that a lot of these substances are hard to detect. So, it's very difficult to have true, drug-free bodybuilding competition, especially on the professional level. ~ Lee Labrada

Your health and well being should be your number one priority, nothing else is more important. ~ Robert Cheeke

As a kid I always idolized the winning athletes. It is one thing to idolize heroes. It is quite another to visualize yourself in their place. When I saw great people, I said to myself: I can be there. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

It is worth it to give up all that you now are to be all that you could become. ~ Robert Cheeke

It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life," LaLanne said. "How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it. ~ Jack LaLanne

We are all capable of living each day with a fiery passion and sense of purpose that radiates in our smile and voice. ~ Robert Cheeke

Vegan bodybuilding is about fueling your body with a vast array of natural, healthy foods, combined with resistance weight training and exercise, providing your body with the appropriate tools to build your physique and achieve your fitness goals. ~ Robert Cheeke

Bodybuilding isn't 90 minutes in the gym..it's a lifestyle ~ Lee Priest

When I tell people that I'm vegan, the first question asked is, 'How do you get enough protein?' This immediately tells me that they are uneducated and know little or nothing about nutrition. ~ Robert Cheeke

I just use my muscles as a conversation piece, like someone walking a cheetah down 42nd Street. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

From the bodybuilding days on, I learned
that everything is reps and mileage. The more miles you ski, the better a skier you become; the more reps you do, the better your body. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger