At Leo’s Fitness Lab, we know that strength isn’t just built in the body—it’s forged in the mind. One of the most underrated tools in your training arsenal is how you talk to yourself when the workout gets hard. Whether you’re pushding through your last leg press or pushing for a new personal best in the biceps curl, the words you use in those moments can make or break your performance.
The Power of Tough Thinking
Tough thinking is about developing mental discipline—the ability to control your internal dialogue so it works for you, not against you. It’s what keeps you focused when distractions creep in and helps you push through when your muscles start to scream.
The truth? Your mind will want to quit long before your body has to. That’s where tough thinking comes in.
Mental toughness doesn’t mean ignoring pain or pretending everything’s easy. It means being intentional about how you respond when things get uncomfortable. You can train your brain the same way you train your body—with repetition, consistency, and the right strategy.
Replace Weak Thoughts with Strong Ones
Even elite athletes use this technique. When negative self-talk shows up (“I can’t do this,” “This is too hard,” “I’m not strong enough”), the key is to replace it with something that serves you better.
Take a cue from Olympic medalist Deena Kastor, who says:
“Replace that thought with a thought that serves you better.”
It’s simple, but powerful. Don’t let one bad thought spiral into a bad workout.
Why Second-Person Self-Talk Works Best
Recent sports psychology research backs this up. A study published in the Journal of Sport Science looked at how different forms of self-talk affect performance. One group used first-person self-talk (“I can do this”), while the other used second-person (“You can do this”).
The result? The second-person group performed significantly better—they pushed harder and lasted longer at the same level of effort.
Why? Because using “you” creates distance from the emotion, like when a coach is talking directly to you. And when things get tough, we all need a good coach in our corner—like the professional personal trainers at Leo’s Fitness Lab.
Tough Talk for Strength Training
Here are some powerful self-talk mantras you can start using during your next workout. Pick two or three that resonate with you and repeat them when you hit a wall:
• “YOU’RE BUILT FOR THIS.”
• “YOU’VE DONE THE WORK.”
• “YOU’RE STRONGER THAN YOU FEEL.”
• “ONE REP AT A TIME.”
• “YOU LOVE THE BURN.”
• “THIS IS WHERE YOU GET BETTER.”
When you’re tempted to quit:
“THIS IS TOUGH—BUT YOU’RE TOUGHER.”
When your muscles shake, and you’re deep in the last push:
“YOU DON’T BACK DOWN. NOT EVER.”
When it’s you vs. the machine:
“YOU FIGHT FOR EVERY REP. NOTHING STOPS YOU.”
Train Your Mind Like You Train Your Body
Strength isn’t just what weight you can move. It’s also what you think. The mental habits you build during training spill over into the rest of your life—how you deal with stress, pressure, and setbacks.
We move in the direction of our dominant thoughts. So choose them intentionally.
At Leo’s Fitness Lab, we’re not just building stronger bodies—we’re building tougher minds!
Many of the quotes above are adapted from Dr. Jim Loehr’s book The New Toughness Training for Sports, and portions of this post were adapted with permission from original content by Discover Strength.
