A reporter asked once Muhammad Ali, how many sit-ups he typically does in a workout.
And guess what?
Ali's answer was mind-blowing - he said just 50.
Can you believe that?
The reporter was totally shook, thinking there'd be way more.
We're talking about a heavyweight boxing champ here, a force to be reckoned with, right?
‘Come on, shouldn't you be crushing way more sit-ups than that?’ the reporter couldn't help but push back.
Then Ali being his badass self, packed a knock-out punch that goes beyond the damn boxing ring.
“I don’t count my sit-ups, I only start counting when it starts hurting, when I feel pain, that’s when I start counting, ‘cause that’s when it really counts.”
Ali's focus on the painful sit-ups reminds us that in a world obsessed with numbers and metrics, it’s not what you do, but how you do it.
More is not always more.
Numbers may be flashy, but quality beats quantity.
You see, Ali started counting sit-ups only after they started hurting.
The ones before the pain didn’t even register to him.
It’s because Ali understood stress is the name of the game.
And he was right.
The reps you do after the burning starts are the ones that matter.
Stress that muscle and it grows.
Stress yourself, and you'll grow too.
Stress.
Recover.
Adapt.
Repeat.
This is true for the body as it is for the mind and spirit.
Don’t stop when it gets hard.
Push yourself past the limit and you'll find a new one.
It's that one extra step that often separates the good from the freakin' great.
Ali knew a thing or two about pushing the limits.
Shortly after his return from the 1960 Rome Olympics, he tossed his gold medal into the Ohio River as a protest after a fight with a white motorcycle gang, which started when he and his friend were refused service at a Louisville restaurant.
He received a replacement medal at the Georgia Dome during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he lit the torch to start the Games.
It’s the most powerful Olympic torch lighting of all time.
Watch it here and you'll know what I’m talking about.
Despite his Parkinson's condition, he showed the world what true strength is.
He called it the biggest fight of his life, and that fight is something we can all learn from.
Do what’s right, not what’s cool… especially during the unseen hours when nobody’s watching.
That moment, when you feel like quitting, is the moment when mental toughness training begins.
That’s how you earn your spot in the 1% Club, a club where members do the things that 99% of people choose not to do.
PS. Do you struggle to set yourself apart from your competitors? Does your tone of voice lack a little personality? Either way, get in touch and I’ll help you become remarkable. Or get more communication advice that doesn't suck here.
Comments