Cain Velasquez Quotes

Any time you're banged up, your body hurts, you don't really feel like going to the gym. That's when I feel like you really have to push through it. That's when you really make the leaps and bounds in your game. So, pushing through those days is never easy, but that's what gets you good.

The truth is that throughout my careers in both chess and the martial arts, I often knew that my rivals were more naturally gifted than me - either with their mental machines or their bodies. But I have believed in my training, my approach to learning, and my ability to rise to the challenge under pressure.

I can't tell you how many times I hit that mat, especially that first year, where I said to myself, 'Man, this fake stuff hurts like hell. Do I really want to do this?' And every time, I would come back, 'Yeah, I wanna do this.'

Firstly, train lots. Secondly, train hard, the harder the better, no shortcuts. They will always come back to bite you when you least expect it. And third, always remember where you come from. Your parents, family, team, coaches, are the ones who will get you to where you are and will always be there for you.

You might not feel good, and you might not want to practice, but you still go out there and practice as hard as you can.

One of my biggest influences of all time would probably be one of my soccer coaches, Coach Darlington, from high school. He was always trying to get me to push myself really hard. No excuses. I always hated him, but it paid off. I think that's what life is all about... when you push through the hard stuff and it pays off.

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 can definitely get the belt. It's something I always wake up believing every time I train.

I'll focus on my training, no matter who I fight.

With back-to-backs, a lot of games, sometimes you think, 'I've got to take a day off today.' But you have to push through it. The greats did.

Keep training harder and always challenge yourself.

The one human quality that must be developed is self discipline for success. The will power to force yourself to do what you know you should do when you should do it, whether you like it or not, whether you feel like it or not. Success is tons of discipline.

Win or lose you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined or focusing too much. Success is measured by what we have done to prepare for competition.

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

Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work. I had to put in the time to get back. And it was a grind. It meant training and sweating every day. But I was completely committed to working out to prove to myself that I still could do it.

I will keep smiling, be positive and never give up! I will give 100 percent each time I play. These are always my goals and my attitude.

Games are not so bad because the adrenalin keeps you going, but training on a daily basis when every time you move it hurts, that is a real battle.

I think gymnastics trained me as a person, too. Without the lessons I learned in gymnastics, I would be crushed.

I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'

I would be nowhere without martial arts. It's a passion.

It's the philosophies of being an athlete that carry me today.

I have a talent for coming up with an analogy about martial arts training for everything. It's because training to improve your martial arts skills and training to step into a cage and fight another person teaches you a lot about... everything.

I train hard every day, I don't know what the word 'impossible' means.

It's doesn't just come overnight, you've got to train for it and believe in yourself; that's the most important thing.

This game is very humbling and you have to take it one pitch at a time, one day at a time and compete.