IN PHOTOS: Korean Actors And K-pop Idols Share Their Workout Secrets

Lee Dong-wook

We met Lee Dong-wook way earlier before the Korean drama craze of this year, back in 2005 where he starred as a leading man in “My Girl,” which was dubbed and aired on ABS-CBN in 2006. But more recently, we got reminded of his acting prowess and great physique in “Goblin,” where starred beside Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun.

Photo Credit: Drama Scenes

When asked how he maintains his toned body during the press conference for “The Return of Superman,” he says, “The most important thing is diet. I love to eat and I gain weight easily. So, I work out to maintain my body. But before you have to work your butt off, you should just eat less.”

Photo Credit: Channel Korea

Lee Dong-wook

At 38 years old, Lee Dong-wook still looks phenomenal! He says that the key, really, is exercising regularly, which he does for 2 to 3 hours a day.

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Song Joong-ki

Who doesn’t love his angelic face coupled with his strong body? This talented actor known famously for his role as Captain Yoo Shi Jin in “Descendants of the Sun” was our OG military man crush before “Crash Landing on You” stole our hearts—and boy does he make a very convincing and lovable captain!

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Song Joong-ki

Song Joong Ki revealed that he did in fact train hard for the role, saying, “I thought that I should build up my body…since my character is a soldier who likes to work out.” During one of Turbo’s concerts, Song Joong-ki also revealed that he learned a lot of his exercises from his “Running Man” buddy, singer Kim Jong-kook.

Photo Credit: KBS

Song Joong-ki

After “Descendants of the Sun,” Song Joong-ki kept up his to-die-for bod. He continued working out and training with health trainer Danny Jo in the US, this time for the film “Battleship Island.” We also recently appreciated his hard work in “Arthdal Chronicles,” which premiered and airs on Netflix.

Photo Credit: @netflixarthdal

Kim Woo-bin

Many people first got to know Kim Woo-bin as the best friend-turned-enemy of Lee Min-ho in “The Heirs,” which aired in ABS-CBN in 2014. He started his career in South Korea as a slender model with a lanky physique, but that changed over the course of the years during his training with South Korean celebrity trainer, Yang Chi Seung.

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Kim Woo-bin

While he usually kept his body under suits and jackets then, Kim Woo-bin eventually came out of his shell in 2016 for “Uncontrollably Fond,” where he starred beside actress and singer Bae Suzy. His trainer revealed recently that one of his all-time favorite pupils is Kim Woo-bin, saying he has a very proactive attitude at the gym, and worked out 2-5 hours per day, which included 200 push-ups. And boy did his hard work translated well and paid off!

Photo Credit: Euky Bear Loves Drama

Kim Woo-bin

In an interview with Entertaiment Weekly, Kim Woo-bin said he believes in the principle of balancing a good diet and a hardworking exercise. Nowadays, he does his workout routines at home instead of training at the gym.

Photo Credit: Euky Bear Loves Drama

Gong Yoo

From “Coffee Prince” to “Goblin” to “Train to Busan,” Gong Yoo has continued to capture the hearts of fans and viewers all over the world. He’s already 41 years old (which you can’t really tell from his young and baby face), and we can all definitely agree that he aged really well.

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Gong Yoo

Unlike many other actors who rely on exercise to keep their physique in shape, Gong Yoo reveals that workout is a key part of his mental health. He told V Live: “It seems that I have already been addicted to exercise because I constantly do exercise to relieve. At first, I exercised because I like it. Finally, because it helped maintain my health in self-management, I kept practicing. Currently, I think workout is playing an important role for my mental health. I'm the one who needs to do exercise and sweat.”

Photo Credit: SCMP

Gong Yoo

For Gong Yoo, exercise is his “me time” of sorts, and he tries to put in 2-3 hours of workout every day, including weightlifting and basketball. In terms of his diet, he also tries to stay away from salty food.

Photo Credit: Channel Korea

Lay Zhang of EXO

Lay is a singer, rapper, songwriter, dancer, actor, and member of K-pop group, EXO. And before you say he’s too Chinese to be included in this list, Lay is actually considered both as a Chinese and Korean superstar because of this popularity in both countries. While he did not usually flaunt his body in many EXO singles, last year, we got a glimpse of Lay’s impressive bod when Calvin Klein announced him as the global spokesperson for Calvin Klein Jeans and Calvin Klein Underwear.

Photo Credit: Calvin Klein

Lay Zhang of EXO

Fans would know that Lay sustained a number of injuries throughout his K-pop career, including his chronic waist injury and a motorcycle accident in 2016. After undergoing treatment and rehabilitation from these injuries, he makes sure he regularly works on his upper body to regain his strength.

