Korean Job Discussion Forums

[keguri]

Does anyone go to a gym in Seoul? Where can I find one? How much does it cost to go? Are they much different from the gyms in the States?

[Derrek]

Believe me, don't worry about it a bit.

I was wondering the exact same thing a year ago, but have learned there are like 4 gyms within walking distance of my home. And I'm not in that exciting of an area.

Smaller "ma and pop" gyms with freeweights and some machines can be found all over. There are larger ones as well. I see now that it would have been ludicrous for me to join one of the larger gyms that have everything, like California Fitness, given the travel time it would take. Like I said, there are several others just down the street. Many of the larger apartment complexes have their own gyms, and you can join those -- as do many larger hotels as well.

Most gyms here seem to be between 40,000 and 100,000 a month. The smaller ones being closer to 40.

Don't worry about it until you get here, then ask some Koreans where they are. They can be difficult to find, but believe me, they are all over.

As for stuff, they all seemed to have 4 to 6 treadmills, a few freeweights benchpresses, Cybex-type machines, and showers. Mine even has a little 2-person sauna.

[sparkx]

I agree with Derrek..I was wondering the same thing before coming here and posted a question on the old Dave's Board. I had people rave about California Fitness so I checked it out and joined. I ended up buying a motorcycle to get there and it still took 20 - 30 minutes while costing me over 100, 000 won/month. Anyways, yes nice facility and supposedly there are always Korean celebrities there but really, who gives a f*ck. I later found a gym within a two minute walk from my house with the basics (free weights, limited cardio and some universal sets) and I couldn't be happier. I have full access to the sauna which I undulge in almost daily and pay less than 50, 000 won per month.

[keguri]

Thanks... I had no idea about the smaller gyms, or that there were so many! I'd much prefer to go to a gym down the street as opposed to across town, where I'd end up going once a week and not getting my money's worth because it's too far away. I assume all the free weights and weight training equipment are going to be in kilograms, right? One more question... I buy powdered protein shake mix at my gym. Can you find stuff like that there?

[Derrek]

I know I've seen that powder/protein stuff around, but I can't remember where. There are health food places around. I think you'll be able to find it if you look and ask around.

[kiwifruit]

I think costco sells that stuff. Or you can get it off the blackmarket in Itaewon.

come to think of it the gyms should also sell it. I have seen it at mine and the guys who work there are all massive.

kf

[beast]

Some of you were asking about where to obtain supplements. I searched far and wide for Creatine and Glutamine and let me tell you there is only one place where I found the stuff. It is in a tiny little hole in the wall shop run by one middle aged guy in Namdaemun Market. Get ahold of a map and look for building C, this is the imported goods market. Walk through the entire market and then exit through these glass doors into kind of an underground hallway connecting two buildings. There if you are lucky you will see a picture of a bodybuilder on the wall and the shop that I'm speaking of. There are only two problems in my opinion, one is that it is very expensive. Like eighty thousand Won for Creatine. Second, some of his stuff looks like it's been sitting on the shelf for a turtle's lifetime.

[sparkx]

Beast is smokin' the wackey tobaccey...Creatine is everywhere and pretty reasonable. Of all the small mom and pop gyms I looked into they all carried protein suppliments of different kinds. I have been taking creatine for about 4 months now and 2 large containers run me 40, 000 and last me about a month and a half - 2 months.

[seoulman]

I've found plenty of gyms in Seoul, but my complaint is that the equipment they have is made for Koreans. I'm only 6' 2", but I found that many of the excercise machines didn't allow me full range. The lat pulldown machine was the worst of these. Anybody have this same issue.

[beast]

Sparkx, thanks for the info. See I don't live in Seoul, I'm in a small town and down here none of the gyms have anything. So when I came up to do my yearly supplement run I never thought of going to a gym. I'll do that next time however. What about HGH, have you seen that sold anywhere? I've been doing creatine for close to a year now and feel that I've maxed out on that. I took HGH in spray form a year ago when I first came here and the results were awesome, but I brought that from home of course. Anyone know of where to find HGH out there?

