take pain that look for any gain." One of the earliest attestations of the phrase comes from the poet Robert Herrick in his "Hesperides". In the 1650 edition, a two-line poem was added: A version of the phrase was crafted by Benjamin Franklin, in his persona of Poor Richard (1734), to illustrate the axiom "God helps those who help themselves": In the phrase, Franklin's central thesis was that everyone should exercise 45 minutes each day. In 1853 R. C. Trench wrote in On Lessons in Proverbs iv: "For the most part they courageously accept the law of labour, No pains, no gains,—No sweat, no sweet, as the appointed law and condition of man's life." See also Pain & Gain Sports injury What does not kill me, makes me stronger (quote by Nietzsche) References Aerobic exercise Bodybuilding English phrases Mottos Personal development