Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Halcyom Chimera]

Hello all. I hope you are all well today! (or tonight, wherever you are) I am not yet teaching in South Korea, but I have a few questions about life there.

First, I have two hobbies that I love: playing pool/billiards, and lifting weights. What options are there, say, in the Seoul area in regard to pool halls? Shabby little joints with tiny coin-op 3.5ft x 7ft sized tables? Or elaborate, majestic tournament sized (4.5ft x 9ft) tables with beautiful, shining, emerald green felt (my favorite playing field!)? I am hoping for the latter. Also, will I encounter problems trying to bring my own pool stick over? I shouldn't, but just curious. Are there any billiard shops around? It's a big city, so there must be a little bit of everything.

Second, as I said, I am a weight lifting aficionado, and I rely very much on supplements (at 5'2, 115 at 23, I had to!). I have, since I started lifting, finally managed to put on 15 pounds of lean muscle -- 130 pounds and going strong, lol. Anyways... Are there places to buy supplements there? What are the prices like? Hopefully not like American GNC stores. And would I have a problem, say, ordering online and shipping to South Korea? If not, I'll stick with my pals at bodybuilding.com

I guess that's it. Oh, and are there nice gyms with membership fees that won't be outrageous? How do South Koreans view bodybuilding anyways? Not sure I've ever seen any South Korean or Asian body builders...

[bikefast]

Pool -- I've never been inside, so I can't speak to the size/type of tables. But there are signs everywhere for Billiards Clubs, and I assume they're much like you're used to.

Supplements -- I'd stock up and bring them from home. I've heard stories of people finding great sources, but for the most part, lifters are frustrated by the lack of protein powders and supplements here. I just brought a 5 lbs. tub of powder with me. Saved me a lot of headaches.

Gyms -- Probably depends where you live. I live just outside Seoul, and there are a ton of gyms, varying in size/quality/price. You can go to an AMAZING gym, but it might cost you upwards of 100k/month. I go to a really basic place for 50k/month. Smaller towns will likely have fewer options.

[darkjedidave]

Im sure this has been answered before, but is there a place to buy protein shake powder for cheap? I went into GNC and they wanted 150,000 for a bucket of protein powder I'd pay $25 in the States, or is this a normal price jack-up?

[bikefast]

[jizza]

Bring your own supplements, whey powder, etc.
At GNC, a 5lb tub is like $130! It's only $35 in the US.

[thurst]

they sell protein at costco (at least the one in daejeon, anyway). it's 40,000KRW for a 4kg jug. it's not muscle milk, but it doesn't taste horrible.

i think i remember seeing creatine there as well, but i'm not sure. there was another thread on the topic and the consensus seemed to be that if you were looking to get stuff shipped www.bodybuilding.com was the way to go.

[Darkray16]

1. Their poo halls are great. Less than 8,000 won per hour and they give you a drink. Their tables are usually very clean and spacious. The only complaint I would have is they usually smoke cigarettes inside, though they sometimes open the windows and try to get it out it's still quite annoying.

2. Korean gym members are vastly different from back home. The men generally have underweight issues and wish to bulk up and gain weight be rarely do as they never end up changing their diet. The girls join gyms usually in a chubby(slim-average weight for Americans) state and jog and do sit ups the entire time. The older guys 30+ who have been lifting for awhile are usually very muscular but unlike their American counterparts, on average have a lower body fat percentage, probably because of their diet.

I would highly suggest bringing as much supplements as you can before coming. I was told by a gym owner that a month's supply of protein powder would cost close to 200,000 won(200USD).

[roadwork]

[The Gipkik]

Search a few threads. Supplements have been written about extensively. I just bought a 5 pound container of Optimum Nutrition's Gold Standard Whey Isolate for 65,000 Won (including shipping), which translates into something like $55 bucks. And they've got all the great flavors for, in my opinion, one of the best proteins out there. Just go to mass119.com. It took all of 3 days to arrive in my hands. No need to bring stuff over.

You can get casein and egg and natural proteins there, creatine, too.

[Teddycakes21]

If you really want to lift seriously, you could find a used bench and dumbbells for around 150,000 won. You will have to get a Korean to help you find them. It might be hard to get to the gym every time without missing a lifting day.

I have a used set and use them every other day (3-4 times/week). It's been great. I haven't been to the gym once in this country, either. Even better.

=D

[stevieg4ever]

gyms for the most part wont be a problem unless you are in the boons...

supps can be ordered from several Korean web-based outlets like mass911 (i think its called). even bodybuilding.com ships to Korea.

What is your diet programme like? I managed to eat 5-6 times a day in Korea but in many ways this could be your biggest issue.

I am just wondering is it safe to bring supplements through customs anyone? wont they get suspicious?

[roadwork]

[mcgeta]

I live in a small town and I was able to find an excellent gym, of much better quality than back home and which was cheaper if you get a long term membership. The great thing about gyms here is that they provide you with a uniform, towels and even soap for showering! They wash your uniform/towel for you so this saves me a lot of hassel with laundry and means you don't have to pack as much clothing (if you intend to go to the gym regularly).

For supplements, there will be some available to buy directly from your gym but they are very expensive. If you can get a Korean speaker to help you, I would recommend using mass119.com as their prices are pretty much in line with what you'd expect to pay in the West.

All the best

[enochyoo]

How much were the membership fees in your gyms? (yearly, half year etc.)

[mcgeta]

If I remember rightly it's

60,000 1 month

150,000 3 months

260,000 6 months

500,000 12 months

There were discounts on the 6 and 12 month memberships if you payed the full amount up front. I got a 12 month membership for 470,000W

This works out being a bit less than what I pay at home plus the fact it's a nicer gym, never too busy and I get laundry done for me. I looked a few other gyms which were cheaper than this one but not as good quality (although still decent).