How does ‘Lovely Runner’ star Byeon Woo-seok stay fit? His workout secrets revealed

Lovely Runner took K-drama fans on an epic eight-week journey of love, laughter and tears before finally coming to an end. The time-travel romance introduced us to the oh-so-charming Ryu Sun Jae aka Byeon Woo-seok, who’s now making all the buzz in the South Korean industry for his acting chops and gorgeous visuals. The model-turned-actor is fit as a fiddle, setting major fitness goals in his 30s. If you need some fitspiration, let’s dive into the workout routine of Byeon Woo-seok, the latest K-drama hottie on the block.

His meteoric rise to fame with Lovely Runner has brought major attention to his toned physique, and we’re constantly wondering HOW he does it. Byeon Woo-seok once revealed that he works out at least five times a week when not shooting, indulging in a variety of weightlifting, chest, leg and back exercises. Moreover, the star modifies his workout depending on the needs of his on-screen characters. For example, the actor resorted to extensive swimming lessons to ace the role of a swimming prodigy who later transitions into a K-pop idol. He practised swimming every day for three months to do justice to his character. Talk about Byeon Woo-seok’s dedication to his craft! With this, let’s break down his workout routine for y’all.

Byeon Woo-seok workout routine: How he’s acing fitness goals

Byeon Woo-seok extensively learnt swimming for Lovely Runner

Talking about Lovely Runner, Byeon Woo-seok transformed into a 19-year-old swimming prodigy Ryu Sun Jae, whose outstanding physique and swimming skills were commendable. Looking at his effortless swimmer avatar in the show, could you say that the singer didn’t know how to swim well at one point? No, right.

While Byeon Woo-seok might’ve practised swimming for a role, you can emulate this cardiovascular workout in your daily routine to stay in shape. It’s a great recreational activity for people of all ages. Swimming works your entire body, impacting all your muscles, bones and joints. Unlike other cardiovascular exercises that stress and fatigue your body, swimming boosts your heart and lung strength without any burnout.

If you’re just starting your fitness journey or want to amp up your gym routine, just take the plunge. Irrespective of your skill or fitness level, swimming has a host of benefits for the mind, body and soul.

The workout routine of Byeon Woo-seok is a cycle of chest, leg and back exercises

In a conversation with Philstar, Byeon Woo-seok mentioned that when he’s free from filming schedules, he works out at least five times a week. He added that he likes to ‘keep healthy by doing weights’ and a cycle of chest, leg and back exercises. Let’s delve into each of these exercises briefly:

Byeon Woo-seok is into strength training

Lifting weights is a great form of strength training which boosts flexibility, endurance, and muscle mass. And don’t worry, you don’t have to be an Olympic weightlifter to reap the benefits of the exercise. Whether you’re new or experienced, strength training is for everyone.

Basically, strength training or weight training involves any physical movement in which you use either your body weight or equipment to build muscle mass, anaerobic endurance and strength. The logic is simple: the muscles of your body will work extra to overcome any resistance force when required to do so. This is why with constant repetitions, your muscles become stronger.

Strength training makes you stronger, allowing you to perform everyday tasks with much ease as well as boosts your athletic performance. When you build more muscle and lose fat, you appear leaner and are able to support your body better. Lastly, regular strength-training exercises can boost your heart health and keep blood sugar levels in check.

People mostly benefit from 2-3 weight training sessions per week, so consult a trainer and plan your routine accordingly.

Chest exercises are a regular

If you want to build your upper body strength like Byeon Woo-seok, chest exercises are the real deal. Just as challenging as a leg or bicep workout, chest exercises are incredibly beneficial not just for a toned body but also for performing everyday tasks. Chest workouts target two major chest muscles: pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. These muscles make up your ‘pecs’. Chest exercises are a form of strength training, which can be done using body weight, free weights, or resistance bands.

Some of the major benefits of chest workouts include increased metabolic rate, slow bone and muscle loss, improved insulin sensitivity and lesser joint pains.

Woo-seok adds killer leg exercises to his workout routine

‘Never skip a leg day’ they say. A leg day feels like a dreaded Monday after a soothing weekend siesta. If you know, you know. But however much you dread it, leg workouts are supremely important for a strong, stable foundation. Strong leg muscles are the key to achieving whole-body fitness. They are enablers for your core and upper body to function well.

Legs consist of some of largest muscles in your body, including gluteus maximus (bum), quadriceps and hamstrings. And the larger the muscle, the more blood is needed to get oxygen and fuel to it during exercise. Therefore, leg muscles result in massive calories being burnt as they’re located further from your heart. Moreover, leg workouts engage your core, sculpt and tone your legs, improve posture, and help manage stress among various benefits.

The actor does not go without back exercises

Rounding up the workout routine of Byeon Woo-seok are back exercises. In today’s day and age, people of all ages including kids suffer from chronic back pain (thanks to our sedentary lifestyles). According to the WHO, low back pain (LBP) affected 619 million people globally in 2020 and it is estimated that the number of cases will increase to 843 million cases by 2050. Therefore, including back exercises in our workouts is more important than ever.

Almost every daily movement involves your back and having constant back pain can hinder your everyday functions. Neglecting back muscles means ruining your body’s structural consistency as a strong back is directly related to a strong spine. If you want to build a better-looking body and improve your posture and self-confidence, it’s time to incorporate back exercises into your workout routine.

Would you incorporate the workout routine of Byeon Woo-seok?

(Hero image credit: byeonwooseok/ Instagram)

(Feature image credit: byeonwooseokfeed/ Instagram)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Does Byeon Woo-seok go to the gym?

Lovely Runner actor Byeon Woo-seok is a fitness enthusiast, who enjoys going to the gym when he’s not busy filming.

• Who trained Byeon Woo-seok?

For Lovely Runner, Byeon Woo-seok underwent intensive swimming training to play the role of a swimming prodigy.

• How much does Byeon Woo-seok sleep?

In a recent appearance on You Quiz on the Block (via Allkpop), the actor revealed that he has a habit of waking up early no matter how late he sleeps. Byeon Woo-seok said he can wake up as early as 7:30 am despite sleeping at 3 am or 4 am.