Chapter 4: Training (Part One)

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In the traditional mindset of most people, the mere mention of student athletes often conjures images of mischievous, unmotivated “bad kids,” with the assumption that they choose sports merely to escape academic pressure and thus secure an easier path to college. But is this truly the case?

Soon, the two afternoon classes concluded, and it was now 3:40 PM, the time for all members of the sports teams to gather on the playground and commence a new day of training.

At this moment, Coach Huang was already waiting on the field. Once all team members had assembled, he fixed them with a stern gaze and began speaking.

“Today, we focus on strength training. Pay attention during warm-up.”

The school’s spacious, flat playground featured a running track where six laps equaled 1,200 meters. At this moment, everyone was gathered tightly around the starting line, poised and ready to burst forth at the sharp command. Every day, they ran six laps—1,200 meters—with timing monitored.

“Whistle!” At the sudden, sharp blast from Coach Huang’s whistle, like a thunderclap tearing through the sky, the entire sports team shot forward like arrows released from a bow, officially opening the long journey ahead. Each runner moved with agility and lightness, like untamed horses galloping freely on the track.

In just 31 seconds, the first runner thundered past the finish line of the first lap, his speed leaving spectators breathless. Compared to this leader, Zhang Qin was slightly behind. When he completed his first lap, 34 seconds had already passed.

One must remember, this was a long-distance run of 1,200 meters—a significant challenge for anyone. Moreover, compared to his peers, Zhang’s physical endurance still lagged somewhat. Fortunately, fate had granted him a second chance. Drawing upon his experience from a past life, Coach Huang’s carefully crafted scientific training program, and his own relentless effort and perseverance, Zhang firmly believed that with time, he would catch up to those naturally gifted classmates.

Soon, everyone reached the final lap. The first finisher crossed the line at 3 minutes 32 seconds. The previous record, set by the class’s best endurance runner, was expected to be broken in about a month, dropping below three and a half minutes. Zhang Luo completed the run in 3 minutes 50 seconds. With only two months left before the physical exam, if he didn’t push harder now, tears would surely be shed on the test day.

Some veterans chose a different strategy. After the lead runner took off, they would follow at a slower pace, running behind. The sports team consisted of more than eighty people, with varying speeds; some preferred to start slow, then, after catching the serious runners in front, reduce their laps from six to five.

After completing the 1,200 meters with genuine effort, Zhang Qin’s calf muscles always ached painfully—a soreness that required rest to subside. This swelling and ache were deeply frustrating, likely linked to his tendons. The tighter the tendons, the more excruciating the pain.

Once the run was complete, everyone began stretching their tendons. First came static stretches: rotating left and right 180 degrees, forward and backward 180 degrees—what everyone commonly called doing the splits. For those with poor tendon flexibility, this was akin to a form of torture.

Zhang Luo was one of those with extremely poor tendon elasticity. There was no way around it—if his tendons were not stretched, his athletic career would suffer greatly. For one, he would be prone to injuries; tendons as stiff as steel plates with no elasticity were highly susceptible to tears. Furthermore, progress in running and jumping events would be slow. For example, if others completed a movement in three steps but he needed four, he wasted that extra step’s worth of time. This was how the gap widened.

“Push those tendons down. Let me see who reaches the highest. The highest scorers will finish the run with 400 meters sprints afterward.”

Coach Huang shouted loudly beside them.

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Zhang Qin pressed down on his tendons, following the correct technique. The pain was unbearable for most—a sensation as if his legs might snap. The two tendons beneath his hips were stiff as steel plates.

“Jason, Luo Cheng, Bird, you guys are playing a bit too loosely down there. You’re the five hardest ‘steel plates’ in our team. If you don’t stretch properly, everyone’s running 400 meters later.”

Coach Huang walked up beside Zhang Qin, raising his voice. “Jason” was Zhang Qin’s nickname, one that had stuck with him for a long time. Not only the coach but even the homeroom teacher called him that. Of course, the whole class did too. The sports team wasn’t just made up of the 12th-grade class; the liberal arts class in 6th grade was also part of it. In fact, nearly every class had one or two, sometimes three or four students training for sports. This school was a second-tier standard school. Without pursuing arts or sports, very few could enter university based on academic results alone.

