Yu Jung-ak was doing pull-ups. He finished slowly, coming down without rushing. Currently, Yu Jung-ak's weight is 82.5kg.
Yu Jung-ak has now stopped gaining weight and started increasing muscle.
He's increasing muscle without gaining weight.
This might sound absurd, but it was entirely possible. Normally, when people talk about increasing muscle, they naturally think of gaining weight.
That's correct. When muscle increases, weight naturally increases too. The human body isn't made of muscle alone, after all.
Nevertheless, Yu Jung-ak planned to increase only muscle and created the planned weight.
However, that couldn't be called a complete weight gain. For Yu Jung-ak, that gain was merely creating a temporary frame.
Usually, when athletes talk about increasing muscle, they aim for about 2kg per year. That's when calculating pure muscle mass.
2kg of muscle.
It might not seem like much to ordinary people, but for athletes who already have well-built bodies, it could be considered a very large number.
That's why Yu Jung-ak's recent weight gain could be considered quite fast. However, it was difficult to see it as purely muscle gain.
Even with effort, from Yu Jung-ak's perspective, there were impurities.
So now, Yu Jung-ak has started increasing muscle without increasing weight.
If Yu Jung-ak's body was an 80kg bottle in the past, now it's grown to an 82.5kg bottle. Currently, about 70 percent of that enlarged body is filled with muscle.
Now, without increasing the size of that bottle, he needs to work on filling it completely with muscle. Increasing muscle without increasing weight.
This wasn't as easy as it sounds.
As mentioned earlier, it takes a year to purely increase muscle by 2kg. There are individual differences in this aspect, but it doesn't vary much from 2kg.
Then how much does weight increase?
When muscle in the body increases by 2kg, an average person's body gains at least 4kg, and up to 10kg in some cases. The body grows to match the increased muscle.
It's easier to understand if you think of a bodybuilder who has gained weight.
Does their body look detailed and solid, even though it appears big and powerful?
One could say it doesn't.
It's because it's not the kind of muscle suitable for combat sports.
However, Yu Jung-ak is an MMA fighter who needs to exercise according to weight class. If he increases muscle mass by 2kg but his body weight increases by an additional 4kg, he would have to move up a weight class.
This would put Yu Jung-ak in a worse situation than before the weight gain.
That's why Yu Jung-ak is working on increasing only muscle mass while leaving other impure parts as they are.
Because if he increases weight too much, he won't be able to cut weight.
Increasing muscle requires time and patience.
In that sense, Yu Jung-ak was a perfect athlete. Unlike other fighters who drink alcohol or smoke after a match is over, he didn't stop exercising for weeks.
Consistently completing the daily routine.
That was the truly frightening aspect of Yu Jung-ak.
From a trainer's perspective, freely enjoying the off-season isn't considered too bad because it helps with the athlete's mental aspect.
Rest is necessary for growth.
However, sometimes there are athletes who can't properly control this. Resting too much during the off-season and then over-training during the season falls into this category.
Over-training.
In some ways, it's worse than under-training.
MMA is prone to injuries because it uses the entire body. Over-training makes such injuries more frequent.
Anything in excess is not good.
While under-training is bad, over-training is worse. Yu Jung-ak set his training plan accurately and didn't overpace himself. He doesn't excessively do muscle training just because he feels good on a particular day.
Also, because he does bodyweight exercises rather than weightlifting, there's relatively less risk of injury.
Low weight, high repetition.
There was nothing better than this for increasing muscle in the enlarged container.
Although Yu Jung-ak was young and inexperienced, his knowledge about body management was more thorough than anyone else in Team Silence.
It was natural.
After all, he had experimented with numerous theories on his own body.
People don't easily forget things they've experienced physically.
Yu Jung-ak knew the most optimized weight gain method for himself, and he was doing exactly that.
Slowly, without rushing.
Not getting injured was important. On days when he felt exceptionally good and full of energy, he focused more on endurance training rather than strength training.
