Aonishiki getting ready

[Moti Dichne]

Aonishiki's body is evolving into a Yokozuna-worthy physique. He held his first keiko session since arriving in Osaka on the 25th at his heya in Matsubara City, Osaka. He worked up a sweat with basic exercises like shiko and used muscle-strengthening equipment. He revealed that his weight, which was 140 kg in the previous tournament, "was 143 kg when I weighed myself yesterday (the 24th) before going to bed." He says he regularly monitors his weight and is systematically gaining weight. While the "mind, technique, and body" sharpness is required of a Yokozuna, he first showed off his physical growth. His body has clearly grown a size larger. During February, when there are no tournaments or tours, he went to the gym two to three days a week. Rather than strengthening specific areas, he focused on building overall muscle strength. He modestly stated on the day, "I'm not concerned with appearance, I'm focused on producing results on the dohyo," but his increased muscle mass was not lost on him. He plans to go for degeiko  as well until the deadline, but his top priority remains on building his physique, saying, "I want to be ready to wrestle." Moreover, his physique has been upgraded to the next level. "I bought a futon. I like it firm, so I got a firm one. I also have the same pillow. The one I bought last time was a good one," he said, and he seems fully prepared to become a Yokozuna. He will attempt to achieve that  - tying the fastest time in history - ranked only two tournaments as an Ozeki before being promoted to Yokozuna.