One on One Basketball: A new-found respect

Many of the problems people have with working out is the fact that they know they are working out when they are working out. Nothing represents this clearer than the usual gym routine. What do you do? You walk into your local gym primed and ready to go (or so you thought.) You go in with the full intentions of "devastating" yourself to the point of muscular improvement.

Enter reality; you get on the treadmill to warm-up and knock out about a mile or two (maybe.) Then you walk over to a machine, any machine, and pump what you would consider a good amount of reps. You do this three more times (because thats what the trainer next to you is having his client do) and then it's off to the next machine or station. You hit about 4 or 5 exercises and you feel pretty tired (tired from the workout or tired of the workout) and you go home.

I realize that a good number of you, including those I have worked with in the past, have a much better plan going into the gym than this. This doesn't apply to all who read this but please be honest with yourself if it does. This article is meant to agree with you, not put you down. Face reality, people doing the gym routine seldom get results. Period. The other afternoon, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to play basketball. I particularly suck at basketball but love the attempt at it, so I was there.

I did this instead of my usual workout, so I had to install some parameters. Instead of playing half-court I said we had to play full. Also, every basket only equaled one (my friend protested that 3-pointers should at least equal 2 points, I gave in.) "Tweaking" our usual "one on one" game was a "kick in the pants." Looking down that court every time I had the ball felt like a terrible joke, no one was laughing.

Seriously, something about competition-infused workouts always feels like play. I challenge all my people but also anyone reading this to take up a sport for that extra metabolic conditioning. For some of you that might mean meeting new people (another plus) or maybe you don't workout and this will be a start. Do it today.

I have a new-found respect for the workout that doesn't feel like a workout.