The Power of Self-Talk In Fitness Training


Aug 25, 2025

 by Abby McCoid
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"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right." 

Have you heard this quote by Henry Ford? It speaks to the power of self-talk. The voice you hear most often is your own. Whether it’s out loud or running through your head, you get to control what it says, and it matters more than you think.

Think about the dialogue you carry around every day. Are you bringing yourself down before a workout? Saying out loud how heavy the bar feels? Talking about how rough the WOD is going to be? Words matter. They shape the way you show up. Research shows that both motivational and instructional self-talk can significantly improve task performance and confidence while lowering anxiety in athletes. In other words, how you talk to yourself changes how you perform.

Say, “Ugh, this workout is gonna suck,” and you’ve already spoken that truth into existence. Walk up to a barbell telling yourself you can’t, and you’ve already stacked the odds against yourself. One study even found that cyclists who trained using positive self-talk were able to push themselves about 25% longer under tough conditions compared to those who didn’t. The words you choose literally give your body more to work with.

This week we’re maxing out. Strength cycles only end a few times a year, and now is the time to put in a solid effort. The right self-talk can help you hit that next PR. Before your lift, visualize yourself moving the bar. Hear the words in your head or out loud:

  • “It’s heavy, but I’m strong.”

  • “This workout is tough, but I’m tougher.”

Last week, during that brutal 400m run/goblet squat workout, I repeated one mantra the whole time: “Strong legs, strong heart, fast girl.” It didn't matter that I am not, in fact, a fast girl; it carried me through the run and gave me what I needed to attack the squats. That’s how self-talk works. It fuels the body by steering the mind.

It’s fine to acknowledge that something will be hard. But immediately follow it up with the truth: you are strong, capable, and determined enough to get through it. Studies consistently show that athletes who use positive self-talk perform better under pressure and experience less competitive anxiety. That mental edge isn’t just for elite athletes...it works for all of us.

If you’re not sure where to start, talk to yourself the way you’d talk to your best friend or your kid. And if you don’t have anything helpful to say, zip it and get to work. The way you speak effects the people you're training with, too. 

This week, give yourself an edge. Set the tone with your words. Think and speak strength, and you’ll perform better.