First Reply Conditioning for Health

[Rin Aikawa]

The clinking of metal as it shifted. Breathe in. Push. Breathe out. Relax. Again. The weight lifted up from the ground Holding it there, my body strained to lift the weight. Then letting it drop to the ground with that set done. The large bar with weights bounced a little on the mat. My hands shaking from the exertion just a bit. This having been my seventh set of lifting nearly double my weight in a sumo deadlift. I reached down and removed the weight belt from my midsection. Letting it fall to the ground next to my water bottle. My hand quickly grabbing it and taking sips to keep myself hydrated.

With how much I was sweating from this workout, i was feeling good. productive even. I steadied my breathing. Making sure to use my whole chest. Grabbing the towel and wiping my forehead before setting both down and grabbing the belt. Getting ready for another set of lifting the weights. Wrapping it around my midsection again. My feet bouncing a little to prepare myself for this. Only to solidify my stance and grab hold of the bar. My fingers tensing and relaxing to make sure I had a good grip, and then went into another deadlift.

Breathing in to let the oxygen fuel my body. Pushing to the extent of what I could do. Lifting the weight all the way up. Popping my hips for proper form, then slowly releasing down to the ground. Exhaling the held waste. As soon as the weights touched the ground, I exploded into lifting it again. Breathing in quickly with the movement. Doing this process a number of times before letting the weights fall again.

"Frack me"

I tell myself. Taking a break one more time before moving to take the weights off of the bar. Putting them back to their place and getting ready to go work on something else. Maybe just some curls or something. Not going to over do my legs and hip today.

 

[Alana Calloway]

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Conditioning For Health​

Tag: Rin Aikawa​

Armor:
N/A
Weapons:
N/A
Gear:
G1 Omni Link

Alana stood off to the side, idly rolling a synth-wrapped stim between her fingers as she watched. Her red eyes followed the movement—bar up, hips pop, bar down, breath out. Over and over again. Efficient. Clean. She respected that. Nothing worse than some idiot loading up the bar just to botch their form and blow out a knee.

Still, the choice of sumo deadlifts made her huff a quiet laugh. She took another sip from her water bottle before finally speaking.

"Not bad. You got good control—clean lifts, breathing's solid, and you're not just yanking it up like a bantha herder looking for an injury." She smirked, setting her bottle down on a nearby bench. "Still, sumo? C'mon now. That's cheating."

Alana stretched out her arms before rolling her shoulders loose. The joints cracked—one, then the other. "You ever try conventional? Harder on the lower back, sure, but if you wanna be worth a damn in a real fight, that's what tests you. If you can pull raw weight from the floor without letting your spine turn into a question mark, you're set."

She stepped forward, hands tightening into fists before relaxing, eyes flicking to the bar. "But hey, gotta respect the grind. Just don't go blowing your load all on legs and hips—you'll be walking like an old Moff by the end of the week. There's way too many of them about, ya know?"

With a cocky smirk, she moved toward the rack, grabbing a pair of plates and slapping them onto a fresh bar, but seemed to pause as if trying to recall something.

How long had it been since she worked out properly?

 

[Rin Aikawa]

Her words of encouragement, and support reached my ears. This lady just showed up and started to talk about my form as I was about to move on. I smiled lightly. Taking out the earbuds and the music filling my ears faded. She did ask if i had ever done a conventional deadlift instead of a Sumo. I shrugged to her.

"Sure, Sumo is less aggressive on the back. but you aren't always going to be able to pick up in the perfect pose every time. Variations of the same movement targets different groups in different ways. I switch it up every now and again just so I don't conform or stagnate."

My eyes looked her up and down. Her form was good. She clearly did practice her own teachings. Clearly she could handle herself. And here is little ol' me in pink girly clothing or "classic" clothes who looks like she couldn't open a jar. While the lady moved to the bar and took the place where I had been, I spoke lightly on the subject.

"I appreciate the words. Shows I'm getting better with my form and activity."

Alana Calloway

 

[Alana Calloway]

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Conditioning For Health​

Tag: Rin Aikawa​

Armor:
N/A
Weapons:
N/A
Gear:
G1 Omni Link

Alana stepped up to the bar, setting her feet shoulder-width apart, her grip firm and steady. The weight—four plates on each side—was heavy, but nothing she hadn't handled before. She exhaled through her nose, bracing, and pulled.

The bar left the ground smoothly, her body moving with practiced precision.

"So, you said sumo's easier on the back," she started, her voice steady despite the weight in her hands. She locked out at the top, holding for a second before lowering it down with control. One. "You're not wrong. Less strain on the lumbar, more emphasis on the legs."

She pulled again, fluid and strong. Two.

"But conventional—" She lifted, locked out, lowered. Three. "—engages more of the posterior chain. Forces better hinge mechanics."

Four. The plates rattled against the floor, but she didn't break stride. "Good for real-world strength. Functional power."

Five. Another pull, another controlled descent. "Plus, it keeps you honest." A smirk tugged at her lips as she settled into her rhythm. "You can't cheat your way through a heavy conventional deadlift."

She kept going, her breathing deepening but her voice still casual, unfazed.

Six. "Honestly, I switch between them."

Seven. "One week sumo, one week conventional."

Eight. "Keeps the body guessing."

Nine. Her grip tightened slightly, but she didn't falter. "Prevents stagnation."

Ten. She lowered the bar for good, rolling out her shoulders as she straightened. A thin sheen of sweat covered her arms, but she wasn't struggling. Just warmed up.

Finally, she glanced over, smirking, as she eased the bar back, moving to modify the weights. "Anyway. That's my take. What about you? Got a preference, or are you just out here critiquing random gym-goers for fun?"