After finishing pull-ups, Yu Jung-ak showered and headed straight to the training center.
He did light endurance training while circling the center, then waited for his teammates. Team Silence recruited amateur athletes every year for training.
Now, Yu Jung-ak had juniors to look after as a second-year member. It was also the role of a team member to help juniors after receiving help from seniors.
Moreover, anyone who has taught someone would know that teaching greatly helps in the growth of the teacher as well.
Yu Jung-ak was in charge of Angela Jin, a Korean-American jiu-jitsu practitioner.
She was called a jiu-jitsu prodigy and was a year younger than Yu Jung-ak.
Born in 1999.
She had been practicing jiu-jitsu since she was four under her father, who was a jiu-jitsu practitioner. She had won the blue belt division of the Mundial, a world-class jiu-jitsu competition, and also won in the purple belt and brown belt divisions.
Angela Jin, already a star in the jiu-jitsu world.
Her father, Thomson Jin, was a former Mundial world champion. Under his influence, Angela Jin received gifted education in jiu-jitsu from a young age, and now she was dreaming of entering MMA.
Introduced by armbar master Yoon Hong-seok, she had joined Team Silence and was adapting well to life in Korea. Now it was time to seriously add striking to her skills.
Yu Jung-ak was assigned the role of teaching her the jab.
Since her ground game was excellent but her striking was at a beginner level, they decided to teach her step by step.
Angela Jin had a solid body like a sprinter.
She was tall and muscular. With long limbs, the team had high expectations for her. In short, one could say she was born with great physical attributes.
She was also pretty, to the extent of being named one of the three Mundial goddesses overseas.
She attracted attention wherever she went, and when she announced her entry into MMA, it made more news overseas than domestically.
As famous as Angela Jin was, to Yu Jung-ak, she was just a junior who was a striking novice.
"You're putting force into it. How many times do I have to tell you to relax? Don't you understand Korean?"
Yu Jung-ak was teaching Angela Jin while expressing frustration.
Unlike her appearance, Yu Jung-ak's harsh teaching style scared Angela Jin. It was completely different from jiu-jitsu.
Yu Jung-ak would immediately point out if a proper jab wasn't executed.
A proper jab, according to Yu Jung-ak, was a natural strike without tension in the body. The common advice to relax the shoulders applies here.
However, is that an easy thing to do?
Especially for women, learning to strike is usually slower than for men.
So Angela Jin couldn't help but appear frustrating to Yu Jung-ak. Eventually, during break time, Angela Jin burst into tears.
It was because Yu Jung-ak told her to go back to America and do jiu-jitsu.
"Ah! Why are you like this, uncle!"
"Hey, I just asked you to teach the kid how to jab, and you made her cry?"
"Ah! She's not doing what I tell her to."
"Do you think you were good from the start?"
"I was better than her, at least."
"Nonsense. Can't you teach her kindly again? What are you trying to do, demanding pro-level jabs from someone who's striking for the first time? Sharp strikes? Forget that, just teach her the jab!"
"Then why don't you teach her, uncle? I can't do it! I quit!"
"Alright, is that so? Jung-ryong! Hwan-seon! Come here for a bit."
"What is it?"
"These days, Jung-ak's senses have dulled, so he wants to do 'that' training again."
"Ah! You mean 'that' training?"
"Yes! 'That' training!"
"I'll get the rope!"
As Oh Jung-ryong answered with quick steps, Kim Young-tae was already handing over the rope with a smile. Meanwhile, Yu Jung-ak was already fleeing outside the building.
A text message from Cho Yong-il arrived for Yu Jung-ak who had fled outside the building.
"I'm moving out!"
"I'm sorry. I'll teach her again with all my heart and soul."
Yu Jung-ak immediately bowed his head.
"Her father is the one who gave Yoon Hong-seok his black belt. If we're talking lineage, she's the daughter of your master's master, so you should be treating her with utmost respect..."
