TV
'Physical 100' was more than just the prize money, as the contestants ended up having fun and brought awareness to their sports. But the Netflix staff did not test for doping for that reason.
Published on March 20, 2023
3 min readThere were 100 contestants on Netflix‘s Physical 100. The South Korean reality competition series had bodybuilders, national athletes, fitness celebrities, and professional fighters go head-to-head for a chance to win. Since the series’ global fame, there has been some scandal concerning the Physical 100 finale winner. The producers said they ensured the quests and challenges of Physical 100 were fair, even when testing the contestants for doping.
The series included some of the fitness industry’s top bodybuilders
Every contestant on Physical 100 was there for a reason. Kim Min-cheol initially thought the message he received from Netflix was a scam. But everyone picked for the competition series is either a national athlete or have a tremendous following as a fitness celebrity. MMA fighter Choo Sung-hoon is both, having an extensive career in judo before becoming a professional fighter. But he is well-known throughout Korea for his multiple appearances on TV.
Even the youngest contestant on Physical 100, Kim Byeong-jin surprised fans as an 18-year-old national TaeKwonDo athlete. Many contestants have sculpted their bodies for years and spent grueling hours in the gym for their sport. Strongman Jo Jin-hyeong had an air of dominance thanks to his broad physique.
Everyone in Physical 100 was stunned when professional bodybuilder Kim Kang-min entered the room. Every muscle in his body is likely twice the size of an average human. The completion series had many professional bodybuilders who wanted to prove their time in the gym was more than just for show. But fans may wonder if the Physical 100 staff tested the contestants for doping.
A doping test was not required for ‘Physical 100’ because of the nature of the series
Since the scandal involving the Physical 100 finale and its winner, the production staff has stood by their choices of making every aspect of the series fair game. The Physical 100 staff also admitted that none of the contestants were tested for doping.
According to Kdramamasters, they saw the competition series as a form of entertainment. “Since it is not an official sports game, we did not conduct doping tests on the performers,” said a representative. Their following statement emphasized, “no matter how much help a person receives from drugs, they cannot get a good physique without individual efforts.”
Would a doping test have changed the outcome of the final contestants participating in Physical 100? Fans will never know. In hindsight, if the results of a doping test had been public, it would have led to an even bigger scandal. Physical 100 has already faced a few bad comments from its cast. Travel vlogger Tarzan called out the series for its bad editing that made his team look arrogant. Another contestant went public, claiming the series was rigged.
Will there be a ‘Physical 100’ Season 2?
For American competition series, scandals and drama are nothing new. But fans never expected Physical 100 to face heavy scrutiny after reports claimed that Woo Jin-yong was not the official winner. Jung Hae-min had gone public to tell the truth about what happened during the finale. He explained he felt “pressured” to redo the challenge due to technical issues.
While the series faced some scrutiny, fans still praised Physical 100 for its non-toxic environment. Physical 100 contestant Miracle Nelson talked about the camaraderie on set. It can be speculated that Netflix, at some point, will announce a second season. The ominous voice in Physical 100 ended the series having teased they were not done looking for the perfect physique.
Fans will remember how Single’s Inferno dealt with a major scandal shortly after its finale with Song Ji-a. But the series’ popularity outweighed the scandal, and Netflix premiered Single’s Inferno Season 2 with a new cast. They also recently announced Single’s Inferno Season 3. For 2023, Netflix also has a list of competition and reality series to look forward to.
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