Photo Credit: Calvin Klein

Lay Zhang of EXO

In a segment for the See You Monday show with Lay, he revealed that he goes through a series of upper body and HIIT workouts everyday as part of his workout routine. At one point, he also trained in a gym called Life Fitness.

Photo Credit: @layzhang

Lee Seung-gi

If you don’t remember Lee Seung-gi from “My Girlfriend is a Gumiho” in 2010, maybe you’ll be more familiar with him in his more recent roles in “Hwayugi: A Korean Odyssey” and “Vagabond.” Lee Seung-gi’s versatility has an actor, musician, and host has indeed stood out against the test of time, earning him the title “Triple Threat” entertainer.

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Lee Seung-gi

But his sculpted bod really shined through after he came back from his military service in 2016, where he was a member of the 13th Special Forces Brigade 'Black Panther.’ Shindong of Super Junior revealed that Lee Seung-gi’s love for working out started during this time, since they trained heavily as part of the special forces, running 5 to 10 kilometers every day.

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Lee Seung-gi

More than looking good, Lee Seung-gi trains for strength. He recently underwent intense training for “Vagabond,” since he reprised the role of a stunt man and needs to accomplish difficult action scenes for the series. This included 3-4 hours of training each day, including martial arts.

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Ji Chang-wook

Ji Chang Wook may be one of the most versatile and talented Korean stars of his generation, starring in a number of hit Korean dramas, releasing a number of singles throughout the years, starring in musical theater productions, and winning awards in and out of South Korea. In fact, his popularity in the Philippines couldn’t be denied and he was supposed to visit the country this year—were it not for the Covid-19 threat.

Photo Credit: Channel Korea

Ji Chang-wook

Ji Chang-wook does a lot of action dramas, which only suit his physical prowess and strength. He took martial arts lessons and stamina training for his role in “The K2” and “Healer,” where he said they needed to do a lot of roof jumping and running. He did many of his own stunts, earning him bruises and scratches of his own.

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Ji Chang-wook

Apart from doing it for work, Ji Chang-wook also considers exercise as his way of dealing with stress.

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Park Seo-joon

Another beautiful man with a beautiful body. Park Seo Joon has been very active in the K-drama and film scene in the recent years, and many of us loved watching him in “Hwarang,” “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim,” and “Itaewon Class.” But apart from his leading man roles, Park Seo-joon also had his fair share of action-intensive dramas—which became the primary reason for him to train his body.

Photo Credit: tvN

Park Seo-joon

He played the character of a martial artist in “Fight for My Way” in 2017, where he said he would train at least 8 hours a day. In an episode of South Korean reality show “Youn’s Kitchen,” Park Seo-joon revealed that he starts his day early with casual clothes fit for working out. The first thing he does is to jog around the neighborhood.

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Park Seo-joon

In 2019, Park Seo-joon again picked up his training gloves, this time for “The Divine Fury,” where he said he had to build his body within a very short period. He credits his training from “Fight For My Way” crucial in his success, saying, “My body remembered (the moves). So I was able to improve my body condition within a relatively short period of time. I maintained my body by consistently working out until finishing the film.” This year, he has again hit the gym to prepare for his next big project, “Dream,” where he will be playing the role of an athlete aspiring to win the Homeless World Cup. He shares his progress with a selfie on June 12 on his Instagram page with the caption: “In the process of transforming into soccer player Yoon Hong Dae.”

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Jung Hae-in

Don't be fooled by this baby face! Jung Hae-in, 32 years old, surprised us all with his washboard abs in K-drama 'While You Were Sleeping'. Turns out, the innocent looking actor has been sweating it out in the gym!

Photo Credit: SBS

Jung Hae-in

Also known for his memorable roles in 'Something in the Rain' and 'One Spring Night', Hae-in shared in an episode of SBS Access Showbiz that in order to maintain one's looks, he simply has to eat healthy food, don't drink alcohol, and workout!

Photo Credit: ELLE Korea

Jung Hae-in

We may have only seen a few of his shows, but given his top-notch acting chops and visuals to match, we know we'll be seeing more of this unassuming star!

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Rain

K-pop singer and actor Rain may already be 38 years old, but his physique tells us he took care of himself way early on to keep looking this good til today.

Photo Credit: Koreaboo

Rain

For his movie Ninja Assassin in 2009, according to Mun Fitness Blog, Rain trained for 8 hours a day to get into the best shape of his life. Although he admits to hating workouts, he sure is diligent when the role requires it.

Photo Credit: Hancinema

Rain

For the movie, he also controlled his diet, to the point of foregoing rice, and just loading up on chicken breast, raw fish, potatoes, and salads. His workout was inspired by the Spartan workout which includes pull-ups, deadlifts, push-ups, box jumps, floor wipers, and kettle bells. Before that film, he already had a rather toned body, fitting for a model-esque K-pop idol like himself.

Photo Credit: Hancinema