"That's right! You were too harsh, Yu Jung-ak. You bad guy!"
Joo Hwan-seon said.
"Bad guy! As if you were any better."
Kim Young-tae added.
"Anyway, you have no manners. This guy!"
Oh Jung-ryong chimed in. As he said this, he quietly moved behind Yu Jung-ak and tried to tie his hands. Yu Jung-ak quickly pulled his hands away and pushed Oh Jung-ryong's head, saying,
"That's only half true. Did you all make some kind of donation when you joined? Why are you all like this? Is there a reason we need to take such good care of her?"
Yu Jung-ak asked with a serious expression. Then, except for Cho Yong-il, the three men answered simultaneously,
"Because she's pretty!"
That was it. Angela Jin was too pretty to be harsh with. She wasn't pretty in the delicate Korean celebrity style, but in a sensual American style.
"Alright! One last set! One-two! Cut it down!"
Yu Jung-ak was holding the mitts and receiving Angela's strikes. Angela was concentrating more than ever as she delivered her strikes.
Judging by her mitt work, it seemed like she was striking quite well, but in reality, she had only been learning striking for a week.
And the only attacks she knew were one-two combinations. Despite this, the reason she could hit the mitts so convincingly was because Yu Jung-ak was holding them so well.
Above all, Angela was now concentrating more than ever before. She was a player who had won the Mundial.
No matter how harshly Yu Jung-ak scolded her, she wasn't at a level to be knocked down by it. It meant she had basic tenacity.
From the next day, Angela properly followed Yu Jung-ak's hardcore training. Not only striking, but Angela also followed the physical training, coming to the center early in the morning.
Although Angela was also in good physical condition, she was overwhelmed by Yu Jung-ak's physical training. Yu Jung-ak, who seemed to be taking it easy, was actually doing national team-level physical training every day.
What Yu Jung-ak considered going easy out of consideration for Angela was a tremendous shock to her. Angela realized her limits watching Yu Jung-ak and ended up following even the physical training. Thanks to this, Angela was changing a lot in just a week.
The same was true for striking.
As she focused on training more than ever before, she couldn't help but improve quickly. Even so, it was still an unsatisfactory level for Yu Jung-ak.
As the last set ended, Angela placed her hands on her knees and breathed heavily. Angela wanted to lie down right away.
However, the stern Yu Jung-ak didn't allow it.
"Stand up straight. Breathe."
Yu Jung-ak said coldly, holding a stopwatch. Angela didn't argue with Yu Jung-ak's words.
Click.
After one minute passed, Yu Jung-ak immediately pointed towards the sit-up board. Just when she thought it was all over, it wasn't.
Angela's eyes widened.
"What are you standing there looking at? Hurry up and move! Didn't you say you wanted to build your stamina?"
As Yu Jung-ak spoke, Angela's body reacted reflexively. Angela was already drenched in sweat all over her body. Even with a sports bra and rash guard, her sensual figure couldn't be hidden. She looked at Yu Jung-ak with bright eyes, but Yu Jung-ak didn't waver at all.
Angela immediately got on the sit-up board and started doing sit-ups.
"200 reps without sets."
200 sit-ups when already exhausted. It was nothing short of high-intensity ab training. Angela tried her best but couldn't go beyond forty reps. Doing 200 reps straight when already exhausted wasn't easy.
Angela's body started to slow down as it rose. Then Yu Jung-ak pushed Angela's back up and urged her on.
"Hurry up! Who said you could rest? Don't rest! Didn't you hear me say no sets?"
As Yu Jung-ak's voice grew louder, Angela reacted as if having a seizure. The Team Silence members watching this scene shook their heads in disbelief.
"That guy seems more suited to be a trainer than a fighter."
Oh Jung-ryong said.
"It's his calling. Wow, how did he mentally prepare her like that in just a week?"
Yoon Chang-seon nodded.
"Coach Yoon, are you thinking the same as me?"
"What do you mean?"
