393 Workout Plan
While this world was backwards in many aspects, one thing the knowledge and technology from Guy's world couldn't hold a candle to here was the extent to which combat arts and warfare had developed. Guy was certain that if even the most heavily trained and experienced mixed martial artist from his past life was forced to fight toe-to-toe with a cultivator of similar strength, the latter would exit victorious in nine out of ten bouts. If they were forced to fight the myriad of beasts and magical flora that were scattered across this world, they wouldn't even stand a chance.
Combat arts in his past life had slowed in development the moment a combatant could take another's life with the pull of a trigger. From that point onwards, combat arts became more aligned with sports than what they were initially supposed to be used for, killing. One could argue that combat arts are more geared towards self-defence, but Guy could ascertain that this was only the modern interpretation. True combat arts were vehicles to deliver death swiftly and effectively. Even the most effective ones that prevailed in his past life, in the context of sports applications, were originally ones geared towards killing.
Hence, even with all the benefits offered via the Church of the True World, there was one thing Guy could do nothing about and that was to bring his Sect's Members up to this world's base standard for combat preparedness. There was a truckload of theoretical knowledge about combat in his mind, but what use was it when he couldn't apply it properly? Has anyone ever heard of someone learning how to fight by just reading a book? Combat is a collaborative and kinesthetic process.
In fact, Guy did know a decent amount of Judo - this was something he picked up from the soldiers who would often accompany him while travelling - just so that he would have a method to protect himself. He COULD teach this to the Sect Members, but what use would it be? The rules of engagement when it comes to magic are always irregular. The combat arts of this world accept that fact and are designed to keep this irregularity in mind.
Yet, just because certain combat arts are most suitable to the conditions of this world doesn't make them the most optimised.
"This workout plan is idiotic. You are leaving no time for recovery," Jean complained as she perused the document Rianna and Shay-Hade reluctantly submitted. Guy had placed the responsibility of monitoring the duo's escapades and discoveries on Jean since he felt that she was most suitable to liaison on this matter being the go-to authority on the health and safety of the Sect. He also figured that since Jean bore a light grudge against them, she would be more critical of the results.
"Why do you need to recover? Did you not hear what we said about the nature of the cultivation method?!" Rianna snapped back in annoyance. "It's all about pushing the body to the extreme."
"But if you don't let the muscles recover, all that effort is wasted," Jean argued. "Sufficient rest and recuperation are paramount for growth. Let me put it this way, what you're prescribing is to exert an already damaged muscle. If you just wait and let it recuperate, then you can work out an even stronger muscle to higher limits."
"It's a waste of time," Rianna responded.
"That is an opinion and not a fact," Jean pointed out. "Practise the scientific approach here. You have experience with the performance of your method, now try it with my variations and see how the response is."
Rianna growled as she considered Jean's words.
"Look, I know it's hard for you to believe me, so why don't you just |Inspect| yourself while you train? It's not like we're doing something that cannot be observed?" Jean proposed.
"Jean makes a good point," Guy complimented. "If you wish to build on your knowledge you need to be open to new and possibly opposing ideas. Do not deny it until you try it."
"Whatever," Rianna dismissed. "Shay-Hade, come! We have some work to do."
The duo then left the meeting room in an irritated huff.
____
Just as Guy predicted, they returned the next day with an unwilling expression drawn on their faces.
"It worked, didn't it?" Jean asked half-excitedly and half-mockingly. "You better have scaled the rest and recovery according to your physique!"
"You don't have to be so smug," Rianna grumbled. "Explain to me how this works."
"~I didn't hear the magic word~," Jean said in a sing-song tone.
"How would I know the spell?" Rianna snarled.
Jean let out a mischievous chuckle and said, "The magic word is 'Please'!"
"You're wearing my patience thin," Rianna warned.
"Alright, listen up. As you said, the more you work a muscle with high intensity, you cause micro-tears in the muscle. This results in the soreness and fatigue you feel near the end. This damage triggers an inflammatory response, which is the body's strategy to try and repair or remove the damaged segments," Jean started.
"I know that," Rianna interjected. Jean raised a palm to halt the woman's tirade and continued.
"Muscle recovery involves the synthesis of new proteins, mainly myofibrillar proteins."
"Myo- what?" Shay-Hade exclaimed in surprise.
"It is the type of proteins found in muscle cells," Jean elaborated.
"Muscle cells?" Rianna probed.
"It's the components that make up muscle fibres," Jean explained half-exasperatedly.
There was silence as Rianna and Shay-Hade exchanged embarrassed gazes. Jean let out a tired sigh and said, "There's a lot to cover. Come, there's an empty classroom because I anticipated this."
