Ouch.  I’m so sore it feels so good baby!  I gave it a go with Meredith the personal trainer for a free 45 minute trial session and she did things to me that no woman has ever done before.  She made breathe heavily and sweat profusely!

She showed me exercises I never would have thought of doing to solely focus on getting me into shape for tennis.

45 Minute Trial Routine

* Sumo squat rope wave.  Whuh?

* Three TRX exercises to improve the quads, core, and shoulders.

* Wind sprints on the treadmill 3 minutes jog, 30 seconds sprint, 30 seconds rest 8X up to 12 mph.  I would never do these voluntarily.  Why suffer?

* Pro-roller stretches to roll out the calves, quads, IT bands and hamstrings.  Talk about pain all over.

* Side stepping through a maze for quickness and agility.

* Core training with cable pulleys three different ways.

* Four different stretches for the back, torso, and legs.

In retrospect, all the stuff I’ve been doing at the gym has been all wrong.  I was doing bench presses, butterfly squeezes, lat pull-downs, biceps, and triceps.  That’s it really.  I never bothered to do anything cardio, or work on the muscles that would help improve my serve or backhand.  I just went the easy route.  There is also 100% NO CHANCE I would have ever done any wind sprints or anything to make me sweat.  Again, I hate working out so I just focused on doing the easiest exercises that required the least amount of effort!

USING THE BLOG TO SAVE SOME MONEY

I’ve decided to go with Meredith, but not for 10 sessions for $795.  The original plan was to spread the 10 sessions over two months.  However, that’s an amount I don’t feel entirely comfortable with.

Instead, I plan to start off with 5 sessions for $395 and go once a week or two and work out once a week or two on my own.  After each session, I plan to record all the exercises she’s taught me and compile the top 5 exercises to continue on my own after the 5 sessions are over.

Trouble Saying No

The difficult part I foresee is actually not staying dedicated to whatever routine she gives me.  What I fear most is telling Meredith after my 5 sessions are over that I will no longer need her services.  She’s young, recently moved here from Southern California and is building her list of clientele.  I feel bad not using her for more training sessions to help her financially.

The thing is, I shouldn’t feel bad since it’s my money.  This might be the downside of going with a young female personal trainer.  If I went with a 40 year old male veteran, I probably would feel less guilty for not renewing.  Women really are more trustworthy and better negotiators than men!

INSTANT IMPACT

After playing a couple sets of doubles tennis I challenged the 15 year old high school sophomore student to a singles match.  He’s super fit, with not an ounce of fat on him.  We had already play for 1.25 hours, but I was ready for some more.  The kid had a big forehand and some penetrating volleys.  No matter, he went down 3-6 in 40 minutes.  My lower back started getting sore, but I wanted more!

I was tired, but not nearly as tired after training with Meredith for 45 minutes the other day.  So off we played for our third hour.  In 35 minute the kid, who is supposed to play #1 for his high school this year went down 2-6.  My endurance didn’t fail this time.

$395 is a lot of money, but not so much if it helps me achieve my goal of winning a tennis tournament this year.  I get to learn about the best exercise techniques from a professional,  get in better shape, and who knows, maybe even extend my life by several months!  How much would you spend to extend your life for even just one month?

Readers, do you have trouble saying “no” to spending money on someone who is nice to you and provides good service?  Is it harder to say no to attractive women if you are a man or a woman?

Regards,

Sam

My mother is a white cloud.  Every time I see her, she smiles even bigger than I can ever smile.  She loves to talk stories about any of life’s teachings she’s discovered, and I generally just keep quiet and listen.  Sometimes I don’t understand everything she says, but that’s OK.  It makes me happy just knowing she’s happy imparting wisdom onto me.

One of the holiday presents I got my father was a signed copy of Andre Agassi’s autobiography, “OPEN.”  To me, the book was gold, because Andre is my idol.  It was my only copy, and I decided to give it to my father because I remember him loving to read and enjoying the game long ago.

