--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you only ever give 90% in training…" description: "\"If you only ever give 90% in training then you will only ever give 90% when it matters.\" — Michael Owen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/michael-owen-7211_athlete_if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-the_61705.jpg" --- # If you only ever give 90% in training then you will only… ![“If you only ever give 90% in training then you will only ever give 90% when it matters.” quote by Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/michael-owen-7211_athlete_if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-the_61705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/michael-owen-7211_athlete_if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-the_61705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/michael-owen-7211_athlete_if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-the_61705.jpg) > “If you only ever give 90% in training then you will only ever give 90% when it matters.” [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Partial effort in preparation leads to limited performance when stakes are high; full commitment is required for optimal outcomes. **In simple terms:** Effort in training determines performance under pressure. Key Takeaway Give 100% in preparation. Themes effort performance preparation commitment mindset Mood determined motivated Type motivational advice When to use this quote - sports competition - academic exams - job interviews - project deadlines Key Concepts growth mindset self-discipline Practical Applications - coaching programs - training workshops Questions to Reflect On - How does your preparation level affect your confidence? - What steps can you take to ensure you give full effort? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [90 Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/90-matters-836705/) [90 Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/90-training-836703/) [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Athlete motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete-motivational/) [Athletic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletic/) [Athletic motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletic-motivational/) [Best athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-athlete/) [Coaches and athletes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaches-and-athletes/) [Coaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaching/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-sports/) [Inspiring athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiring-athlete/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Motivational inspirational sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-inspirational-sports/) [Motivational sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-sports/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Sports training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports-training/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) [Training 90](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training-90-836704/) ## Related quotes > [One man cannot make a team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/one-man-cannot-make-a-team/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [If you're fail to prepare, you're prepared to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-spitz/if-you-re-fail-to-prepare-you-re-prepared-to-fail/) [Mark Spitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-spitz/) > [What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/what-to-do-with-a-mistake-recognize-it-admit-it-learn-from-it-forget/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [If you are afraid of failure, you don't deserve success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nastia-liukin/if-you-are-afraid-of-failure-you-don-t-deserve-success/) [Nastia Liukin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nastia-liukin/) > [There is no such thing as life in-between.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-is-no-such-thing-as-life-in-between/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [You can't put a limit anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phelps/you-can-t-put-a-limit-anything/) [Michael Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phelps/) > [When I'd get tired and want to stop, I'd wonder what my next opponent was doing. I'd wonder if he was still working out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gable/when-i-d-get-tired-and-want-to-stop-i-d-wonder-what-my-next-opponent/) [Dan Gable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gable/) > [Doctors and scientists said breaking the four-minute mile was impossible, that one would die in the attempt. Thus, when I got up from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/doctors-and-scientists-said-breaking-the-four-minute-mile-was/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [You owe it to yourself to be the best you can possibly be - in baseball and in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-rose/you-owe-it-to-yourself-to-be-the-best-you-can-possibly-be-in-baseball/) [Pete Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-rose/) > [Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/good-teams-become-great-ones-when-the-members-trust-each-other-enough/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [I believe that coaches and athletes should realize that the athletic department field, court or diamond can be made an extension of the classroom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-shriver/i-believe-that-coaches-and-athletes-should-realize-that-the-athletic/) [Phillip Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-shriver/) > [Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satchel-paige/never-let-your-head-hang-down-never-give-up-and-sit-down-and-grieve-2/) [Satchel Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satchel-paige/) > [You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/you-have-to-believe-in-yourself-when-no-one-else-does/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) > [A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ara-parseghian/a-good-coach-will-make-his-players-see-what-they-can-be-rather-than/) [Ara Parseghian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ara-parseghian/) ## More by Michael Owen > [I thought I would break the scoring record when I got to 40 goals by the age of 27 or 28, but then Fabio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/i-thought-i-would-break-the-scoring-record-when-i-got-to-40-goals-by/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [A new club is like having a new girlfriend – you don't have feelings straight away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/a-new-club-is-like-having-a-new-girlfriend-you-don-t-have-feelings/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [I'd love to go and I'd love to play for my country and go to a World Cup again. I've got to accept I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/i-d-love-to-go-and-i-d-love-to-play-for-my-country-and-go-to-a-world/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [I have always been confident that I would make it to the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/i-have-always-been-confident-that-i-would-make-it-to-the-top/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [I think nowadays Manchester United is more competitive than it's ever been. Obviously, over the last one or two decades, they've always had one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/i-think-nowadays-manchester-united-is-more-competitive-than-it-s-ever/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [There are pitfalls in World Cups, there are players who can win penalties and players who get the slightest touch and go down holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/there-are-pitfalls-in-world-cups-there-are-players-who-can-win/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [I'm sure clubs have a lot of power these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/i-m-sure-clubs-have-a-lot-of-power-these-days/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [You learn to understand it, but if you step back, you do think it is either strange or unfair. But I know that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/you-learn-to-understand-it-but-if-you-step-back-you-do-think-it-is/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [To stay in the game, you have to stay in the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/to-stay-in-the-game-you-have-to-stay-in-the-game/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [ \[Wayne Rooney\] has to be viewed as a great England striker if he breaks Sir Bobby Charlton's record. Scoring goals at international level is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/wayne-rooney-has-to-be-viewed-as-a-great-england-striker-if-he-breaks/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [An emotion that lives with me is a sense of 'what might have been' had injuries not robbed me of my most lethal weapon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/an-emotion-that-lives-with-me-is-a-sense-of-what-might-have-been-had/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [I feel that every time I get the ball at the moment I am going to score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/i-feel-that-every-time-i-get-the-ball-at-the-moment-i-am-going-to/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [Scholesy was a genius, absolute genius. He was a center-forward's dream, you could make a run and he'd put the ball perfectly in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/scholesy-was-a-genius-absolute-genius-he-was-a-center-forward-s-dream/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [Often the biggest test is when the chips are down and you've got to stick together as a team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/often-the-biggest-test-is-when-the-chips-are-down-and-you-ve-got-to/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [I want to be a top-flight football player, so I lead the life that enables me to be that type of player. I prefer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/i-want-to-be-a-top-flight-football-player-so-i-lead-the-life-that/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) [Explore all 93 Michael Owen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) ## More Athlete quotes > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/) [Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/) > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/) [Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/) [Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/) [Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you only ever give 90% in training then you will only ever give 90% when it matters.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Owen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-then-you-will-only-ever-give-90/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athlete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-then-you-will-only-ever-give-90/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/michael-owen-7211_athlete_if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-the_61705.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/michael-owen-7211_athlete_if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-the_61705.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/michael-owen-7211_athlete_if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-the_61705.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you only ever give 90% in training then you will only ever give 90% when it matters.” — Michael Owen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Owen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you only ever give 90%...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-then-you-will-only-ever-give-90/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-then-you-will-only-ever-give-90/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```