Chapter 3: Starter pack and training

Stephen P.O.V

The warm water of my bath was really helping me relax after thinking for a while I finally decided to check if all of this was real or if I would just continue living as I had always been until now so I adjusted my posture and when I found a position I was really comfortable with I closed my eyes and wish for the system to appear in my mind I felt my thought going into the deepest part of my consciousness before I could feel that I needed to open my eyes, of course, my body was still sitting in the bathtub with its eyes close as if I was sleeping but here in my consciousness, I was wide awake again I was in this white office but instead of a desk there was a black board on the left wall in the middle of the room a big golden spinning wheel that looked more like a casion machine since on the side there was 3 button from top to bottom there was one green button one yellow button and one golden button with normal/professional/legend labeled on each one of them in that specific order not to mention the big metallic arm with the big red ball on the left side of the machine there was also a folder resting on the chair that was in front of the wheel with Starter Gift Pack written on it 

According to the information I got from the previous space I needed to open the document and I would be able to choose 1 template which was basically the talent of a person in my case the talent of any baseball superstar I could think of, 2 physical skills from a selection of 10 random skill generated by the system and finally 2 normal wheel spin. I took the folder in my hand and ripped the top open a white light came out of it 1/3 of the light entered my soul while another 1/3 flew toward the blackboard on the left and the last 1/3 entered the machine which now had a +2 sign beside the green button I could feel something tugging at my soul urging me to choose the person I wanted as my template, of course, the choice was made instantly who else besides Shohei Ohtani as soon as I thought so I could feel a warm current flowing from my soul and covering my whole body even here I could feel my body as if I wasn't in my consciousness at all I could even feel the water on my skin

5 minutes later when the light completely dissipated I felt that this body of mine was completely foreign to me I never felt this strong and full of energy ever in my life until now and I had a feeling that if I trained hard I could get the perfect body for baseball this system is really... overpower I thought while I was going through this 'transformation' 10 skills had been written on the blackboard I naturally knew what I had to do next so I step in front and read them 

-EagleEyes (you'll never lose sight of the ball)

-StaminaMonster (you will always perform at your peak getting tired isn't in your vocabulary)

-Ironman (you would need to get hit by a truck to get hurt)

-EyeHand ( your eye-hand coordination is almost flawless)

-ExplosiveSteps (your first step while running is as fast as a cheetah)

-AntMan (you are physically stronger than your peers)

-GorillaArm (you have more power while throwing a baseball)

-FieldingInstinct (you have a sixth sense for defense)

-Overflowingcharisma (fans like you and your teammates are more likely to listen to you)

-ColdHeart ( no matter the situation you can keep your composure)

Hmm those I all good skills I thought it was hard to choose but even if I had Shohei Ohtani's template (his talents) I still need to develop them I won't be a god starting now so I must pick something that will help me in the long run and if I'm lucky ill spin those skill at a later date normal spin is 100pts professional are 500pts and legend are 1000pts I gain 1pts per game and I can get bonus points base on my performance I should take the safer route ill choose StaminaMonster and IronMan first even if the other can help me get better right now those two skills will benefit me more in the long run because I don't know when ill be able to get another physical skill or if ill get another one for that matter

After making up my mind another white light shot out of the blackboard and merged with me, if the light from the template made me feel full of energy now I felt I could run a marathon without a problem men ill need to hit the gym at home because I won't be sleeping at all tonight. Now to the last step, I sat on the chair facing the Gatcha spinning wheel pressed the green button and pulled down the lever on the left as soon as I did the number on the green button dropped showing +1 so I was right this was the number of spins I had available after 20 seconds the wheel stop spinning stopping on (Pitching mechanic) I knew what that means but I wasn't sure if the system and my dad thoughts were the same on this but I soon got my answer when another light left the machine and merge with me this time a lot of information was pouring in my brain 

Pitching mechanics is a coordinated sequence of body movements and muscular forces that have an ultimate goal of high ball velocity and target accuracy. An effective pitching motion is dictated by an intricate relationship of increasing the speed of body segments speed starting from the ground up. The pitching motion consists of 6 phases (Figure 1): windup, early cocking/stride, late cocking, acceleration, deceleration, and follow-through. These phases are intricately coupled, resulting in efficient generation and transfer of energy from the body into the arm and, ultimately, the hand and ball. In my mind the information kept pouring I had now a deep understanding of pitching mechanics hell I'm pretty sure I could become a coach with all this knowledge now but more importantly it gave me a very detailed training plan for me to follow with this my pitching will be advancing by leap and bounds this summer I was planning to ask my dad to coach me but now I really just want to surprise him at next year tryout just thinking about it made me want to laugh out loud like a second generation villain (giggles)