When my father opened his present, he did thank me and showed his appreciation.  However, a week later, the book still lay on the coffee table unread.  Somewhat dismayed that Agassi was being ignored, I spoke to mom about perhaps taking the book back since I cherished it so much.  She mentioned her unused Barnes & Nobles gift card and had an idea.

Later that evening, my parents went to the Mall for date night without us.  Apparently, Carl’s Junior had a two-for-one special and my father was just dying to go!  When they returned, my mother brought me over to the kitchen and told me, “Shhhhhh, take a look at the book.  I bought another copy of “OPEN” and swapped it with your signed copy, so you can take it home!  Dad will never know!” We laughed so hard it hurt and gave each other high fives!  My mom was right, dad never found out.  Mom, who knows very little about tennis, was encouraged by my enthusiasm she even read “OPEN” before dad!

LESSON LEARNED

What you think is an amazing gift, may be quite uninteresting to the recipient.  There is a recent study saying that on average, the recipient derives only 80% of the value of the gift, which is largely the gift givers fault for not getting them exactly what they want and need.  My father was probably thinking he could just get the book at the library.

We can choose to be a black cloud, or a white cloud in every situation we face.  The way we carry ourselves makes all the difference.  When an ambulance screams by, white clouds part so the sun can beam through.  Thanks mom for being a white cloud and supporting me in so many ways.  Thanks dad for teaching me tennis.  Now go read the book already!

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend Mom!

Readers, what are you doing for Mother’s Day?  What is the one thing your mother taught you that you will always appreciate?  Can you choose to be a white cloud, or is it just all predetermined?  For those whose mothers are no longer here, may they be blessed forever.

Keigu,

Sam @ Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

2009 was the year I rediscovered tennis.  Ironically, I figured I’d better utilize the club as much as possible because I couldn’t afford any other luxuries after the markets imploded!  Just last year, I failed miserably at breaking a 10 handicap (got to 10.2 and ricocheted) in golf and decided to quit before I threw my bag into the lake.

For the past 15 years, I forsook the game I played so diligently as a youngster.  It was boring running around, hitting a ball back and forth.  Now, I’m hooked again because of the camaraderie of the game.  Although tennis is an individual sport, there’s a team aspect to it if you join a league.  Meanwhile, my evil plan is to get my wife to get good enough so we can play some competitive mixed doubles my next summer!

PHYSICAL PROBLEMS MATERIALIZE

Despite all the passion, I have a couple swollen knees that makes sitting cross-legged difficult.  If I try and extend my legs after sitting in cobbler’s pose, there’s so much pain, it’s hard to walk for the first several minutes.  Meanwhile, my feet often blister due to the constant friction caused by unnatural side-to-side movements.  The doctor says all I have to do is rest, but I can’t.

How can I rest when I get a daily e-mail from my buddies wanting a rematch after last night’s beat down?  How can I rest when it’s just so fun to needle my opponents with smack talk for a couple hours at a time?  I’m a tennis junkie.  The competition is exhilarating to the point where you often feel like you’re observing yourself play, an out of body experience if you will.

When I’m on the court, all the pain miraculously goes away.  It’s the next day when the aches reappear, yet I long to play again. I realize that if I don’t take care of my body and allow it to heal I risk my long term health.  But, then I rationalize and say it’s about having fun now, no matter what the cost.

CONCLUSION

Like a consumer addicted to credit, I’m an old fart addicted to tennis.  The costs aren’t just physical but also monetary as well.  I’ve upped my insurance coverage for 2010, setting me back $600 in premiums because I’m going to check out both knees, wrists, shoulders, and head!  The head examination was due to an outrageous fight on the basketball courts last winter.  Don’t get me started.  My day of reckoning will come, but I don’t seem to care until it does.  Help!

Readers do you do things you love that you know you shouldn’t be doing?

Why is it so hard to pace ourselves given we realize the long term damage the activity may cause?

Any advice on how to curb my tennis addiction and just say NO to the invites?

Related Post: Revenge of The Nerds: Golf And Tennis Are #1!

Keiju,

Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

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