What followed was an intensive eight-hour-long crash course into everything about the human body, at the end of which both Rianna and Shay-Hade exited the room with smoke (almost literally) escaping from their ears. Guy sneaked away midway through the lecture as Jean's oration grew more animated and elaborate. He'd sat through one class on biology in his lifetime, he didn't want to sit through another one after his transmigration.
"What in the world was that?!" Shay-Hade mumbled.
At that moment, Rianna's expression turned solemn as an inkling of an idea started to form in her mind.
"Rianna?" Shay-Hade nudged, though he did not get a response from his partner. "Rianna?" He tried again.
"Shh," she finally responded, tapping away the man's hand. "I... I think I have... something. Don't disturb me."
____
Three days later, Jean found her position switched with Rianna as the woman now stood before her and drew elaborate diagrams on the blackboard.
"So basically, while it is commonly perceived that the concentric contraction, which is the shortening of the muscle, is part of a resistance exercise that stimulates muscle growth, the eccentric or lengthening actually plays a greater role. Factually, the eccentric contraction is easier than the concentric for the same weight. Furthermore, it is found that there is more muscle damage in the eccentric than there is in the concentric. Finally, training the eccentric contraction is also safer as it tends to strengthen? the ligaments and tendons," Rianna explained. "I tested this out personally, and while the sample size is only two the results were overwhelmingly similar which makes it safe to say that it is conclusive."
"That is definitely an interesting observation," Jean said while humming.
"Which is why I have devised a new workout regiment that you will agree is safer and far more effective as it is backed with scientific data," Rianna declared while placing a scribbled piece of paper in front of Jean.
"Umm..." Jean uttered as she struggled to make heads or tails of the hieroglyphs. "You'll have to explain this to me."
Rianna's ears grew red-hot in embarrassment as she snatched the document and started to read it out.
"To maximise strength and muscle growth, we emphasise the eccentric contractions and increase the time under tension for the muscle while it is in eccentric motion. We introduce a spotter who assists through concentric movement as failure is reached, to ensure that the muscle is completely trained by the end of the workout," Rianna expounded. "We start with body-weight exercises with each muscle group, and we are going with a push-pull-leg split with two rotations a week and a day off for recovery. Alongside this, we have stretches and Yoga I see the kids practising as I find it to be an effective stretching and bone-strengthening regiment apart from an extremely potent focusing exercise. We will supplement all of this with unarmed combat practise and conditioning so that the fighter's instinct starts to form by the time the body is ready to go full speed."
"That's extremely well-thought-out," Jean commended.
Rianna let out a proud harrumph and said, "You bet it is! So when can I start training the girl?"
Jean stood up and smiled before walking towards the door to the room. "While I find the plan to be thorough, it is still the matter of handing over a little child into your custody. I would be more comfortable if you could emulate your findings with another candidate first so that I can be sure of trusting Kili with you."
"Are you kidding me?" Rianna bellowed. "This wasn't part of the agreement. And how in the world am I going to find someone crazy enough to act as a guinea pig?"
"You don't have to worry about that," Jean said as she opened the door. On the other side, stood a sheepish-looking Revian alongside Guy.
"Revian here is willing to be, as you put it, your 'guinea pig'," Guy stated while nudging the shy child forward.
"G-Greetings, teacher!" Revian yelled while giving a complete ninety-degree bow.
"Who're you calling teacher?" Rianna retorted while giving Guy and Jean a deathly glare, "Is this some sort of joke? Who the heck is this kid?"
"Revian here is a member of our Sect and an aspiring Anti-Mage," Guy explained.
"Those hacks that claim to be the counters to mages when they themselves are one?" Rianna scoffed. "No self-respecting mage would call themselves that!"
"You see, Revian is special," Guy emphasised. "I'm confident that you will be surprised once you see what he can do. Regardless, you have to test your theory out on him and show results if you wish to take on Kili."
"You all are a bunch of dicks, you know that?" Rianna mumbled while packing away her things. "You! Boy!"
"Yes, teache-"
"Don't fucking call me that!" Rianna interjected. "Carry this shit and meet me at the tiny Shut'Raanj board they call a combat field."
Once Rianna shoved past Guy and left the room, Shay-Hade let out a sigh and said, "Don't think that I don't know what you two are doing. I'm sure that girl Marie is a part of this scheme too."
"What scheme," Jean responded in confusion.
"You aren't lying, huh?" Shay-Hade muttered. "So it's just the Leader and Marie, then."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Guy answered calmly.
"Sure..." Shay-Hade said offhandedly while following his partner out of the room. "This is the first and final warning. Don't take advantage of Rianna's nature."
Word Count: 1868
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