“I don’t count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count.” -Muhammad Ali
This famous Ali quote is more than just an inspirational thought, it is a powerful health hack. During high intensity exercise, when you reach the point when your body wants to give up, those last few reps or that last mile just might be the most important part of your workout.
Make sure you know your body enough to distinguish between exhaustion or “the burn” and injury. Unfortunately, many people rest just as they reach that threshold during exercise. As long as you focus and keep good form, this is the phase that will stimulate the most muscle-growth and fat-burning hormones. So build more muscle, lose more fat, and gain more willpower by putting in just 2-3 more reps, 1 more mile, or 30 more seconds!