Who is Amotti? 15 facts about the Physical: Asia star

(*Some spoilers ahead!*)

Remember Amotti, the smiley CrossFit enthusiast who stole our hearts and emerged as the winner of Physical: 100 Season 2 last year? The 33-year-old, who stands at 183cm tall and weighed 87kg during the show, beat 99 participants, including former firefighter and S1 alum Hong Beom-seok, in the intense final game, a pole-pushing challenge.

Now, this cutie is back on our screens, this time as a Physical: Asia contestant, as part of Team Korea. Physical: Asia is the regional spin-off of the series, bringing teams from eight countries including Japan, Mongolia, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Turkiye.

Apart from his remarkable fitness level (there’s practically nothing he can’t handle!), Amotti has won fans for his sunny disposition, even in the face of the most unnerving challenges. Can’t stop marvelling at his achievements and can-do spirit? Us, too. Here’s what to know about him.

Facts about Amotti

He’s a lululemon ambassador

Spot him in lululemon stores around the region? You’re not imagining it. Amotti has been a brand ambassador since 2021. No wonder he showed up to his HYROX race in Singapore in a full lululemon ensemble. Truly, the perfect match.

He’s married!

We hear some hearts breaking. But yes, Amotti is taken. He and his wife tied the knot in August 2024. Amotti keeps things fairly low-key on his own Instagram, keeping it mainly fitness-related, but we’ve noticed him leaving cute comments on his wife’s posts.

He’s going to be a dad

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*Drumroll* We can look forward to Amotti Junior soon! In a vlog posted on Nov 10, Amotti revealed that he and his wife are expecting their first child. His teammate Kim Dong Hyun even surprised him with a congratulatory gift.

His wife is an air stewardess

Although Amotti keeps his wife away from the spotlight, he shared in a vlog that she’s an air stewardess who frequently travels for work. He even picks her up at the airport when she arrives in South Korea.

He was well-known before joining Physical: 100

Long before finding fame on Physical: 100, Amotti was already winning hearts on YouTube. During the introductory scene in Season 2, several contestants recognised Amotti as the popular CrossFit YouTuber that he is. Since Physical: 100 S2 aired, his channel has grown from 190K to over 300K subscribers. Born Kim Jae-hong, the 33-year-old (his birthday falls on Nov 9, 1992) goes by the moniker Amotti for his fitness and on-screen pursuits.

The meaning of Amotti

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Before he was known as “Amotti”, his Instagram handle was actually @armour_hong. When he launched his YouTube channel, he took inspiration from a friend who liked adding “tti” behind people’s names — a cute Korean twist on the honorific “ssi”, used to show respect. So “armour_hong” became “amotti” by combining “armour” with “tti”, and the name has stuck ever since.

He’s an alumnus of Yeungnam University

Growing up, Amotti did various sports, such as soccer, kendo, taekwondo, football and swimming. Soccer was his favourite, and he even competed in several matches. He received offers from schools to pursue it more seriously, but his parents discouraged him, believing he didn’t have the qualities of an athlete.

Later, in his second year of high school, one of his teachers suggested that he consider enrolling in a sports university. Motivated by that encouragement, he prepared for the entrance exam and was eventually admitted to Yeungnam University, where he majored in kinesiology (physical education).

He did Crossfit for over 10 years

He chose to pursue Crossfit because he thought he wasn’t athletic enough to be an athlete. He felt he lacked the quickness or explosive power that athletes need. However, he excels in running and endurance activities (no doubt about it!). As Crossfit workouts made him breathless, he found it fun.

During the show, he also shared that he started Crossfit after completing his military service. He subsequently started competing and is ranked on the international Crossfit leaderboard, peaking at 24th in the Asian men’s division in 2018 and 727th in the global ranking in 2020.

Before going on Physical: 100, he also took part in bodybuilding competition Show Me Your Body in 2023, where he won and walked away with 20 million won.

