IT’S EARLY SUMMER OF 2015 AND I’M ON MY WAY TO PLAY BASKETBALL WITH MY COUSIN SAUL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE PLAYED BASKETBALL IN AGES. I’M EXCITED TO TEST THIS NEW BODY OUT SINCE MY 187 POUND WEIGHT LOSS.
IT’S DARK OUTSIDE AS I’M DRIVING TO THIS MYSTERIOUS HOUSE TO PLAY BASKETBALL, SAUL TOLD ME TO MEET HIM AND THE FELLAS AT. NOW THE FELLAS ARE A GROUP OF GUYS WE BOTH KNOW ONE WAY OR ANOTHER FROM PLAYING BASKETBALL IN THE PAST.
I’M NOT SURE WHO’S HOUSE THIS IS I’M PULLING UP TO, BUT FROM WHAT I DO KNOW IS, ONE OF THE FELLAS HAS ACCESS TO IT, SO IT’S ALL GOOD. I HOPE.
AFTER MAKING OUR WAY TO THE GYM, IN THIS HOUSE, I’M TRYING TO WRAP MY MIND AROUND WHERE I AM. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE BEEN IN SOMEONE’S HOME WITH A FULL BASKETBALL COURT IN THEIR HOME.
MY HANDS ARE COLD SO I BALL THEM UP AND BLOW IN THEM THEN RUB MY HANDS SEVERAL TIMES. NO MATTER WHEN OR WHERE I HAVE PLAYED I TEND TO GET NERVOUS BEFORE I PLAY WHICH MAKES ME COLD ALL OVER. THIS TIME, MY NERVES ARE GOOD, BUT I’M JUST COLD ALL OVER. I TEND TO GET COLD QUICKER NOW THAT DON’T HAVE THE EXTRA WEIGHT ON ME.
IT’S GAME TIME, THE BALL IS THE AIR FROM THE FIRST SHOT ATTEMPT FROM ONE OF MY TEAM MATES. I RUN TO THE AREA TO WHERE I THINK THE BALL WILL LAND IF HE MISSES FOR THE REBOUND. THE PAINT CAN BE A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA SO I FELT A HIP CHECK TO ESTABLISH POSITION JUST IN CASE THE BALL BOUNCED OFF THE RIM, BUT IT GOES IN.
I RUN DOWN THE COURT TO GET BACK ON DEFENSE. THIS OFFENSIVE TO DEFENSIVE EXCHANGE GOES BACK AND FORTH FOR A FEW POSSESSIONS. I’M SURPRISED ON HOW WELL MY ENDURANCE IS HOLDING UP.
I’M FEELING GOOD. I’M MORE MOBILE THAN I’VE EVER BEEN IN MY LIFE. THE NEW BODY IS TREATING ME WELL. NOW HERE’S THE REAL TEST.
SAUL IS ON THE OPPOSING TEAM RUNNING POINT. HIS GAME IS REMINICINSE OF A MARK JACKSON IN MY EYES. THE FLOATER SHOT WAS UNGUARDABLE, BUT HE HAD ENOUGH STRENGTH TO PUT YOU IN THE POST TO BACK YOU DOWN FOR A LAYUP.
NOW WHENEVER I PLAYED SAUL I NEVER LIKED TO GUARD HIM FOR SEVERAL REASONS. 1, HE’S MY COUSIN SO I DIDN’T LIKE TO DO THAT. 2, WE KNEW EACH OTHERS MOVES FROM PLAYING 1 ON 1 FOR YEARS. NOW IF IT CAME DOWN TO IT, VIA A SWITCH I WOULD.
THE SWITCH HAPPENED ON A PICK AND ROLL, AND IM ON THE BLOCK/ BASE LINE GUARDING SAUL. I GET INTO MY DEFENSIVE STANCE WITH MY FORARM ON HIS WAIST AS HE RECEIVES THE BALL FROM HIS TEAM MATE.
HE MUST HAVE NOTICED I WASN’T AS STRONG AS I USE TO AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK ADVANTAGE AND BEGIN BACKING ME DOWN. I COULDN’T DO ANYTHING WITH HIM AT THAT POINT. I WAS SO CONFUSED ON WHAT WAS HAPPENING, BY THE TIME I KNEW IT, HE SHIMMY FAKED, DROPPED HIS SHOULDER INTO MY CHEST, TO MOVE ME OUT THE WAY AND HE SCORED A BUCKET.
WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED IM THINKING IN MY HEAD. HE LOOKS BACK AT ME AND SMILES MAKING HIS WAY DOWN THE COURT. DID HE JUST BACK ME DOWN? NOW HE HASN’T EVER DID THAT…EVER. WHY NOW? HOW SWAY?
SAUL HAS A HIGH BASKETBALL IQ SO HIS TEAMS NEXT POSITION HE IMMEDIATELY RUNS TO THE BLOCK AGAIN TO RUN THE PLAY BACK. I WANT REVENGE SO I GUARD HIM. HE PLAYS WITH A SMILE ON HIS FACE, YELLS TO HIS TEAM MATE “MOUSE IN THE HOUSE!!”
MOUSE IN THE HOUSE MEANS THE MAN WHO’S GUARDING ME IS TOO LITTLE SO GIVE ME THE BALL CUZ HE CAN’T STOP ME. NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I BEEN ON THE RECEIVING END OF “MOUSE IN THE HOUSE” BUT HERE WE ARE. SAUL GOES RIGHT BACK TO THE PREVIOUS PLAY TO BACK ME DOWN WITH THE SAME MOVE. I KNOW HIS MOVES AS HE KNOWS MINE, BUT WHAT I CAN’T DO IS STOP HIM. AT THIS POINT HE IS TOO STRONG IN THE POST FOR ME TO DO ANYTHING WITH.
