Introvert who went from skinny to hunky

It is hard to imagine that one of the most muscular hunks in Asia used to be the skinniest guy in his high school class.

Mr Ahn Jaesung, a personal trainer, fitness model and World Beauty Fitness and Fashion (WBFF) Asia ambassador, said he was 1.75m tall and weighed 65kg when he was 18 years old.

With his father's encouragement, the introverted Mr Ahn, who has a degree in physiology, decided to step out of his comfort zone.

The 34-year-old South Korean told TNP: "Although I stayed home to play video games all the time, I always wanted to gain some mass and muscle. My father suggested that I go to the gym. He used to tell me, 'Be a man'."

Mr Ahn's efforts paid off in 2013 when he took part in his first competition, MuscleMania, in South Korea, where he was crowned overall champion.

Shortly after, he went to Toronto, Canada to join his first WBFF competition.

After three years of competing in the WBFF, he finally won the North American Champion title in 2016.

The avid swimmer and snowboarder, who is 1.85m tall and weighs 93kg, said he prepares his own protein-heavy lunch box, comprising chicken breast, brown rice and sweet potatoes.

"I eat four meals a days, within four-hour intervals, all meals the same every day.

"But Sunday is my cheat day, so for one of my meals, I indulge in fried chicken and junk food."

This article was first published on Mar 20, 2017.
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