He injured his ankle and had to undergo surgery

During a chat amongst the final four contestants, Amotti shared that he was once involved in a car accident and had surgery on his ankle. “I thought I might never walk again,” he admitted then. In a separate interview with TV Guide, he disclosed that the accident happened in Jan 2021. He was on the way to the gym on a scooter when a car door opened and hit his ankle, crushing his bone. “At that time, the doctor had told me that I may not be able to walk, let alone work out. It was devastating, but I had to overcome it,” he said.

Due to the accident, he had to withdraw from reality show Steel Troops and stop doing Crossfit for some time.

Amotti’s go-to gym

Amotti frequents Sweat On Seoul gym, a popular spot among Seoul’s famous fitness personalities, including Olympic skeleton racer Yun Sung-bin, also a fan favourite in the inaugural season. The gym is also owned by Physical: 100 Season 1 athlete Caro.

He loves samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken soup)

For “the last supper” meal before the final battle between Team Korea and Team Mongolia (episode 12 of Physical: Asia), Amotti shared that the one thing he wanted to eat the most was samgyetang, Korean ginseng chicken soup. This dish is traditionally eaten during summer, as Koreans believe in “fighting fire with fire” — the nourishing properties of Korean ginseng helps to restore energy lost through sweating. Plus, samgyetang is comforting and high in protein. Is there a more wholesome Korean dish than this?

He’s acquainted with S1 contestants and those from other reality shows

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Before appearing on S2, Amotti had connections with a number of S1 participants, including Yun Sung-bin (his teammate on Physical: Asia) who he works out with. Amotti mentioned in this interview that Sung-bin shared some advice with him.

“I did chat with Sung-bin about this, and he told me that the shooting period would be quite long. So I should make sure to get rest whenever possible. He also told me not to get hurt, and to look after myself,” he said.

Another familiar face that has appeared on Amotti’s YouTube page is Singles’ Inferno S3 participant, Lee Jin-seok. With Jin-seok being a fitness buff, it’s unsurprising that they’re acquainted, too.

Since Physical: Asia aired, Amotti has also been spending time with contestants from other teams. One interaction we’re especially loving: he seems to have struck up a genuine friendship with Team Australia’s strongman Eddie Jo Williams, with the duo posting hilarious Instagram reels together. Take a look below — are we witnessing the start of a full-blown bromance?

Of course, he’s joined HYROX

With HYROX now the go-to event for anyone in the fitness scene, it’s no surprise to spot the CrossFit enthusiast there. In a recent post, he shared photos from HYROX Seoul 2025 — and guess who was on his team? Fellow Physical: Asia contestant Choi Seung-yeon. The duo snagged second place on the podium.

Recently, the duo was spotted in Singapore for HYROX as well, and the two also placed second in the Mixed Doubles category and were five seconds shy of first place. In an exclusive chat with Her World, the duo shared their plans to take on the next HYROX race in Osaka in January 2026, adding that they’re aiming for nothing less than first place.

His favourite Singaporean dish? Bak Kut Teh

During an exclusive interview with Her World Singapore at the HYROX Singapore Expo, Amotti revealed that his post-race plan was simple: enjoy a comforting bowl of bak kut teh, his go-to dish whenever he’s in Singapore. Choi laughed and admitted it would be her first time trying it, and she was eager to see what the fuss was about.

You can catch Amotti again soon

Airing Nov 26 on tvN, Amotti stars in the new series “Muscle Farmer”. The show features a star-studded cast, including Choo Sung-hoon (also known as Sexyama), comedian Heo Kyung Hwan, former footballer Jong Tae-se, and Baekho from South Korean boy band NU’EST.

In this series, the stars swop the gym for the farm, taking on the demanding world of agriculture while testing the limits of their physical strength. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for that.

This article was originally published in Singapore Women’s Weekly. Updated by Shazrina Shamsudin/Her World Singapore.