ANOTHER BUCKET, AS HE LAUGHS MAKING HIS WAY DOWN THE COURT. NOW THE FELLAS ARE LOOKING AT ME BECAUSE I GAVE UP 2 POINTS AGAIN. NO IT’S NOT NEPOTISM BECAUSE HE’S MY COUSIN, IT’S I’M TOO WEAK TO GUARD HIM IN THAT POSITION. I’VE BECOME A DEFENSIVE LIABILITY ON THE SWITCH.
THE FELLAS AREN’T USE TO SEEING SOMEONE BACKING ME DOWN LIKE THAT IN OUR YEARS OF PLAYING BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE BIG STRONG GUY. THIS IS THEIR FIRST TIME SEEING ME SINCE I LOST WEIGHT AS WELL. IT’S A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE.
I FELT SO EMBARRASSED PLAYING BECAUSE I REALIZE I DIDN’T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO PLAY LIKE I USE TO. AFTER THE GAME WAS OVER, SAUL AND I JOKED AND LAUGH ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE POST, AND I’M LIKE FAM…YOU GOT ME.
LATER ON THAT NIGHT AS I’M AT HOME, I TALK TO MY BROTHER IRVING ON THE PHONE ABOUT HOW THE BASKETBALL GAME WENT.
“BRO, SAUL BACKED ME DOWN SEVERAL TIMES LIKE I WAS A PAPER WEIGHT. THIS CAN’T HAPPEN AGAIN EVER. HELP!” IRVING RESPONDED WITH, “COME OVER TOMORROW AND WE WILL WORKOUT”
DURING MY WEIGHT LOSS I FOCUSED MORE ON CARDIO VS STRENGTH TRAINING. I RAN A LOT, AND WAS THE ELLIPTICAL PRIMARILY. I WOULD TOUCH THE WEIGHTS, BUT WHEN I DID, I WAS SO HUNGRY AFTER, WHICH CAUSED ME TO EAT MORE, THAT I CHOSE NOT TO GOING FOWARD. I DIDN’T FEEL HUNGRY AFTER CARDIO. AT LEAST NOT HOW I DID WHEN I LIFTED WEIGHTS. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I HADN’T LIFTED WEIGHTS IN A WHILE.
IRVING HAD A GYM IN HIS BASEMENT SO WE LIFTED WEIGHTS THE NEXT DAY. HE BROKE IT DOWN TO ME ON HOW I NEEDED TO RE-INCORPORATE STRENGTH TRAINING INTO MY DAILY FITNESS ROUTINE.
THE EXERCISES HE SHOWED ME WERE NOT SO MUCH NEW, IT WAS RE INTRODUCING IT TO MY BODY SINCE THE WEIGHT LOSS. IRVING AND I USE TO LIFT WEIGHTS ALL THE TIME PRIOR TO MY WEIGHT LOSS, BUT WHEN I CHOSE MY FITNESS ROUTE, I BACKED AWAY FROM STRENGTH TRAINING TO FOCUS ON CARDIO FRO MY WEIGHT LOSS.
HERE I AM THINKING I WOULD BE STRONGER BECAUSE I LOST WEIGHT, BUT SINCE I HADN’T BEEN STRENGTH TRAINING, I LOST A LOT OF MY STRENGTH.
THE REINTRODUCTION ON HOW I GOT RE INTRODUCED TO STRENGTH TRAINING SET ME ON THE PATH TO BECOME THE PERSONAL TRAINER I AM TODAY.
THANK YOU SAUL AND IRVING FOR SETTING ME ON THIS PATH OF ENLIGHTENMENT 🙂
LOSING WEIGHT IS COOL, BUT IF YOU HAVE NO STRENGTH (PHYSICALLY) TO GO WITH IT, IT’S NO FUN. I DIDN’T HAVE FUN GETTING PUSHED AROUND PLAYING BASKETBALL. IT WAS TORTURE. ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS LOSE WEIGHT AND WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT PROCESS I SLACKED ON MY STRENGTH TRAINING.
I DON’T BEAT MYSELF UP ABOUT IT, BECAUSE AT THAT TIME ALL I WANTED TO DO IS LOTS OF CARDIO WITH SPOTTY WEIGHT TRAINING.
THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS TO STRENGTH TRAINING THAT YOU CAN GOOGLE, BUT I’LL GIVE YOU 5 ACCORDING TO ATIVAFIT.COM
1. IMPROVES METABOLISM
2. CREATES AN AFTER-BURN EFFECT
3. REDUCES VISCERAL FAT
4. PRESERVES BONE HEALTH and
5. IMPROVES SLEEP QUALITY
THESE ARE 5 OF THE MANY BENEFITS OF STRENGTH TRAINING. YOU CAN FIND MULTIPLE ARTICLES WHEN YOU GOOGLE.
AS IRVING HELPED ME WITH RE INTRODUCING STRENGTH TRAINING TO MY FITNESS ROUTINE, I CAN DO THE SAME FOR WHEN YOU VISIT CHRISTIANSWEIGHTSUCCESS .NET TO BEGIN STRENGTH TRAINING WITH ME THROUGH MY PERSONAL TRAINING SERVICES.