"I think that guy could make some money as a fitness camp trainer or something like that."
"Like a 'devil trainer' or something?"
"Many people come to prepare their fitness for each season."
"That's true. But who would do such high-intensity training?"
"There are people who do."
"Who?"
"Mountaineers, triathletes. These days, they train systematically too."
"You mean people who climb places like the Himalayas?"
"Yeah. Even if not them, I think there would be many who'd want to train under him. His mental fortitude is unwavering."
"I'm not sure. Wouldn't there be complaints?"
"No. While some people don't like harsh training, there are surprisingly many who like that kind of thing. And if we bring in promising athletes and put them through this kind of training once, it's good for their mental preparation."
"Are you thinking about the Taereung National Training Center too? They already train intensively there."
"Training with coaches you see every day is different from being pushed by a stranger."
"Anyway, it could make some money."
"I should try putting together a program. It could be interesting."
"So, we're keeping Angela with him?"
"It seems a bit much to keep someone who only knows one-two combinations as a striking coach."
"We could have others teach striking in rotation and leave the overall training to him. Jung-ak manages his own body well anyway."
"He might think it's a waste of time."
"There's always something to learn while teaching."
While Cho Yong-il and Yoon Chang-seon were talking, a loud voice was heard from the other side. It was Yu Jung-ak's sharp voice.
"30 more! Do it properly! I'm adding twists. How can you be an athlete if you can't even do this? Want to quit? If this is all you can do, go back to jiu-jitsu. Are you going to quit?"
"No!"
Angela's scream of determination echoed.
"Then do it properly!"
"Yes! I understand!"
Angela answered firmly and eventually completed 200 reps. Then she collapsed on the spot. But Yu Jung-ak's training didn't end there.
"Your muscles will stiffen. Get up. Run."
He was telling Angela, who was already completely exhausted, to run again. There was no devil like this devil. Although it had only been a week since he started training Angela, Yu Jung-ak already had a nickname.
The Spin Cycle Devil.
A name given because he wrung out non-existent stamina like a spin cycle. Yu Jung-ak's training was truly at the level of wringing out non-existent stamina.
From the side, it looked almost like torture.
But Angela was having a strange experience. She thought she couldn't possibly move, but when she heard Yu Jung-ak's voice, she could.
There was stamina left somewhere in her body that even she didn't know about.
Yu Jung-ak was drawing it out.
The reason Yu Jung-ak could do this kind of training was that he had already done it all himself. Yu Jung-ak, who had already tasted the limits of physical training in the mountains.
The training he was now instructing Angela to do was just a taste of that.
"That guy's going to break Angela."
Joo Hwan-seon muttered.
"But Angela is tough too. She's following it all."
Kim Young-tae said, watching Angela running along the wall. Yu Jung-ak followed Angela, urging her to run faster.
"Okay, now it's really over."
After 10 laps around the training ground, Yu Jung-ak stopped the stopwatch. Then he handed the record sheet he was holding to Angela.
"This is your record. From tomorrow, train well while looking at this."
"What? Aren't you going to supervise me again, senior?"
"Am I your personal trainer? I have my own training to do too."
"Yes..."
"Stop exercising for today and rest well until your muscles relax. Don't forget to do stretching and basic fitness training every day. Build your stamina by repeating that."
"Yes. Thank you."
Yu Jung-ak turned around and looked at Cho Yong-il. Cho Yong-il, who had been watching the training, was on the phone with someone.
Cho Yong-il saw Yu Jung-ak and gestured for him to come over.
Cho Yong-il hung up the phone.
"What's going on?"
"Jung-ak, an offer came in."
"From Spirit?"
"No. Rising."
"The Japanese MMA organization?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"You're a substitute fighter. Two weeks."
"Well, that's expected. They wouldn't give an offer to someone like me unless it was something like this. Who's the opponent?"
"The opponent's record is just okay, but there's a problem."
"What is it?"
"It's a welterweight fight."