ATEEZ member San / Courtesy of MBC
ATEEZ member San, now known powerful stage presence, opened up about how he built up his muscular physique.
The K-pop star shared the story behind his physical transformation on Saturday’s episode of MBC’s variety show “The Manager,” which offered a glimpse into ATEEZ’s daily life.
San’s physique has drawn particular attention this year following the release of ATEEZ’s “BAD” in June. A choreography sequence performed by San near the end of the song, nicknamed the “chest dance,” generated buzz among fans.
During the episode, San headed to the gym, where his manager said working out has become an almost daily routine.
“San is really serious about taking care of his body, so he works out almost every day,” the manager said. “He even works out every day when we’re staying at hotels.”
ATEEZ member San / Courtesy of MBC
But San said his muscular build did not come naturally, recalling his slender frame around the time of his debut in 2018.
Fellow ATEEZ member Hongjoong said San had been self-conscious about his body when he was younger.
“San had a complex about it when he was young,” Hongjoong said. “That’s why he worked out incredibly hard.”
San said ATEEZ’s demanding choreography ultimately gave him another reason to gain muscle.
“Our choreography is so powerful and the movements are so big,” he said. “I thought, ‘I need to work out and make my body bigger,’ so I really focused on bulking up.”
That meant dramatically increasing his food intake as well as training. San said he would eat high-carbohydrate snacks with milk and consume as many as six meals a day.
After roughly four years of effort, San said he gained about 13 kilograms while building the muscular physique that has since become part of his commanding stage presence.
This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.