Still feeling giddy after reviewing all the information I just got in my head I pulled the lever a second time 20 seconds later just like the first time the wheel stopped on (Fitness Master) and again a flood of information on building the perfect baseball body came into my mind as soon as the white light finished merging with my body I wished to get out of here. I re-opened my eyes still in the bathtub good thing I was taking a bath because I could feel my body had gone through a big change it was not like in cultivation novel where black things came out of every pore of my skin but a fine film of oily substance had been ejected from my body, I didn't know why or how did this happen but I knew deep down that it was a good thing after grubbing myself with soap I stepped out of the bathroom toward our house gym since I got a training method and I was overflowing with energy I should just start my new journey today I thought while walking to the basement I was reviewing my new knowledge I don't know if it was because I always had been smart or not but all information was easily accessible, it was like it had its own space in my mind and I had a satellite connection with this space making it faster and easier to sort thing out or pulling out a piece of specific information from it

''Wow this system really wants to help me god damn I don't know if it's because it's the starter pack but they did give me the best start possible with this ill really make progress at a fast pace the only thing I got no help for is my batting but with Ohtani talent ... well I could call it my talent now since with those skills we are bound to be different, with my talent if I practice every day I should be at least average starting the next season

I had never gone to our gym before except when my mom would ask me to get Dad out of there for dinner hehe but I knew what to do now thanks to the fitness master knowledge I just got so I started my training session

My first exercise was a 90/90 Stretch with Arm Sweep 3 sets x 8 reps for each side. Rest for 45–120 seconds between sets. I laid down on my back with my left knee bent and my right leg crossed over the top of my left leg. Then I roll on my left side (the bent knee side), bringing my right knee towards the ground, using a towel as a cushion between my knee and the ground. I then placed my right arm parallel to my leg, then rotate my chest and top arm out, put my arm straight up over my head, then bring my arm out and down the right side of my body in a sweeping motion toward my butt. I repeat the sweeping motion from my head to my butt with my arms then I switched, and did it with the opposite arms/legs. The move helps with increasing shoulder mobility and flexibility. It will stretch out my middle and upper back, as well as my torso. From the knowledge I had in my head, I need to exhale as I stretch and try not to separate my knees during the move. For a pitcher, mobility in the shoulder is very important, If your shoulder joint is tight, you lose mobility and won't rotate properly during cocking phase to create the necessary torque to throw at a high velocity.

After a break of 5 minutes, I start my second exercise, Stride Stretch Hip Extension Rotation with Rotation Bench 3 sets x 8 reps for each leg/arm, rest for 45 to 120 seconds between sets. For this, I needed an inclined bench. Lift up my left leg, rotate it at the hip so my shin is in front of me, and set my left knee on the bench. My right foot should be on the floor behind me. Then I place my hands together at the top of the bench and lean my torso forward. Straighten my left arm and brought it behind me. Hold in place for a second, then return to the starting position. I repeated this for the amount of reps that was the best according to the system, then switched to the other arm/leg.  This move will help open up my hips and give me more flexibility and mobility in my shoulders/rotator cuffs. It stretches out both the front and back of my hips. Mobility in the hips is just as important as the shoulder for pitchers. If you do not have proper mobility, then you can only utilize what the body is allowing you to move. For example, if your hip joint is tight, your stride length becomes shorter and decreases the leg drive, meaning your power and strength will not be at its full potential."

Since it was the first time I was training like this in my life I hadn't thought about bringing water with me I could feel my throat asking for water in my head so I took my 5 minutes break between exercises to fill up a full 4 L water bottle before starting my third exercise YTW for Shoulder Stability 3 sets x 15 reps for each move. Rest between 45 and 120 seconds between sets. For the "Y" move, I lean over an exercise ball at my torso/hips, keeping my legs straight back, and extend my arms toward the ground in a Y-shape, forming a 45-degree angle with my body. Keeping my palms facing each other, then raise my arms up to my head and then back down to the starting position. For the "T" move, lean over an exercise ball at my torso/hips, keeping my legs straight back, and extending my arms out to the sides, forming a T-shape. Raise my arms up towards my head, hold the stretch for a second, and then go back to the starting position. For the "W" move, I lean over an exercise ball at my torso/hips, keeping my legs straight back, and bend my elbows at a 90-degree angle, my fists facing forward. Raise my arms up towards my head, hold the position at the top, and return to the starting position. 

These moves will help increase the strength in my shoulders and work each of the deltoid muscles, including my front, rear, and middle deltoids. Lee says that the exercise helps with range of motion, shoulder stability, and with strengthening your core. Pillar and shoulder stability are very important for pitchers. In pitching mechanics, movement is initiated by the leg kick and load into trail leg, then the drive toward home plate. We call this the 'kinetic link' or transfer of energy. If an athlete creates energy of 100 newtons of force, then they can transfer all the energy to the baseball, maximizing the potential energy and working very efficiently. This kinetic link—or transfer of energy—is maximized by pillar stability.

After another break and 1L of water later I continue with my fourth exercise of the day Shoulder External Rotation Standing 3 sets x 15 reps for each arm. Rest between 45 and 120 seconds between sets. Standing in front of our cable pulley machine with the cable at hip-level, with the right side of my body facing the machine. I grab the cable with my left (outside) hand, forming a right angle with my body, then rotate the arm away from my body and then back to the starting position. I was making sure to keep my elbow at the side of my body during the move. This move helps with shoulder stability and strengthening my rotator cuff area.

