KIMJUNSEO

Introduction

I am not a trainer but an ordinary person who lived a life far removed from exercise until my early twenties. Then one day, I felt something so wrong with my body on a bus that I struggled to breathe, which led me to register at a gym for the first time. For the first year, I worked out consistently without managing my diet, and afterwards, I took on a proper diet, cutting down from 96 kg to 64 kg and shooting a body profile. Not stopping there, I extended my dieting phase to ultimately reach 59 kg before stepping onto the stage for my first bodybuilding competition. Preparing for this competition made me realize that building my physique was by no means an effort made entirely on my own. I was able to build the body I have now thanks to my coach, who set the direction and guided me. Looking back, however, there were moments when I compromised by thinking to myself, 'This should be enough,' rather than fully putting into practice everything my coach instructed. In retrospect, I believe that mindset may have acted as a limitation preventing me from bringing out my absolute best. Through this competition, I learned that you have to experience it firsthand to truly realize your shortcomings and avoid repeating the same mistakes. Experiencing both the Physique and Classic Physique stages in my debut competition brought good results, but at the same time, sparked an ambition to reach even greater heights. I prepared for this competition through a prolonged diet, much like preparing for a body profile photoshoot. For next season, I plan to schedule my dieting phase more efficiently and address my weak points during the off-season. Above all, rather than compromising based on my own thoughts, I want to trust my coach, follow their guidance all the way through, and step on stage with the best physique I can possibly present. Of course, placing and winning awards is an enjoyable goal for any competitor. However, competing is not just about rankings. Creating the best version of my physique each time is essential, and growing step by step in that process is also why I challenge myself on stage. If this competition was a process of assessing where I currently stand, I hope the next competition will be a stage where I prove that the shortcomings I recognized have turned into real growth. My goal is not to settle for immediate results, but to climb one step at a time each season and eventually take first place. I am not yet a professional athlete, but an amateur bodybuilder. That is why I want to consistently continue pushing past my limits and stand on stage as a better version of myself than the previous season.