Take Zhang Qin, for example: he had just endured intensely painful tendon stretches. Since static stretching was done, a series of dynamic stretches awaited him. He took a deep breath and began the first movement—a quick-step run. But what exactly was a quick-step run? Simply put, it involved rapidly lifting the knees, then forcefully pressing them down, all while the forefoot gripped the ground fiercely. It was called a quick-step because the steps were small yet rapid. Don’t underestimate this seemingly simple drill—it trained the pressing technique crucial in the 100-meter sprint. Typically, this quick-step run was done in sets of 50 meters, with three full sets required for each dynamic stretch.

After completing the quick-step run, Zhang Qin pressed on without pause, racing back to the start to begin the next exercise. This time, he raised his knees to a 90-degree angle relative to the ground, ensuring his thighs also formed a 90-degree angle with his torso. Then, pushing off with one foot, he leapt upward, trying to extend his airtime as much as possible before landing steadily on the same foot. This movement tested leg strength, balance, and explosive power. The longer the airtime, the further the glide, much like the second step in the triple jump, where extended airtime translates to greater distance.

The third exercise was the crossover step. Its purpose? To develop agility. For athletes, crossover steps were vital. In many sports—like basketball for sudden direction changes to outmaneuver opponents, or football for breaking through defenses—this agility was indispensable.

As Zhang Qin practiced the crossover, he felt his muscles contract and release. Each step’s crossing was like a rhythmic shift. He had to control force and angle precisely. Through repetition, he gradually mastered the technique, forming an unspoken harmony with his legs, knowing how to adjust details until, at the moment of widening the turn, power was effectively transmitted.

The fourth movement was the backward kick run. Though it appeared simple, it was actually quite skillful. It effectively strengthened the calf muscles at the back of the lower leg, including the gastrocnemius and soleus. These muscles were engaged during walking or running, but backward kicking stimulated them more intensely.

Backward kicking also had a special benefit: it improved explosive power at the start of a run. Each backward kick was like compressing a spring. When standing on the starting line, that stored power could be unleashed swiftly.

Moreover, backward kicking enhanced body coordination. The body had to maintain good posture, with the head, torso, and limbs working in harmony. It resembled a carefully choreographed dance, each part following a precise rhythm and position.

Next came the sprint—the last movement of the warm-up.

At this point, the warm-up concluded. The volume of exercise they were doing was just a warm-up compared to what Zhang Qin and his peers faced.

Today’s focus was strength training. The duty group had already moved out barbells, kettlebells, and other equipment.

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Now, it was time to immerse fully in strength training.

Zhang Qin’s group was busily preparing for weighted squats. Everyone was focused and eager.

First, they worked together to load the barbell plates. Zhang Qin stepped forward, deciding to be the first to take on the challenge. The bar alone weighed 20 kilograms. Over time, through gradual buildup and effort, they had increased the load from the initial 40 kilograms to 130 kilograms now.

Zhang Qin skillfully picked up two 30-kilogram plates and securely mounted them on the barbell. Two teammates quickly positioned themselves at each end of the bar, carefully stabilizing it to ensure safety.

With everything ready, Zhang took a deep breath, fastened his waist support, adjusted the padding where the bar met his neck, and resolutely placed the heavy barbell on his shoulders.

Then came the moment everyone anticipated—eight squats in a row.

At first, the initial squats were relatively easy for the strong Zhang Luo. His movements were smooth and natural, each squat down and rise up executed with ease. However, as the count climbed, difficulty grew.

By the third squat, Zhang felt the need to exert more controlled force to complete the movement. Sweat trickled down his forehead, but his gaze remained resolute. The last two squats were the true test of his limits. Gritting his teeth, every muscle tightened, squeezing out every ounce of strength.

Strength training’s core principle is to tear muscle fibers through intense exercise, then rely on the body’s repair mechanisms to rebuild and grow muscle. The later stages test not only raw strength but also muscle endurance. Zhang Luo understood this well and faced the challenge head-on.

Upon completing the eight squats perfectly, Zhang immediately switched into sprint mode. He knew that combining running with strength training produced twice the results with half the effort. After the taxing squats, launching into a vigorous sprint significantly boosted strength and explosiveness.

Each group consisted of four to five members. When one finished a set of squats and began sprinting, the others immediately synchronized. This was not a solo effort—there was clear division of labor: one focused on training, while two others bore the critical role of spotting and protecting.

Zhang Qin darted back to his group, ready to plunge into another grueling round of training. The arrangement ensured safety: if someone suddenly faltered when rising under the heavy barbell, the weight could cause serious injury. The spotters were there to lend just the right assistance when strength waned.

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