Starting with my fifth exercise 3 sets of 15 reps, rest for 45 to 120 seconds between sets of TRX Pushup I realized that my skill StaminaMonster was probably only taking effect when I played in games because I could feel myself getting tired I was sweating so much I probably could have filled my water bottle back to full with only my sweat. Using a TRX strap, I put my hands on the suspension system and kept my legs straight back as if I were doing a regular pushup. Raised my body up in the pushup position and brought the straps together before moving back down into the starting position. The TRX move helps engage extra muscle groups and strengthens my core. It also helps increase the strength and stability of my shoulders.

My breaks were getting longer I was just halfway through my training but I was feeling like I was here for 3 hours which wasn't true but would probably become true at the end of my training session exercise 6 was Bent-Over Dumbbell Row; 1-Leg 1-Arm (Contralateral) 3 sets x 10 reps for each arm/leg, rest for 45 to 120 seconds between reps. I start by standing on my right leg, bent over at my waist with my left leg extended out straight back from my body while holding the dumbbell in my left hand. With my left arm hanging straight down with the dumbbell, bring the weight up, driving my elbow towards the ceiling. This move is important for upper body strength and will hit my upper back, shoulders, and hips, as well as my biceps and lats.

Then I continue with the seventh exercise Dumbbell Split Squat Rear Foot Elevated (Bulgarian Split Squat) 3 sets x 10 reps for each leg. Rest for 45 to 120 seconds between sets. Standing in front of our bench, straight with my arms at my sides, holding a dumbbell in each hand, my back facing the bench. Lift my right leg and place it behind me on the bench, keeping my left leg straight. Squat down and lower my body until my back knee is just over the floor, while my front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pitchers need to work on lower body and leg strength just as much as arm strength. If one of those areas is neglected, it can affect a pitcher as he tries to transfer their energy from his lower body up to his arm when he is throwing the ball. This move hits my quads, glutes, and hamstrings, adding strength to my lower body.

For exercise 8 it was Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (1 Leg 1 Arm Contra) 3 sets x 10 reps for each arm/leg, rest 45–120 seconds between sets. Use a weight that's comfortable for you. Standing straight, holding a dumbbell in my right hand, with my left hand at my side. Bend down and extend my right leg straight back, keeping my left foot (the opposite leg from the dumbbell) planted on the ground. My right arm hangs straight down, while my body was forming a "T-shape" when I bend. Hold the position at the bottom, then return to the starting position. This move helps build single-leg and cross-body strength in my legs, hamstrings, glutes, and hips. This exercise can increase leg balance and core stability, which are important for bringing my power from my lower body to my upper body while pitching.

Before I could start with exercise number 9 I had to take a 10-minute break I wanted to rest more but if I did that I wouldn't be able to start again I thought so I started with the Rotational Chop with Cable 3 sets x 8 reps for each side. Rest 45–120 seconds between sets. Standing with my right side facing the cable machine. Grab the cable with two hands and pull it down towards my hips. In one fluid motion, I turn my hips and shoulders from the cable side to the direction away from the machine. Pull the handle towards my chest, then push the rope down and away from me, finishing near my hips. This is a rotational exercise that works your abs, core, shoulders, and hips, adding flexibility, stability, and mobility to those areas. This is another key area for pitchers because rotation is key to the transfer of energy.

I don't even know from where did I got the strength to start this tenth Exercise Cable Bar Lift Stability Split Stance was coming but I did my 3 sets x 8 reps, for each side. Rest 45 to 120 seconds between sets. Standing with the right side of my body facing the cable machine. Placing my left foot in front of my body with a slight knee bend, and keep my right foot behind my body about a foot, about shoulder distance apart and in a straight line. I start, by holding the bar with my right hand near my hip and my left hand near the top of the bar, close to the top of my chest. Using an overhand (prone) grip. The bar should start diagonally across my chest. Push the cable up towards the top of my chest, keeping the bar in the same diagonal direction. When I reach the top, I hold my left hand still and press up with my inside arm to raise the right side of the bar up over my head. Reverse the movement and go back to the starting position. This exercise move will help challenge and increase my stability while hitting my hips, upper arms, shoulders, and core. Rotation is key for pitchers in transferring energy from bottom to top. During pitching mechanics, rotation happens from the ground up—hip, trunk, to shoulder. To maximize the proper kinetic link, training proper rotation is very important and this exercise helps get that balance.

I wasn't able to finish in under 3 hours this training session took me 3 hours and 36 minutes even with my skill IronMan I wouldn't be able to endure this kind of training for 5 days a week, starting with 3 days a week and when I drop my time under 2 hours 30 minute ill make it 4 times a week I was still sprawled on the gym floor when I heard the front door opening with my mom shouting

''STEPHEN I'M HOME''

Oh shit I thought seeing me like this my mom would surely think that what happened in school affected me more than I was letting people know ... now that I think about it this would make a good excuse for the change I would make to my lifestyle in the near future

'' I'M DOWNSTAIRS MOM '' I shouted with the little strength I had left