Of course, if you just want to simply increase the intensity of the exercise movements, it's very easy.
If push-ups become easy, then do handstand push-ups. If pull-ups become easy, then do double-arm pull-ups. If squats become easy, then do single-leg squats.
But the problem is that the limit of bodyweight training is too low, and his evolution speed is too fast. Constantly changing test movements in the short term will cause his test results to lose reference value, equivalent to losing the meaning of the test.
So far, the highest poundage grip strengthener available for purchase online is 750 pounds, which translates to 340 KG. This poundage far exceeds the human grip limit, even today's world arm wrestling champion would find it difficult to budge it with both hands.
If Wang Ye can squeeze and lock this thing, he doesn't need to fuss over what equipment to use for testing strength anymore, just go straight to the hydraulic machine.
After purchasing the grip strengthener.
Wang Ye reopened the Tai Chi instructional video and began practicing Tai Chi.
As he focused on training, the system panel continuously refreshed the skill level of Tai Chi.
Thanks to the system's assistance, his Tai Chi improvement speed was astonishingly fast, with each hour of practice leading to a steady increase of about 10% in skill level, and his movements showed obvious improvement.
As the time reached the evening, the skill level of Tai Chi on the panel reached 71.5%. It is expected that with another afternoon of practice tomorrow, he can level up Tai Chi to lv2.
Not today, today he's too exhausted. He has practiced Tai Chi for a full six hours.
Wang Ye felt nauseated just thinking about practicing more, not only physically but also mentally.
Long-term repetition of a set of movements can make one feel boring and tiresome, even inducing feelings of nausea and disgust, which is an unavoidable outcome.
So exercise should also be moderate. More practice doesn't necessarily mean better results, and a proper amount of slacking off can, on the contrary, yield positive effects.
Both body and mind need adequate rest; only when both are optimal can one achieve better athletic performance. Moreover, he needs to prepare for the half-marathon nine days later and should focus more on resting.
Dragging his stiff and exhausted body, Wang Ye went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face to wake himself up.
Then he went downstairs to the nearest supermarket, where he bought several bundles of leafy greens, five pounds of beef, and three cartons of eggs.
Back home, Wang Ye washed the meat and vegetables in the sink, then arranged them neatly on the cutting board, chopping what needed to be chopped, slicing what needed to be sliced. He then stir-fried the prepared vegetables to make a dish of garlic oil lettuce and onion beef. He also cracked 5 eggs into a bowl, whisked them, and poured them into a pan to fry until set, making an omelet.
This meal amounted to approximately 70g of protein, definitely upping the intake.
Wang Ye placed these dishes on the table.
He filled a large bowl, typically used for instant noodles, with a full serving of rice and then started enjoying his dinner.
While eating, Wang Ye also searched for videos related to Tai Chi on the short video app.
Although his Tai Chi skill level is steadily growing and his movements becoming smoother, he feels noticeable chest tightness, dizziness, and joint stiffness after each Tai Chi practice session.
After searching for a while, Wang Ye managed to patch together a conclusion from the fragmented information online—
His Tai Chi skill level was not sufficient enough, and his force emission wasn't smooth, leading to self-backfire. If practiced lightly, it's fine, but he practiced intensely, relying on his good physique for too long, exacerbating injuries and causing multiple Qi and blood blockages in his body.
To unblock these blockages, unless he can find a Tai Chi master with profound cultivation to correct his mistakes one-on-one, he would need to treat these blockages with traditional Chinese medicine or herbal baths himself.
Of course, another way is to rely on the daily evolution for the body to recover on its own, while simultaneously repairing the damages and blocks caused by Tai Chi practice. But this method is considerably slower than receiving help.
Wang Ye continued browsing through the short video app and bookmarked several herbal recipes specifically for Wudang Tai Chi. These are things that he might not necessarily use, but it's always good to have knowledge about them.
After dealing with the meals.
Wang Ye washed the dishes and leaned back on the sofa, then turned on his tablet and started watching the latest movie.
This movie stars Shen Teng and is a sequel called "Racing Life 2," continuing from the previous movie's storyline and has received quite high ratings on Douban.
Since the movie premiered at the start of the year, Wang Ye has been eagerly awaiting its release on online platforms.
...
After finishing the movie, it was already 11 PM.
Wang Ye sat up from the sofa, rubbed the muscles around his knees, and found that the soreness and stiffness in his thigh muscles had almost dissipated. After these two hours of recovery, the injuries caused by practicing Tai Chi were nearly healed.
He stood up, stretched lazily, and the long-held stiff lumbar spine made a crisp cracking sound when he stretched and twisted.
Then Wang Ye changed into his running shoes at the door, ready to go for today's last five kilometers in Longjiang Park.
Wang Ye walked along the river to the park, warmed up a bit, and started running on the track.
Since it was 11 PM, the track was almost empty, and the river breeze was quite refreshing, making the run rather comfortable.
Wang Ye maintained a high-intensity pace.
Due to the short five-kilometer distance, he ran at a faster speed than the ten-kilometer run in the morning.
As a result, he became more easily fatigued. He hadn't run even two kilometers when his calves started aching unbearably, and his steps became immensely heavy, as if they were filled with lead.
Wang Ye was very familiar with this feeling; in long distance running, it's known as the "wall-hitting phase," where glycogen in the body quickly depletes, significantly reducing muscle energy efficiency, causing running to become increasingly challenging.
But as long as he adjusted his breathing, slowed down, and persisted for a while, his body would regain its strength, a process also known as the "second wind."
Wang Ye continued for about a kilometer more, his body felt relaxed again. Riding this wave, he increased his stride frequency and speed, gritted his teeth, and finished the last two kilometers.
Huff—huff—
Finally, there was a slight vibration from his watch.
This was a notification that he had reached the 5 km mark.
Wang Ye felt his whole body relax; he almost lost his footing at the last step, staggering and leaned against the railing. He was breathing heavily as he collapsed onto a nearby bench, and checked his running stats on his wrist.
[5.05 kilometers.]
[Duration: 00:20.45]
[Average pace: 4.04]
Before Wang Ye could start celebrating the improvement in his performance,
suddenly, several pop-up messages appeared before his eyes.
[You practiced running, gained some insights, and your skill level increased by 10.4%.]
[Your running skill level is full, upgraded from lv2 to lv3.]
[Running lv3 (0.5%)]