[sparkx]

No clue about the HGH. If you find some info I would love to hear it. I too feel as though I have maxed out on creatine and have begun cycling with it to see what happenes. I plan on going a month without and then hitting it hard...The biggest problem for me isn't the height restrictions but the max weight in most gyms. For the first time in my life I have almost out grown my gym and I am not exceptionally big (6'3, 215). The dumbbells go up to 30 kilos and many of the universal machines are useless because of the low maximum weight...Considering this I guess California Fitness could be useful but I still have a really hard time justifying the price tag. What would you recommend using in conjunction with Creatine for better strength and overall muscle mass?

[beast]

Sparkx, Regarding the creatine first. The best way to maximize the effect of creatine is to take it with 100% pure grapejuice. This may sound strange but the sugars and chemical makeup of grapejuice allows for the highest percentage of absorbancy into the muscles. Orange juice with Creatine on the other hand is detrimental and actual negates the effect of the Creatine. You can verify this info yourself by reading up on it on the net, but in my experience it has held true. Second, I find that I only really need to take Creatine about a half hour before my workout and then again immediately following my workout. I don't even take it anymore on off days like Sunday. When I took it four to five times a day I found that my stomach was upset many mornings and that the results compared to how I use it now are nearly equal, while using far less of the product now. Second, regarding HGH, it is the best bodybuilding product on the market in my opinion. While Creatine is simply a supplement, HGH actually changes the hormonal balance of your body. You will notice amazing results fast. I went from benching 330lbs to 405lbs in only one month of use. Your fat seems to melt off and you have higher energy, sleep better, increased sex drive and there are no side affects whatsoever. So I'm really trying to get my hands on some more of it. Outside of that, just eat a high protein, low fat diet. Mix up your routine a lot. Shock your muscles by changing and trying new exercises. Happy bodybuilding!

[gajackson1]

I read this before; meant to reply, but didn't.

Hope the info below helps some.

First, a general link about HGH:

http://www.pharmanabolics.com/shop.htm

Ok, now what you want/need :info for Korea. Here is the info for a Seoul-based HGH company:

Korea
Cenegenics� Medical Institute
3rd Floor, Eunsung Bldg.
601-18 Yoksam-Dong, Kangnam-Ku
Seoul, Korea, 135-080

Contact Person: Dr. Choi, Soo Kyung
Phone: 02-555-1601
Fax: 02-555-1378
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cenegenics-korea.com

I have contacted Dr. Choi before; limited Engrish-ee, but friendly enough.

They are the Korean partner for cenegenics; their main site is here:

http://www.humangrowthhormonemedinfo.com/

I'm sorry, but as of right now, I can't locate oral HGH spray in Korea (the clinic goes the needle route, currently, although that may change), or find a reputable company with an oral product I would trust that will ship here without it being bagged/refused by customs.

The alternative is to pick it up out of country, but still a physician's scrip would be good to have for customs.

I'll update this as needs be.

Regards,

G.

ps ~ there is a LOT of Korean stuff on 'Deer Antler Velvet' extract in Korea - anyone know the skinny on this stuff, whether legit or hooey? My only experience was once going to the farm to see if they would sell me a deer (missing venison terribly).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the main website, this is the procedure for Seoul, Tokyo, & the U.S.A. - it is a full program; insurance may cover part of it, depending on your company.

http://www.888younger.com/l4/

Obviously, the costs of this style are high (this is USA based; I hope th Korean version would be cheaper), but the information is spot-on.

[gajackson1]

And, if you are JUST looking to try to find reliable HGH products, these are the FDA approved, no bs ones: (company and then name of product)

Pharmacia and Upjohn -Genotropin

Lilly -Humatrope

Novonordisk -Nordatropin

Genentech -Nutropin

Serono Laboratories -Saizen & Serostim

Regards,

G.

[gajackson1]

And on the 'cons' side, I SHOULD include this, to be balanced:

http://drcranton.com/hrt/hghspray.htm

maybe why Dr. Choi goes the needle route. I found an FDA-approved-for oral-HGH manufacturer; I am seeing now if they can legally ship to Korea.

G.