Big Three Measurement
Seo Joo-hwan headed to the gym on Tuesday and Wednesday, just like he had on Monday. At this point, losing weight wasn't the issue anymore—working out itself was just plain fun. Building up those nicely defined muscles was a real pleasure. Forget sex for a minute; he was going full gym bro.
"Huff, huff."
To sculpt a good-looking body, he needed a slightly different routine from straight dieting. It wasn't just about burning fat with cardio—he had to mix in proper weight training. With personal training sessions from Im Su-hee, he'd worked hard enough that Seo Joo-hwan now had a pretty decent physique.
Today's chest day.
Time for bench presses. Back in the army, he'd barely managed 60kg, but now he could lift over 70kg with ease. Compared to his pre-regression self, that was a 20kg jump. For just over two months of effort, it was an insanely good result. His sagging pecs, like a woman's breasts, had transformed into solid muscle.
Ah, it's such a shame.
As time passed, it hit him how little was left of the Helchang's Blessing duration. If he kept this momentum for another year, hitting that legendary Big Three total of 500 might not be a pipe dream.
"Up we go."
He started loading plates onto the bar. Today, he planned to go heavier than usual.
Might as well see how many reps I can crank out.
The maximum weight one could lift for a single rep was called 1RM—1 Repetition Maximum. The Big Three measurements were based on that. Safety bars were essential for testing it, and for injury prevention, you shouldn't do it solo. Seo Joo-hwan glanced around. There was definitely one reliable hyung around at this hour. The guy was so eye-catching, he spotted him easily. A muscular, bearded man in Under Armour was setting up for deadlifts.
Seo Joo-hwan called out cautiously.
"Kang-ho hyung."
"Joo-hwan? Hold up a sec. Just this set."
"Yes, sir."
He nodded politely and stood at ease like a proper junior.
"Hup!"
The bearded man tensed his muscles with a grunt, and a 200kg barbell lifted effortlessly. Whoa. No matter how many times I see it... Watching from the side left him speechless. It was exhausting just to behold, yet the guy handled it like nothing. His form was textbook perfect—scapulae locked in a straight line, erector spinae and hamstrings bulging, legs pushing like steel pistons. Those thighs looked harder than iron blocks.
Thud!
Even on the rubber mats, dropping the bar made a thunderous boom. After a few more reps and finishing his routine, he wiped his sweat and turned.
"Phew. Alright, what's up?"
The bearded man fixed him with his fierce, bulging eyes. With that classic tiger-like face, Seo Joo-hwan instinctively shrank back. He had no idea what he'd done wrong, but sorry anyway, spare my life.
Seo Joo-hwan explained to the puzzled Baek Kang-ho.
"Hyung, I wanna test my Big Three..."
"What? The Big Three?!"
"Gah! Sorry! Who am I to even try! I'll train more!"
Grab! As he tried to bolt, Baek Kang-ho snagged his collar. The grip was crushing. My bad! I won't wear Under Armour anymore! I was just curious!
"Dude, why run?"
Baek Kang-ho spun him around forcibly and waved it off.
"I'm not mad. Running off like that hurts my feelings, man."
Baek Kang-ho made puppy eyes with those frog-like peepers. It was still terrifying, though.
"Haha. I was just messing around too."
"Oh, a joke?"
"Yeah."
It was half a joke. Half-serious when his nape got grabbed. Seo Joo-hwan smiled awkwardly as he looked at him. Real name: Baek Kang-ho. Nickname: Tiger Hyung. They'd met through the gym, naturally. Fueled by the desire to max out the blessing's effects, Seo Joo-hwan had trained like a maniac—intensely enough that Im Su-hee had once warned him about injury. Apparently, his dedication reminded Baek Kang-ho of his younger self, so he took a liking to him. Of course, he'd also advised moderation. They'd been on friendly terms since.
He's a softie despite the face. Unlike his "could've offed a couple guys" vibe, Baek Kang-ho was chill and good-natured. The scariness was occasional but unavoidable.
Baek Kang-ho forced a kind smile in his own way.
"You need help with the Big Three, right?"
"Yeah. Curious how far I can go."
"Hm. Good call. Can't have you hurt solo."
Baek Kang-ho grinned and slapped his back—hard by his standards.
"Bench first. Don't worry about safety."
"Got it."
And so, Seo Joo-hwan's Big Three test began.
Recent max: 70kg. Adding 5kg for a trial lift.
"Hrngh!"
Clang. The bar rose smoother than expected. Baek Kang-ho nodded.
"Add 10kg more."
"Huh? Isn't that a big jump?"
"You handled that fine. I'll spot—no worries."
