บท 22: Chapter 22 The Reward of Courage
It was surprisingly easy, perhaps because it was his first time practicing, Li Ang had been too cautious.
The second time, he directly increased the weight to 110kg. Before he even started, a Latino uncle next to him reminded him,
"Hey, kid, if this is your first time here, this isn't the weight for you to try. Maybe you should start with 90kg, or even 85kg."
For a newbie, actually, to try a weight equal to one's own body weight on the first attempt is considered decent enough.
Therefore, Li Ang started with trying 80kg, which he thought was quite adventurous. But before he could be cautioned, Li Ang charged ahead and even completed the lift.
And now, he was going to try 110kg directly, which was nearly double his body weight.
In any gym, a person who can squat twice their body weight is usually someone who has been training for several years.
That's why he spoke up to remind him, as he couldn't bear to see a young man the same age as his son get injured or lose his passion for fitness.
"Thank you, sir, but I still want to try this weight. Could I ask you to spot me?"
Li Ang responded with a friendly smile to the uncle.
Others didn't understand his situation and warned him out of kindness, so he didn't want to spurn their goodwill.
The Latino uncle nodded. Since he really wanted to try, let him. In educating his own children, hadn't he encouraged them to attempt things that seemed impossible?
If he assisted, 110kg was manageable, and he could ensure the kid wouldn't get hurt.
The conversation between the two also attracted the attention of many people around. Although they didn't gather around, most had turned their focus towards Li Ang.
Watching someone attempt a heavy weight is something gym-goers enjoy.
If he succeeded, they would cheer and call it awesome; if he failed, they would feel smug inside.
It seems contradictory, but that's the most genuine reflection of human nature.
The blonde girl by the side rolled her eyes upon hearing Li Ang wanted to try squatting 110kg, thinking it was just an overconfident man trying to show off and catch her attention.
Li Ang stood beneath the barbell, while the Latino uncle with the goatee stood slightly nervously to the side and behind Li Ang, hands open and palms up, ready to exert force at any moment.
It wasn't until Li Ang actually shouldered the 242-pound barbell that he realized he had underestimated the power of his own Trait, and the concept of his leg strength having increased by 40% was even stronger than he had imagined.
From squatting down to standing back up, Li Ang's movement was quite smooth.
But his expression was far from relaxed, mainly because his legs could indeed handle the weight, but his shoulders were sore from the pressure.
For Li Ang, who had never done farm work or carried manure, this was an unexplored area of his training.
If it were any other newbie who hadn't trained before, they wouldn't even consider trying this weight. Those capable of handling heavy weights would usually have a considerable amount of training under their belts, and their shoulders and backs would be more adapted.
Although Li Ang's squat seemed a bit awkward, he finished without any assistance anyway.
Those who were quietly observing Li Ang were also somewhat surprised.
The goateed uncle assisting on the side couldn't help but hold up his thumb in approval, nodding continuously in affirmation.
"Young man, the strength of your legs is surprising to me."
Although squatting 110kg wasn't a big deal for him, given he weighed a full 90kg, which couldn't be compared to Li Ang's smaller frame.
Moreover, judging from his raw movements, it seemed like this was the lad's first attempt at squatting.
Under the incredible adaptability of the human body, after a period of training, I believed that he would soon break through to 120kg, which was twice his own body weight.
Even the weight of 130kg should not limit him.
The bearded uncle thought to himself, but suddenly realized that this Asian young man was still adding weight to the barbell.
"Wait, wait, you can't make ill-timed attempts just because of your recent success."
"I still want to see where my limit really is."
Li Ang's sincere answer brought the bearded uncle back to his younger days, when he was just like him, unafraid of anything.
The bearded uncle fell silent for a few seconds but couldn't bring himself to refuse, instead answering:
"You go ahead and try, I will protect you."
Li Ang smiled and nodded, casually adding a 15kg weight plate to the barbell.
This time, he was attempting 140kg.
The slightly chubby Jewish girl, who had been somewhat displeased after his successful 110kg squat, saw Li Ang recklessly trying to attempt 140kg and immediately put down her phone, which she had been using to take selfies, to watch him intently.
Squatting 140kg was a feat achievable only by a small fraction of people in the entire gym, let alone for a challenger weighing only 59kg.
At least among those present, the number of people who could complete it would not exceed the fingers on one hand.
For a moment, Li Ang gained even more attention than when he practiced Tongbei Quan.
Just as Li Ang was psyching himself up, the white man who had won the arm wrestling match earlier walked over to him while talking.
"Hey, brother, I want to add something to your courage, okay? How does one thousand dollars sound?"
Before Li Ang could respond, the bearded uncle spoke up with displeasure:
"Griffin, you're too addicted to gambling."
"My dear Blair, I'm not the kind of person to bully kids."
Griffin replied while turning to Li Ang and saying:
"How about it? If you can't do it, why not get a year's membership at this gym?"
Although Li Ang found the bet strange, he decisively nodded in agreement. Who would refuse free money?
"Blair, my bet isn't too much, right?"
The bearded uncle could only helplessly shake his head. Winning would mean one thousand dollars in cash, and losing would merely mean getting a membership card for himself; it was, after all, quite fair.
Li Ang was about to start when Griffin stopped him again.
"Don't be too hasty, my friend. Are there any more people who would like to join?"
Griffin looked around at the onlookers with a smile and continued:
"You only need a hundred dollars to participate. If he fails the challenge, you'll get two months of gym membership, but if he succeeds, this money will be his reward. How about it, folks?"
If Li Ang was somewhat puzzled before, by now he had understood that although Griffin seemed to be coming over to wager, he was definitely on his side.
After all, Li Ang's total stake at this point was nothing more than spending four hundred dollars for an annual card.
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