Turning it Up a Notch

So, I found myself feeling pretty depressed about my basketball performance yesterday. The odd thing was that my brain knew what to do, but my body was a step behind.

Don't fall for ball fakes.
Don't let your legs cross when shuffling side-to-side.
Time your jump right, block the shot.

And my mind was telling my body to do just that - and my body obeyed...but slowly. And the few times my body was quick to respond, it didn't respond well enough. More than once I knew - KNEW - I timed a jump perfectly to block a shot. And I honestly noticed a strong feeling of disbelief when the shot sailed easily past my out-stretched arm.

I felt old, slow, and out of shape. These are not good things to feel when you're trying to get yourself back into playing shape. I kept telling myself that it would be much worse if I were still in the 360's, but that was more to convince me than it was "proof" that I had greatly improved my health.

Long story short (too late!) I'll be changing my workout to a basketball conditioning routine. For one hour each day I work out, I'll be focusing on the great game of basketball. First 30 minutes will be dedicated to getting my shot back - jumpers, low-post moves, etc. The second 30 minutes will consist of 30 minute's worth of the following drills:

Drills sure to kick my ass

Specifically, I'll concentrate on any drill that emphasizes sprints or quick movements. One that I NEED to do that isn't listed on that page is the backboard tap. I'll stand under the backboard, and quickly hop 30 times to tap the bottom of the backboard. Seems pretty simple, but 3-4 rounds of that and your legs start burning. But it's great to increase your jumping height and speed.

In between each round of cardio drills, I'll drop for 10 push ups. I'll also continue to work weights at the gym another 2-3 days per week.

My hope with all of this? By linking my workouts to a game I absolutely love, I'll see it as more fun than work. I'm all for work, but I've proven recently that my motivation isn't there, and I need to find a way to get it back.

Guess we'll see how it works, huh?

Game on.