Chapter 185 - 136: Fartlek Run Method

After finishing his first Human Anatomy class, he once again lit up the "???" annotation for the appendix on the human anatomical model in his panel.

However, Chen Jue found that the annotation was incomplete, a clear sign that there were still significant gaps in his knowledge regarding the appendix.

It was just like the gallbladder, heart, and other organs he had unlocked previously. While the annotation for the gallbladder was 100% complete, most other organs still had similar gaps. In other words, the progress bar wasn’t full, and he needed to continue his in-depth studies.

He packed up his textbooks and headed to another classroom. His second class was Sports Training, taught by Li Rui.

Having not seen him for a few days, Chen Jue noticed that Li Rui looked to be in much better spirits, a clear indication that his son, Haohao, was recovering well.

When Li Rui saw Chen Jue at the back of the classroom, he gave him a deliberate nod.

"Senior, the guys from the basketball team asked me for your contact information. Should I give it to them?" Ma Qiang asked, leaning in.

"The basketball team? Are they still hung up on that dunk I did?" Chen Jue was taken aback for a moment before shaking his head and politely declining.

After all, he wasn’t an official Jiang University student and had no immediate plans to play competitive basketball.

Seeing Chen Jue’s lack of interest in the basketball team, Ma Qiang didn’t press the issue. Instead, he cheerfully turned to a group of classmates and started talking about the morning’s hot topic: the "Brother of Special Skills" breaking the world grip strength record.

The entire class consisted of sports majors, so naturally, they were more interested in a trending sports topic than anyone.

"That Brother of Special Skills really did Huaxia proud this time!"

"A 177-kilogram grip strength, just like that, he shot straight to number one in the world. I heard the international grip strength and strongman communities are going crazy."

"The grip strength community is pretty niche, but bringing home a world record is seriously impressive."

"177 kilograms! I tested my own two-handed grip before and only got a little over 60 kilograms. Even a lot of professional weightlifters don’t have that kind of grip strength. I have no idea how the Brother of Special Skills managed to train that."

"And that 120-pound Hard Bow was insane, too! I saw in the comments that all the Archery guys were worshipping him. They said he drew it so many times without his arm getting tired, like he was using a cheat code."

While the students were chattering away, Chen Jue took out the grip strengthener with a 165 kg maximum resistance and placed it on his desk.

This conspicuous action, however, caught Ma Qiang’s eye. "Senior, I remember you can squeeze over 100 kilograms. That’s already incredible for someone at our school!"

"Me?"

"My grip strength is just so-so. Nothing compared to the Brother of Special Skills, the world’s number one." Chen Jue gave a faint, knowing smile, the very picture of hidden merit. He then adjusted the gripper to 140 kg and began to squeeze it slowly.

"The Brother of Special Skills is an exception. Grip strength really comes down to natural talent."

"I saw a video from overseas once. Even medal-winning weightlifters were only squeezing a few dozen kilograms; almost none of them could break 100. You’re already amazing, Senior!" Ma Qiang said, cheerfully flattering him. He had no inkling that he was sitting right next to the legendary "Brother of Special Skills" who had taken the internet by storm.

...

Their chat continued until the class bell rang. Li Rui opened his presentation and began, "Alright class, today we’re going to learn about the key principles of muscle density."

With that, Li Rui played a short, interesting video to kick off the lesson.

The video showed three athletes of different races, all with similar heights, weights, and identical swimming gear. However, after entering the water and curling into a ball, they each exhibited very different behaviors.

The Caucasian athlete in the video curled up and floated, with most of their back clearly breaking the surface. The Asian athlete also floated but remained suspended just below the water’s surface. As for the Black athlete, they sank straight to the bottom of the pool like a stone.

This stark difference piqued Chen Jue’s curiosity as he watched from his seat. ’No wonder you rarely see Black athletes in competitive Swimming,’ he thought. ’So this is why!’

Seeing that he had captured the students’ full attention, Li Rui began his lecture. "As we can observe from the video, there are significant differences in muscle density among different human races."

"The muscle density of Black individuals is approximately 11.3 grams per cubic centimeter. Their muscles tend to be long and striated, with well-developed fast-twitch fibers and a high anaerobic capacity. With proper training, these fast-twitch fibers can account for up to 90% of their muscle mass. Furthermore, Black people often have higher arches and longer tendons, which makes them better suited for explosive sports than the other two major racial groups. This is why we see Black athletes completely dominating track and field events."

"Caucasian individuals have a muscle density of about 4.5 grams per cubic centimeter, the lowest of the three major groups. They also tend to have larger thoracic cavities, giving them the greatest lung capacity and body fat percentage. This makes them more suited for activities like Swimming and various ice sports."

"As for us, the Asian population, our muscle density falls in the middle, ranging from approximately 4.6 to 10.8 grams per cubic centimeter. While we may not match Black individuals in terms of explosiveness, speed, jumping ability, peak strength, or muscular endurance, we have our own advantages. We possess the greatest core strength relative to our torsos, as well as superior flexibility and balance."

