Dan Pena Quotes

The conditioning and the lifestyle changes you have to make to remain a healthy athlete are what molded me into what I am today.

Running makes you an athlete in all areas of life...trained in the basics, prepared for whatever comes, ready to fill each hour and deal with the decisive moment.

People may say I developed an iron will, but what really happened is that I made myself much fitter. I think an iron will is always supported by fitness.

My clients train hard. They don't scream or throw weights - they just push hard, trying to get more out of themselves than their bodies want to give, trying to walk that terrible, beautiful line between controlled aggression and all-out insanity.

At times, you are mentally but not physically prepared; at times, you are physically but not mentally prepared. I would be lying if I said it doesn't affect your performance. But the sooner you get over it, the better. So you discipline yourself. That is why fitness counts.

There is nothing like having to change your physical form to put you in contact with every weak part of yourself, to train yourself in discipline. Put somebody on a treadmill and I'll tell you how good they are at any other thing they do in life.

It wasn't until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can't be as bad as that workout.

Anybody can have this body if you do enough sit-ups and you just make a decision that 'Every day, I'm going to work out.' There are some days that I just don't feel like doing it, and I don't. But more often than not I get up and I get on the treadmill that I want to shoot and just do it. The first 20 minutes are the hardest.

People who are fit are the same as anyone else. The only difference is their level of commitment. If looking good and being fit was easy, everyone would do it! Most people don't want to put in the work or make the sacrifices needed in order to be fit.

In general, any form of exercise, if pursued continuously, will help train us in perseverance. Long-distance running is particularly good training in perseverance.

I grew up doing gymnastics. It requires discipline, eating right, getting sleep, lots of sacrifice. But the pros outweigh the sacrifice.

I'm excited by challenging myself physically and mentally every day.

I see the beauty in boxing. It teaches me strength physically, but mostly mentally. I had to learn my strength, because for so long I could have been tougher than I was.

It's like a muscle - if you stop going to the gym or stop running, you get weak. The military teaches you these great values, but we don't keep up the discipline on our own, and we lose it. So wherever you go, keep that discipline up.

I had discipline in other areas but certainly not in athletics.

Make yourself do unpleasant things so as to gain the upper hand of your soul.

Mental toughness is a lifestyle. It's something that you live every single day of your life. When I was growing up, I was a lazy kid. I was a lazy kid, and everybody goes, 'How did you get to where you're at today? How did you get to where you're running 200 miles at one time in 39 hours? Being so disciplined?'

I'm in the gym nonstop, I'm always in shape, so I'm willing to do what it takes.

Get your mind right, get your spirit right, and get your body right. And keep it there. That requires working out; that requires fasting, eating well, prayer, and getting to know who you are. And not bending.

When I go into the gym, I'm working on getting my muscles stronger, and I try to treat my mind in the same manner.

I keep myself flexible; I just compete at my normal body weight.

Boxing gives you discipline, it helps you physically and mentally.

I realized in myself, look, I'm a small guy. I'm never going to be 250 pounds - I'm never going to be 6'5'' - but I can get as jacked and as lean as humanly possible.

Training helps you get physically stronger and a lot of times it helps you push the bar mentally as well.

I have high expectations for myself - as an athlete, as a man, as an individual - and wrestling has helped me build a lot of character knowing that I have to remain humble but also fight complacency.