Rhythmic Special Training

Hearing this, Yasui Makoto pondered for a moment.

Uma Musume have a very special developmental period called "Kenseika" (full bloom).

During this period, they grow at an astonishing rate, gaining the physique and abilities necessary for high-intensity training and racing in a short amount of time.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that one week they might look like elementary school students, and the next they'd appear as graceful young girls. This was not uncommon among Uma Musume.

The "Kenseika" phase varied among different Uma Musume, as did its duration.

From his brief analysis over the past few days, Hokubu Genkoma had just entered this phase.

Satono Crown, on the other hand, had clearly been in the early stages of Kenseika last year and was now developing steadily and rapidly.

"Satono Crown... if I recall correctly, her last race was the Tokyo Metropolitan Cup."

Lost in thought, Yasui Makoto looked at Hokubu Genkoma, whose expression was filled with admiration and excitement.

"Her debut race was also on turf over 1800 meters, just like the distance you practiced this afternoon, held at the Tokyo circuit.

"Interviews mentioned she hasn't raced for the past two months, and in March, she will participate in the Yayoi Sho."

Hokubu Genkoma's head snapped up, her ears twitching rapidly.

"The Yayoi Sho... isn't that...?"

"Yes, the first race of the Triple Crown, a prelude to the Satsuki Sho."

After nodding, Yasui Makoto said meaningfully, "After the Yayoi Sho, she will almost certainly participate in the Satsuki Sho. It's clear she's aiming for the classic race season.

"I haven't applied for your race schedule after your debut, but if you also want to challenge for the Triple Crown, then this young lady from the Satono family...

"No, rather, in two months, she might become your rival."

Hokubu Genkoma held her breath.

A moment later.

"Me?"

Dumbfounded, she pointed at herself.

"Crown-chan?"

Then she pointed at Satono Crown in the distance.

"I'm going to be rivals with Crown-chan?!"

She exclaimed.

In an instant, the teachers and students on the other side were drawn by her shriek and looked over with displeasure.

Casting a wistful glance at the attention from across the dance hall, Yasui Makoto made a silent decision.

...From now on, when she gets overly excited, he'd cover her mouth beforehand.

It wasn't that he hadn't been the center of attention before, but this was the first time he'd experienced such a look of disdain. After making his decision, he sighed softly.

"...Train well later, and don't be noisy."

"...Y-yes, sorry, I'll be careful, Trainer..." Hokubu Genkoma quickly covered her mouth.

"...I hope you remember that."

Nodding, Yasui Makoto adjusted his mindset, apologized to the teacher, and stated that they would train quietly on the other side.

Such incidents were common at the Academy. The teachers, after a moment of surprise at Yasui Makoto's youth, readily agreed, reminding him to maintain training order before giving their consent.

Returning to Hokubu Genkoma's side, Yasui Makoto rummaged through his shoulder bag and pulled out a pair of Bluetooth sports earphones, placing them into Hokubu Genkoma's two fluffy, long black ears.

"Do you still remember the sense of time and distance I told you about?"

Seeing Hokubu Genkoma nod repeatedly, Yasui Makoto also nodded.

"Rhythmic strides can help you grasp time and distance.

"Since the beat of the Assault Step is fixed, once you are familiar and adapted to it, your time will also be relatively consistent.

"This way, you'll have a basic grasp of how long each lap takes and how far you can run, even without looking at a stopwatch or signposts.

"Then, you'll be clearer than ever about when to conserve energy, when to sprint at full speed, and how to handle turns and breaks.

"This will be one of the special training sessions you'll focus on next.

"The other one will be discussed later, but for now..."

He walked to the storage area of the dance hall, put down his shoulder bag, took out some items, then brought over a ladder, a three-step training platform, and a set of resistance bands.

"Hip Flexion Stomp, have you practiced it?"

"Hip Flexion Stomp...?"

Repeating the term, Hokubu Genkoma shook her head.

"I've never even heard of that move..."

"It hasn't been covered in class yet... I see."

Yasui Makoto nodded, raising the watch-like strap he took from his backpack.

"Stand straight, raise your arms, and then do as I say."

After Hokubu Genkoma obediently raised her arms, Yasui Makoto wrapped the strap around her hand.

He then placed the step in front of her, handed her the belt and harness he also took from his backpack, and helped her put them on.

Next, he secured the elastic band to her lower back and the belts and harness on her sides, then attached the other ends of the three ropes to the ground, the ceiling support beams, and the pillars.

This way, from behind, the Uma Musume looked like she was fixed in front of the training steps by a "cross" made of ropes.

"I'll play some music on my end."

Raising the tablet computer in his hand, he pointed to Hokubu Genkoma's ears, and Yasui Makoto said:

"These songs have clear beat prompts. Just follow those beats and keep stepping up and down the stairs, while also coordinating your arm movements.

"Do you understand?"

With a curious look, she glanced at the steps in front of her and tugged at the elastic rope around her waist. As soon as Hokubu Genkoma nodded, she soon heard the "da, da, da" rhythm from the Bluetooth headphones.

Without the slightest hesitation, she instinctively stepped onto the stairs with her left foot, then quickly put her left foot down and stepped up with her right foot.

"Trainer, I think I..."

She wanted to say she couldn't keep up with the rhythm.

"Don't worry about mistakes."

Before Hokubu Genkoma could finish, Yasui Makoto interrupted:

"You haven't practiced this Hip Flexion Stomp before, so it's normal to make mistakes at first.

"Don't mind the initial mistakes, just focus on following the rhythm of the music as you go up and down.

"Also, a reminder, this rhythm will gradually get faster, until it's close to your usual training speed."

"Okay, okay!"

She quickly agreed, maintaining the rhythm of stepping up and down the stairs, and Hokubu Genkoma took a deep breath, concentrating fully.

Seeing this, Yasui Makoto nodded inwardly and focused on the training, occasionally adjusting the tablet computer.

In this kind of training, Hokubu Genkoma just needed to keep stepping on the stairs, but he, as the Trainer, had to consider many things.

First, he had to ensure that the Uma Musume's posture was accurate, and correct any mistakes immediately, otherwise, there was a possibility of injury or hidden injuries.

Additionally, that "black wristwatch" was actually a wrist-worn heart rate monitor, which could monitor heart rate, breathing, and other data in real-time. It could also indirectly calculate the maximum heart rate reserve and estimate oxygen uptake, etc.

The monitor was connected to the tablet computer, allowing him to accurately assess Hokubu Genkoma's condition and precisely control the training.

Besides Hip Flexion Stomp, related training included Step-by-step Flexion Run, Glute Bridge Training, and Stomp Hip Extension.

Like Hip Flexion Stomp, all training sessions were divided into groups, with a set of training followed by rest periods forming several sets, all coordinated with corresponding musical rhythms.

These training methods had a common characteristic: they made it easier for the trainee to feel the force and explosiveness of individual joints or muscles.

Combined with the music, it was exactly what was needed to improve Hokubu Genkoma's current main problem.