Stat Training #1
The time had come for Abari to acknowledge his embarrassing lack of strength. For a self proclaimed taijutsu specialist, he had a surprising lack of muscle mass. At least compared to his fellow shinobi, that was. Skill with the blade could compensate, but a true warrior possessed both skill and strength in harmony. So the boy decided to set aside some time to purely focus on strengthening his muscles. Remembering his time spent with his old trainer, Abari decided to perform some of the exercises that they had taught him. Starting simple, the boy dropped to the ground and did push-ups. Making sure to engage every muscle, Abari went extremely slow, knowing that good form was more important than number of repetitions. It was easy at first, the boy was not so weak that he could not manage a thousand push-ups. That being said, it was not long after reaching the five hundred mark that Abari started to feel the burn. It wasn't just his arms and shoulders, but his lower back and core as well. It was a good sign that he was keeping proper form.
Abari could easily double the amount of push-ups but he was going painfully slow to ensure he got the most out of each rep. In the short amount of time the boy spent with his old trainer, he had put on considerable muscle. It was a shame that he never kept up with that training. That meant he would have to work twice as hard to try and make up for his laziness. As the boy’s muscles continued to scream at him, he did his best to try and push it from his mind. A shinobi was disciplined enough to ignore a high level of pain, exercise was no different. Abari was coated in sweat by the time he hit his seven hundredth push up. He thanked the mist for protecting him from the sun. The boy was steadily approaching his unspoken goal of a thousand push-ups. Even going as slow as he was, it would be an easy feat for many shinobi of his rank. It just went to show how much the boy had been slacking on his physical training. Cursing his weakness, Abari wiped the sweat from his brow before continuing. It was a pointless endeavor however as new beads of sweat immediately took the place of the old ones. As the boy's arms started to wobble, he thought back to his trainer.
Come on, are your arms really giving out already? I thought you were a warrior! Dig deeper, I know you are holding out on me!
Smiling at the memory, Abari drew more strength from within, not allowing his arms to quit. There was something different about the way Masaru pushed the boy beyond his limits. While Abari was constantly crumbling under the expectations of his family and village, he was always eager to meet the standards of his old trainer. The boy hoped to meet him one more time when he was a high enough rank to have more freedom in leaving the village. Despite his arms wavering, Abari did not stop. Through gritted teeth he counted his last hundred push-ups.
“Nine hundred… Nine hundred and one… Nine hundred and two”
As tempting as it was to rush towards the end, he did not allow himself to speed up. At this point it felt like every muscle in his body was begging him to stop. The boy was starting to worry that he might fall short of his goal. As sweat continued to drip from his face onto the ground, his mind wandered back to his training sessions with Masaru.
When it comes to getting stronger you’re your own worst enemy, kid. Stop worrying about what you can and can’t do. Redirect the energy you would spend doing that to your training! Let’s go another round but this time I want you to quit fucking doubting yourself.
Believing in himself was something Abari could never fully grasp. The very idea was anathema to him. He could fake it at the start but once the going got tough, he could not help but fixate on his weakness. The boy’s old trainer said he had a horrible habit of comparing himself to those around him, but how else was one supposed to measure their worth? Deciding to get out of his own way for the time being, Abari cleared his mind of any thoughts that did not pertain to his push-ups. Just ten push-ups left. He was so close to his goal now, but his arms were beginning to buckle. The boy had never been one to make noise while exercising, but at this point he was unable to complete a push-up without a grunt of exertion. With just three push-ups left, Abari’s arms gave out, causing his face to drop into the ground. The feeling of defeat threatened to overtake him, but the boy could not allow himself to quit, not while he was so close. After taking a few seconds to catch his breath, Abari tried for another pushup. Once again, his arms wobbled but with a roar, he pushed through.
“Nine hundred and ninety-eight!”
With labored breathing, the boy tried to pry out what little strength he had left from within. Abari let out another roar as he forced himself through his next pushup.
“Nine hundred and ninety-nine!”
After finishing the pushup, the boy’s arms gave out again. They had gotten weak enough to where he could barely lift himself up for the final push up.
Come on! Just one more! I can do this!
Gritting his teeth, Abari dug deep and expended the last bit of energy he could muster. His arms almost gave out but the boy let out a warcry to push himself through to the end.
“ONE THOUSAND!”
Wasting no time, Abari dropped to the ground to catch his breath. As much as he wanted to take pleasure in his accomplishment, he knew this was just the first day of many. On the bright side, he was done for the day. With heavy arms that had nearly lost all feeling, the boy stood up and started walking towards his favorite restaurant, chuckling as he remembered more of his trainer’s words.
Good job today, kid. Now go fill your stomach. A good diet will maximize the fruits of your labor.
(1067/1000 Words Strength Training)