As he spoke, Li Rui listed several sports like weightlifting, table tennis, and diving, all fields where Huaxia’s athletes are dominant.

The occasional emergence of extraordinary Outliers in Swimming and track and field further illustrates that the physical makeup of Asians occupies an intermediate, variable position between that of Black and Caucasian individuals.

’Muscle density, huh?’

’I wonder what my muscle density is now. It must be at the higher end for an Asian, right?’ Chen Jue mused while taking notes. At the same time, he squeezed the gripper and managed to grind out another 0.01 Strength Attribute.

...

By the time the sports training class was over, Chen Jue had once again acquired a great deal of useful knowledge.

After class, he ate lunch at the cafeteria and then strolled back to his apartment, planning to take a nap to recharge.

To break the world grip strength record that morning, Chen Jue had downed a can of pre-workout, burning through a portion of his daily energy ahead of schedule.

Once the effects of the pre-workout and the Adrenaline rush faded, Chen Jue felt an unexpected wave of fatigue, even though the [Fatigue] prompt hadn’t reappeared on his panel.

He napped all the way until 3 p.m. and was surprised to find a [Deep Sleep] notification on his panel when he woke up.

Thanks to the powerful restorative effects of the [Deep Sleep], the energy he had expended that morning was finally replenished.

After a glance at the training schedule on his wall, he adjusted the plates in his weighted vest, increasing the load directly to 28 kg.

Including his wrist and ankle weights, his total load now reached 35 kilograms.

He packed his supplements, downed a pre-workout, and spent the next 15 minutes jogging the 2.5 kilometers to the Jiang University track.

Today’s training session was focused on jumping power again, but this time, he was also incorporating endurance work.

The jumping power training was the usual high-intensity combination of vertical leaps, lunge knee-ups, and squat jumps. The endurance training, however, involved an entirely new running method: the [Fartlek Run].

According to the materials from Li Rui, the Fartlek Run was a training method invented by the Scandinavians. It’s a unique form of variable-speed running that utilizes natural terrain or pre-set intervals of acceleration and deceleration to improve a person’s endurance.

Its benefits include improving the body’s resistance to fatigue and providing a significant boost to cardiovascular function. Athletes in both domestic and international track and field and the Ironman Triathlon use similar training methods.

The [Fartlek Run] regimen Li Rui had designed for Chen Jue was split into two parts. The first part consisted of twenty 400-meter sprints, each to be completed in under 75 seconds. The second part was another twenty 400-meter sprints, but these had to be finished in under 70 seconds. These sprints were interspersed with 200-meter recovery jogs, each lasting 60 seconds.

It was a specialized running method based on time targets. Without a coach on the sidelines to provide guidance and supervision, it was a battle against oneself.

To time his training scientifically, Chen Jue had even gone online and bought a Xiaomi fitness tracker. It would not only time him but also monitor his heart rate and give a rough estimate of his calorie burn.

As it was a Friday, the track was already busy with sports majors in training. Chen Jue shrugged off all his weighted gear, dropping his backpack at the starting line under the astonished gazes of several students.

"Holy shit! Senior, you wear this stuff just to warm up?" The students practicing near the starting line gathered around, curiously eyeing the weighted equipment Chen Jue had just removed.

The weighted vest in particular, which had made a loud THUD when it hit the rubber track, made their eyes go wide.

"Just messing around, adding a little extra difficulty," Chen Jue said with a slight smile. He then spotted a familiar face in the group: Zhang Xuete, the student who had timed his sprint that first day.

"Holy crap! This must weigh tens of kilos!"

"You’re way too humble, Senior!" Zhang Xuete said after greeting Chen Jue. He then curiously reached down to heft the weighted vest and was shocked to find he could barely lift it with one hand.

The other sports majors were equally dumbfounded. They each took a turn trying to lift it, and every single one of them was stunned by what Chen Jue called "a little extra difficulty."

This was more than just a "little" difficulty!

It was a "ton" of difficulty!

...

After chatting for a bit with Zhang Xuete and the other track athletes, Chen Jue adjusted the timer on his fitness tracker and began the brutal [Fartlek Run].

The first few intervals of 400-meter sprints and 200-meter jogs were manageable. Chen Jue felt full of energy, and he finished each lap in under 70 seconds.

By the 15th lap, however, he could feel a significant drop in his pace. His legs were stiffening up, and even swinging his arms became a chore.

Gradually, his breathing grew heavier. His mind started to go completely blank, no longer thinking about anything else.

Just then, a notification popped up on his panel:

——————

[DING~]

[You have completed an aerobic exercise that pushed you beyond your limits. The repetitive motion has effectively stimulated your lower body muscle groups, increasing muscle strength and enhancing endurance. Your cardiovascular function has also been strengthened through this sustained activity.]

[Your mind is emptying. Your brain activity has entered a special low-frequency state, creating a subtle synergy with the [Meditation] Skill.]

[Strength Attribute +0.01]

[Constitution Attribute +0.01]

[Spirit Attribute +0.01]