Bodybuilder Chul Soon has one of the most famous eight-packs in the world. A staggering 328,000 people follow the ripped South Korean on Instagram. Known to his friends as the ‘Asian Arnold Schwarzenegger”, it’s taken 15 years of work to get from 125lbs to 220lbs.
Chul Soon: “When I was skinny, I was often treated with disrespect. For example, people looked down on me when I was going to stores to return goods, helping others who were in danger, and speaking to other people. Now, however, it’s totally different due to the fact that I got bigger. People started treating me with respect.”
But not everyone’s a fan.
Chul Soon: “Since Koreans prefer slim body shapes, my body would look different or weird to them. In Europe or in the US, people compliment my body a lot by saying “nice body” or “sexy body” and they ask me to take pictures with them.”
Girlfriend Su admits that the attention he gets can be overwhelming.
“As his girlfriend, sometimes I get jealous but I know he is a public figure. I was able to work it out. I understand!”
Being so well-known has forced Chul to defend the way he maintains his muscles.
Chul Soon: “I used to do 3000 sit-ups a day. But since I studied about working out, I’ve spent less time doing sit-ups and eaten better than before. Well, I know there are some professional bodybuilder who use steroids legally. I’ve seen many of them from other countries, but I’ve barely seen them in Korea. Well, I think working out with a long-term plan is more efficient.”
The bodybuilder has already won a number of titles. But has no plans to take it easy.
Chul Soon: “I’d like to continue with my bodybuilding career for the next 10 years. At the same time, I’d like to expand my nutrition gym business as successfully as I have bodybuilding.”
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