Almighty Coach

Square Dance music was magical. Whenever the music started, it easily caught everyone’s attention.

When the music was played out loud, Dai Li felt more sure-footed. Square dance without background music somehow lacked the proper atmosphere.

Now that the music was being played, Dai Li got excited with the rhythm. But by his side, Anshan Wang behaved quite the opposite. At present, he was very uncertain about what was going on.

The unknown "Warming Up Exercise" had left him puzzled, and now the devil character of square dance music put him in even more of a nonplussed mood.

This doesn’t look like warming up, but like actually doing square dance instead! Anshan Wang had realized this.

Coach Li is a professional fitness coach, he wouldn’t guide me to do an actual square dance, would he? Anshan Wang thought.

At last, he chose to obey, since he was always coach’s "good boy", besides, he had enjoyed the benefits of Dai Li’s training thus far. Therefore, although he was full of doubt and uncertainty, he still followed Dai Li’s movements and continued doing the square dance.

Under stimulation from the background music, the atmosphere was immediately enlivened. Dai Li was high on the dance, both mentally and physically, and he was dancing with great energy. As the music went on, Anshan Wang’s movement became smoother, and he felt that he could hardly stop it.

My whole body is warming up! Anshan Wang sensed every tiny change of his body. Dancing with the music, although the actions were normal and easy, he felt that his every single cell was dancing energetically.

Unknowingly, Anshan Wang’s forehead began to sweat, then beads of sweat fell down from his face. The feeling of it on his skin brought him indescribable passion.

I sweat! How come such simple movements make me sweat! Anshan Wang took a deep breath, the music beats coordinating with the steps of the square dance made him unable to stop. Square dance was magical, and full of devil characters! Once one got into it, it was easy to integrate into the rhythm. Even clumsy people could move with the music.

...

On the side, the other athletes all stopped their training and stared at Dai Li and Anshan Wang. A coach, with an athlete, doing square dance early in the morning in the training center? What’s more...the square dancer was the world’s No.1 Anshan Wang? To the onlookers, the scene was creepily weird.

"Is this really warming up? I think this is square dance, isn’t it?"

"It should be. You see, they even have music."

"What’s wrong with Coach Li? Is he here early, just for square dancing? Isn’t he crazy?!"

"And Anshan Wang is dancing, too! Isn’t he crazy? Is this the newest training method?"

"A new training method? That makes sense! You see, Anshan Wang is dancing excitingly. How about we have a try, too?" One athlete was eager to try.

"Let’s go try, after all, our coaches are not here yet, let’s follow Coach Li to warm up!"

...

Two athletes joined into the dancing, and soon they followed Dai Li’s steps.

Square dance was a simple activity, which had quite a low qualifying standard to join in, and it was also easy to learn. Square dance didn’t have complex movements, and to professional athletes, whose body balances were better than ordinary people’s, following up the beats was as easy as blowing off dust.

Furthermore, Square dance was infectious, just like a virus. Once someone started dancing, the surrounding audience couldn’t control themself from wanting to participate too. The longer they watched, the stronger their impulse to do so would be.

This was the powerful, infectious nature of square dance. This activity was widespread around the country, and had attracted millions of people to join in. To athletes, who were used to group participation and collective life, it had an extraordinary attractiveness.

Unknowingly, five to six people joined in Dai Li’s "Square Dance Army". In fact, since it was still early before the formal training, head coaches had not arrived yet, and without the strict guidance from coaches, the athletes were much more relaxed, both physically and mentally, and therefore worried less about their actions. That was why they were dancing behind Dai Li. If head coaches were present, they would have dared not dance with Dai Li so recklessly.

...

Looking at the clock on the wall, its hour hand had pointed at "six". Dai Li stopped, and wiped his sweat away. After dancing for such a long time, Dai Li still felt that he wanted more.

But time told Dai Li, he should stop now. It was six o’clock, and soon head coaches would begin to show up in the training center.

Dai Li turned around, looked at Anshan Wang, who was also wet all over, and asked him, "How do you feel?"

"My sweat is pouring down! My body is heating up." Anshan Wang added, "But I’m not tired. I feel that I’m ready for training."

The key point for warming up is to heat up the body, while another crucial part of it was not to waste too much energy. If one used all of his energy in warming up, then there was no need to train anymore.

Warming-Up Square Dance apparently integrated these two factors pretty well, it could heat up athletes’ bodies, while not wasting too much of their energy. Actually, the amount of exercise in squaring dancing meant nothing to professional athletes.

The effect of the warming up would be directly reflected in the upcoming exercises or competitions. Ping-pong was a technical activity, thus, warming up was extremely important. When athletes were in a rather excited condition, the most direct reflection of this was that they had faster reaction time on receiving balls.

...

Anshan Wang could clearly feel that, at the time when he started training, his body was ready in position. No matter what program he had today, he could handle it successfully. Even Anshan Wang’s head coach kept praising him, saying that he was doing very well today.

Anshan Wang had been performing steadily. In fact, athletes at this level performed steadily without doubt, which also worked out in other events. Tennis, badminton, golf, soccer, anyone who was ranked among the world’s top for long-term would surely perform steadily.

It was also due to the long-lasting steadiness, that Anshan Wang could immediately sense even a tiny bit of difference.

Today’s training went smoothly, I could feel that I have been excited and stimulated throughout the time, and extra alert, too.

At this moment, Anshan Wang subconsciously recalled Dai Li’s words: "I will make you feel changes!"

Anshan Wang tasted "change" again.

Today’s warming up was obviously very effective. Was it because of the morning square dance? I have been an athlete for such a long time, this is my first time to think that square dance could have such an outstanding effect.

Anshan Wang subconsciously looked at Dai Li. At this moment, Dai Li became even more mysterious in his eyes.