"Roger."
Baek Kang-ho was spot on. Squeezing every ounce of strength, arms quivering, he finally pressed the bar up.
Clang!
Seo Joo-hwan racked it and exhaled explosively.
"Whooo! It worked?!"
"Told ya. Hmm, even I'm surprised. Beginner gains this fast? You're a natural."
"Heh, thanks."
"Wipe that grin. Your back's lacking, though. Deadlift next."
"Yes, sir!"
As predicted, his deadlift lagged behind bench. 85kg bench, but deadlift barely hit 120kg. Accounting for deads usually being 50-60kg higher, his back was definitely weak.
Finally, squats. Seo Joo-hwan loosened up before gripping the bar. Stretching drew some eyes in the gym—curious stares at the Big Three test. More like gawking at a gym newbie than admiration. Im Su-hee had joined to watch. With a beauty like her eyeing him, he felt extra pumped. Legs make the man!
Seo Joo-hwan gripped and squatted.
"Hup!"
Clang! 120kg went up easy. Baek Kang-ho looked impressed.
"Your legs are solid. Add 10kg."
Load up, squat, rise.
"Hrngh!"
Stable core, plenty of power left. Spotting flawlessly, Baek Kang-ho added another 10kg.
"I'll catch if form breaks. Squat!"
Grip bar, chest up. Clench glutes, brace core, descend.
"Hrnnngh!"
Maintaining intra-abdominal pressure under 140kg, then powering up!
"Hrrrrngh!"
Quivering. "Grraaah!" Clang! Barely nailed it. He racked the bar fast and gasped ragged breaths.
"Ugh, dizzy."
Blood rushed to his head, world spinning.
"Damn, Joo-hwan. Look at those quads. Water here."
Im Su-hee approached, smacked his thigh playfully, and handed a bottle.
"Thanks, noona."
"You're insane. Adding weight like that already?"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Good job, kid."
Baek Kang-ho flashed a thumbs-up with a hearty grin. Seo Joo-hwan returned it.
"Thanks."
Weights forever with hyung.
Bench: 85kg
Deadlift: 120kg
Squat: 140kg
Total: 345kg
Heading home post-workout, Im Su-hee spoke up.
"Joo-hwan, drinks tonight?"
"Huh? Booze?"
He blinked in confusion. As far as he knew, health nut Im Su-hee avoided alcohol and smokes.
"Don't you skip drinks, noona?"
"Oh? I love it. Just don't usually indulge."
"Why tonight?"
"Hehe. I only drink on special occasions—like the Anyang branch meetup today."
That made it weirder. Him crashing a staff thing? Did close members join?
Still puzzled, he asked.
"With the employees?"
"Nah, regular top members. Staff optional."
"Ah."
Made sense now. Some gyms had unofficial member hangouts—Ribbon Fitness was one.
Grateful, even though I've only been here under two months. Anyang branch barely a month.
Seo Joo-hwan sneakily checked Im Su-hee's status.
<Im Su-hee>
Current Lust Level: B
Affection: C+
Affection had hit C+ somehow. The casual speech helping? It was C last check.
Lucy chimed in.
It went up during your Big Three test. Turned off notifications so you wouldn't get distracted and hurt.
Oh, got it. Thanks. Squeezing out his last drops of strength, a ping then could've wrecked him.
"Joo-hwan?"
Whoops! Got lost zoning on stats. Im Su-hee narrowed her eyes.
"Listening?"
"O-of course."
"Hmph. Weren't. And banmal."
She was still hung up on casual speech. Did she really think he saw her as twenty-five?
She's youthful, but that's stretching it.
Im Su-hee sighed.
"I'll repeat."
"Yeah, ears on this time."
"Nothing special—just occasional dinners with diligent members. Dues collected per event. In?"
"Sure. How much?"
She winked playfully.
"Hehe. First time's on noona."
"No need..."
"Hey! I said I'm buying."
Hands on hips, eyes wide. No intimidation with her sharp features, but he nodded anyway. No point refusing free.
She beamed happily.
"Good you're coming."
"Why's that?"
He asked with a hint of hope. Interest in me? With her muscle fetish, possible. He had a solid body now. He'd welcome body-hunting.
But her answer dashed it.
"Members like you. Hard worker. Especially today—some suggested inviting you after your Big Three."
Other members proposed, not her. Seo Joo-hwan smacked his lips disappointedly. Better builds around—why him?
"Oh, you and Kang-ho tight? He's coming too, FYI."
"Really? Surprising. Figured that scary face meant no friends."
"Ooh? Telling him that?"
"Eek."
Mercy on that...