3 Aspects We Enjoyed In Episodes 5-6 Of "Pump Up The Healthy Love"

“Pump Up the Healthy Love” continues to give an adrenaline rush with the lunges, squats, lifts, and letting go. Letting go is the keyword in the latest episodes. Do Hyeon Joong (Lee Jun Young), whose life revolves around fitness, finds himself getting entangled in the lives of his clients in more ways than one. On the other hand, Lee Mi Ran (Jeong Eun Ji) has taken to working out like a pro. However, there are people around her, especially her ex-boyfriend, who are trying to wreak havoc with her emotions. Here are three things that were most enjoyable in the latest episodes.

Warning: spoilers from episode 5 and 6 ahead.

Hyeon Joong’s emotional quotient

So far as we know, the only emotion Hyeon Joong has ever displayed is love toward his gym. The light in his eyes when he picks up the shiny dumbbells or adds weights to the barbells is unmatchable. However, we get to see a sensitive side to this brawny man. Though not very comfortable when it comes to displaying any emotion, there is a deeply caring side to him.

There is an unexpected visitor at the gym: Ji Ho, a toddler. The little boy addresses Hyeon Joong as “father” and embraces him. Hyeon Joong, as surprised as the rest of the people at the gym, wonders about Ji Ho’s identity. But the suspense ends when Ji Ho’s mother walks in, saying her son ran away, and she couldn’t keep up with him. Hyeon Joong quickly analyzes the young mother’s slight frame. She is not only lacking stamina but also has weak bone density. Hyeon Joong, being who he is, says she should start working out since that would give her the energy to take care of her son. But the question remains: who takes care of Ji Ho when she works out?

Hyeon Joong, who has taken to Ji Ho, volunteers to do it. Adorable moments follow as he entertains the little boy. He carries him around while doing lunges as he trains people. He is tender and indulgent with the little boy. But it seems even the super energetic Hyeon Joong cannot cope with Ji Ho’s energy. It is through this that he understands: raising a child does not require physical strength alone but mental strength, too. It is very cute as he apologizes to Ji Ho’s mother in his own gruff way, saying that though he may focus on physical strength, he cannot match the mental strength of mothers. He very sweetly opens his gym to all young moms, welcoming them and the tots. Hyeon Joong training little kids was on no one’s bingo card.

Apart from Ji Ho, Hyeon Joong has another demanding client—Im Sung In (Park Sung Yeon), who has signed up for personal training but does not understand boundaries. Even though his patience is at a breaking point, Hyeon Joong remains composed. When he realizes that Im Sung In is coping with a troubled marriage and a difficult husband, the gentle side of Hyeon Joong emerges. He understands that for him, a strong body translates into a strong mind. But letting go is the key to solutions. He sweetly makes her understand that when one holds tightly onto something it never works. The idea is to hold and then let go. Though he is trying to explain the same by citing the example of a resistance band at the gym, he has empowered Im Sung In in more ways than one given her situation.

Hyeon Joong is super endearing, and in these moments we see that he gets embarrassed to show his feelings but cares for everyone in his gym.

Mi Ran’s liberation notes

When it comes to letting go, Mi Ran is faced with an enormous challenge. How does one let go of flour? All good things come with flour in them. What could have possibly brought on a duel between Mi Ran and flour? Mi Ran is informed at work that the board is very keen for her to host a travel package on TV. The news comes much to Mi Ran’s surprise and to the displeasure of Kim Ye Jin (Nam Kyu Hee), her frenemy at work. Ye Jin, having recently returned from her honeymoon in Hawaii, thinks she would be far more suitable. She even tries to belittle Mi Ran by giving her a bobblehead as a souvenir, implying that Mi Ran is just as chubby. Ye Jin tells her the camera tends to add pounds, which would make Mi Ran look bulky on screen, but this only strengthens Mi Ran’s resolve to go ahead with her mission.

Mi Ran remains undeterred. Having gained confidence with her workouts, she decides to give up on flour. Hyeon Joong is not in favor of it, since eliminating a food group is never a good idea. But Mi Ran is on a mission as she starts her “my liberation from flour” project. Anyone who has ever been on a diet will vouch that the day you make a resolution, the universe conspires to send challenges. In a meeting at work, when the client walks in with Mi Ran’s favorite bagels, Mi Ran exercises every ounce of self-control. However, she cannot help but scream when she sees the bagel not being eaten the way it should. The struggle is real. Though she manages to control her cravings, her outburst causes the meeting to take a negative turn.

If not a bagel, there is also the delicious looking mung bean pancake calling her attention, but Mi Ran is relentless in her pursuit to stick to her resolution. This facet of her personality is a big revelation to all. Mi Ran isn’t usually the kind to have such will power when it comes to rice cakes, pizza, or pancakes. But there has been a perceptible shift in her personality, which is further evident when she confidently makes a successful TV debut, taking everyone by surprise.

But there is another temptation on the way, one that messes with her head. Mi Ran gets a message from her former boyfriend which he deletes shortly afterward, leaving her confused. To add to her confusion, she is told he was the one who recommended her for the TV spot. Mi Ran is in a moral dilemma and emotional turmoil. It is clear she hasn’t succeeded in letting go of the relationship. So, what next? It is clear her ex-boyfriend is playing mind games with her, but the battle is Mi Ran’s to fight. Torn between love and flour, she is in a difficult situation. But Mi Ran is oblivious to her own strength and how far she has come since being a clingy girlfriend. Her ex-boyfriend could be in for a surprise.

The gym and its people

An enjoyable aspect of this drama is that the backstories of the many people who come to the gym feel like the core of this show. The predicament of Ji Ho’s mother, Hye Bin (Han So Hyeon), is like that of any young mother, who multi-tasks to the point of exhaustion. Even as she juggles between the many tasks at home and looking after Ji Ho, she feels it is not enough. With no time for herself, she feels guilty for even taking time to work out. As she tearfully tells Hyeon Joong that she feels she is not doing enough, he kindly tells her she is not giving herself enough credit. Even he, with the fittest body in the business, cannot compete with her when it comes to mental strength. This is the vote of confidence she seeks, and soon enough the gym is visited by several mothers who realize that mothers also need a break.

There is also Im Sung In, a 10-year veteran and the leader of the gym’s famous “Witch Trio.” After an incident, she confides in Hyeon Joong that she prefers to overlook her husband’s infidelity. Her reasoning is simple: when it comes to family, it is important to overlook certain things. Even though her husband treats her badly and never credits her hard work, she finds respite in the gym where she can be free. We often judge people on the basis of the facade they present in public, and Im Sung In is one such person. In spite of their constant bickering, the members have formed strong bonds. When Im Sung In’s husband insults her in front of the members, everyone stands up in support.

Im Sung In, emboldened by the the show of support, takes on her husband for the first time in their three-decade long marriage. It is hilarious how she uses the very resistance band Hyeon Joong had trained her with to punch her husband.

There also seems to be something brewing between Mi Ran and Hyeon Joong. She is more than willing to help in his endeavors in the gym, and the two have formed a tentative friendship. Where do they go from here? For that we will need to tune into this week’s episodes.

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Hey Soompiers, have you watched “Pump Up the Healthy Love”? What do you think of the latest episodes? Let us know in the comments below!

Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.