"Hard work - I mean, does anybody use that term anymore? Laziness doesn't fly. It's all in the practice. It does take work and it ain't easy - but man, the rewards!"
About this Quote
"Laziness doesn't fly" lands like a bumper-sticker verdict, but the subtext is more specific: there are bodies, careers, and lives that simply don’t respond to vibes. Powter came up in an era when fitness culture was becoming mass entertainment, and her persona traded in bluntness as a kind of empowerment. That matters: she’s speaking to people who’ve been marketed miracles, then blamed when miracles fail. "It’s all in the practice" reframes discipline as repetition, not heroism. Practice is democratic; it suggests you don’t need the perfect genetics, the perfect schedule, the perfect personality. You need the boring part.
"It ain't easy - but man, the rewards!" is the emotional payoff she’s insisting we stop being embarrassed to want. Not virtue for virtue’s sake, but results: strength, competence, self-trust. The quote works because it refuses both extremes - the cruel moralism of grind culture and the cozy fantasy that change happens without friction. Powter’s pitch is sweaty, yes, but also oddly compassionate: your effort counts, and that’s the point.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work Ethic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Powter, Susan. (2026, January 15). Hard work - I mean, does anybody use that term anymore? Laziness doesn't fly. It's all in the practice. It does take work and it ain't easy - but man, the rewards! FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/hard-work-i-mean-does-anybody-use-that-term-166721/
Chicago Style
Powter, Susan. "Hard work - I mean, does anybody use that term anymore? Laziness doesn't fly. It's all in the practice. It does take work and it ain't easy - but man, the rewards!" FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/hard-work-i-mean-does-anybody-use-that-term-166721/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Hard work - I mean, does anybody use that term anymore? Laziness doesn't fly. It's all in the practice. It does take work and it ain't easy - but man, the rewards!" FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/hard-work-i-mean-does-anybody-use-that-term-166721/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.








