BREAKING NEWS: Losing 25 Pounds Makes You A Better Athlete!

Losing Weight Will Make You a Better Athlete

When you lose 25 pounds you start noticing little things that really show how much things are changing. I played tennis yesterday for the first time in a few weeks, and the results were pretty impressive. Though I haven’t played recently due to travel and some other distractions, I usually play in a group that is only for ex college or professional players. It is intense, a great workout, and a great group of players.

There is one drill in particular that we always due which leaves me completely exhausted and out of breath. Using two courts, we line up in the corner of one court and the coach (there are 2 coaches, both former Davis Cup players) will feed us a forehand and then another forehand in the other corner of the court. We then run to 2nd court, hit the same two shots, and then run all the way back to the first court. So basically, we are continuously running the length of two tennis courts until we run out of balls. Once the baskets are done, we pick up the balls and do the same drill again for the backhand side. While some days are a little easier depending on how many people show up, I’m usually ready to call 911 because I think I’m gonna have a heart attack at the end.

That was then. This is now. We did this drill yesterday, and I couldn’t believe how much better I felt running. I hate running at any weight, but about half way through the drill, I realized I was running without the “heaviness” I usually have. I was able to hit my shots, and though still sucking wind, run to the next court without feeling like I was going to tip over. I could feel the effect of losing those 25 pounds. I just felt fitter.

At the end I played a set against my friend Brandon. If you ever want to know what it would have been like to play Michael Chang, play Brandon. He is a former college soccer player, about 5′ 8″ and pure muscle. He flies around the court and gets to every single ball. He is my favorite person to play because you know every point you win is a point earned. Also, because he gets every ball, he gives me the best workout.

Now, all things being equal, I should beat Brandon every time, especially on a hard court. I just have a much bigger game and should blow him off the court. But all things are not equal. I’ve been carrying around about 50 pounds of extra weight that have prevented me from being my best. Brandon is a physical specimen, and when we play I’m worn out by the 3rd or 4th game.  Now that I’ve lost 25 pounds (about half of my goal), we played all the way to a tie-breaker yesterday. Nearly every game went to about 27 deuces. I ended up losing the tie-break, because at that point I could barely walk; but I stayed fresh for so much longer than I normally did, that I didn’t care who won or lost. I played better and I felt better than I had in a long time, and I knew the reason why.

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