Hot/Cute Guys Reactivated (images ONLY) + Yahoo's #Fitspo series - TikTok & Twitter are not allowed! (Please read the first post for instructions)

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Latest update 17 Mar 2023

Inclusion of Yahoo's #Fitspo of the Week series - chanced upon this site, which is some what similar to previous Straits Times' weekly Hot Bods, just not sure how frequent they published them.

 

Author/Contributor is Cheryl Tay, where she mentioned in her article that

"Life goes beyond the digits on the scale and your body is capable of so much more! Yahoo's #Fitspo of the Week series is dedicated to inspirational men and women in Singapore leading healthy and active lifestyles. Have someone to recommend? Hit Cheryl up on Instagram or Facebook!"

 

 

Will post them in reverse chronological order. The title itself will hyperlink to its source.

 

 

 

 

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Kenneth Seet (6 Mar 2023)

 

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week Kenneth Seet is the commercial head in tech firm.(PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Kenneth Seet (@kennethseet)

Age: 33

Height: 1.69m

Weight: 69kg

Occupation: Commercial head in tech firm

Status: Married with one son

Food: I typically have a banana and a pre-workout shake before my workout in the morning. After my workout, I drink a protein shake and have fruits (apples, bananas) and bread/waffles with spread (anything with carbs). Other than that, I don't follow any diet and eat whatever/whenever for convenience (lunch – fast food, takeaway or hawker food; dinner – home cooked food).

Exercise: I gym and run every day. Due to my busy schedule, my workouts are always early in the morning. I dedicate about 40 to 50 minutes in the gym on a body part split, then run after my gym workout. My running training consists of easy runs, intervals, tempo runs and long runs. It is very structured and varies depending on what I am training for at that moment. An example of a day's workout could be: chest workout + easy run; arms workout + tempo run; back workout + intervals; legs workout + easy run (I only do easy runs after leg days).

 

Kenneth runs and does gym workouts every day. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: When you were younger, were you active in sports?

A: I was always an active kid since a young age. I juggled three sports – badminton, cross country and track and field during secondary school and junior college (JC) days in Anglo-Chinese School (Independent). I enjoyed being active as it improved my fitness and stamina.

What did you get into as you got older?

After JC and national service, I started to hit the gym more to bulk up and put on muscle. I focused a lot on my chest and arms as that was the part that most teenage guys wanted to look good. Hahaha! But my knowledge of fitness only widened later and I realised the importance of working out other muscle groups. I have since put on 20kg of weight since my competitive running days.

You dabbled in bodybuilding for a bit. How did that go?

I took part in three physique/sports model competitions during the 2015 to 2017 period. Being a competitive person, I am not one to shy away from a challenge. Since I was already hitting the gym frequently, I took part to challenge myself and to see what was the best version of myself that I could become. I also wanted to prove that even if you are holding a full-time job, you can still keep fit daily just by being consistent and disciplined.

 

Kenneth took part in three physique/sports model competitions from 2015 to 2017. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What are some highlights of your bodybuilding journey?

I managed to place third, fifth and first place respectively in the three physique/sports model competitions. Of course, it was amazing to see my body transform to the leanest possible.

On the flip side, the main challenge was not the training, but the diet. Having to reduce the quantity and quality of food was not fun at all. Being a person who loves food, restricting food intake was mentally very challenging. I saw my strength and energy levels decrease as a result too.

Will you compete in bodybuilding again?

Not in the near future as I am focusing on other fitness goals at the moment.

What are your fitness goals now?

My fitness goals now are of that of being a sustainable hybrid athlete. I want to look good, be strong at the gym and be able to run reasonably fast, consistently. I know that I'll definitely be unable to hit the heights of my running fitness and running timings back in my competitive school days, but I'm aiming for a more holistic type of fitness that encompasses aesthetics, strength, endurance and functionality.

"The fastest version of yourself is not the strongest and the strongest version of yourself is not the fastest." – quote from Ryan Hall.

As with him, I strive for balance as well. I'm currently training for a few running events and my training programme is very structured towards running performance, while balancing strength and aesthetics as well. That being said, although fitness is important, family time will always be the top priority for me (which is why I only work out early in the mornings).

 

Kenneth's fitness goals now are of that of being a sustainable hybrid athlete. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

I'm sure you get asked this a lot – what does it take to maintain your physique?

Consistency is the most important thing. I've been working out for 10 years, every morning, as it refreshes me for the day ahead. It helps me to reduce stress as well. Also, having a structured training programme aligned with your goals helps. Fitness is a big and necessary part of my lifestyle, and helped to boost my mental and physical well-being. Thankfully, I have a supportive family who supports me in my fitness goals.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

When I was a long distance runner. Back then I was very skinny and small. I started to hit the gym in order to put on muscle mass. One thing led to another and now I'm a gym rat uncle who also likes to run.

Are you satisfied with your body?

Yes. I'm truly content with my balance of aesthetics and performance. I've consistently worked hard to achieve my current physique and am very happy with it.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

People say that I look very fit. Hahaha, I'm truly happy with my body and wouldn't change a thing about myself, as I believe everyone is unique in their own special way.

 

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Kenneth Seet (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by sphere

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Samuel Chua (20 Feb 2023)

 

Samuel Chua is a marketing executive. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Samuel Chua (@xtriderunning)

Age: 24

Height: 1.73m

Weight: 70kg

Occupation: Marketing Executive

Status: Single

Food: I’m not able to eat much early in the mornings, so I tend to snack a few times a day on top of my standard three meals. Caifan is my go-to dish, usually consisting of three meats and one vegetable. I don’t diet, nor take any protein shakes, as I dislike the taste of those I’ve tried. Fast food such as McDonald's or KFC makes me feel lethargic, hence I eat those only once every few months.

Exercise: Currently, I gym three times a week and run four times a week. My running mileage is roughly 40km, increasing to 50-55km as I start training for my half-marathon. My gym sessions consist of a full-body workout each time, though I only perform one leg exercise per session as I don’t want to affect my runs the next day.

Q: When you were younger, were you active in sports?

A: Fitness has always been a part of my life since young. While other kids were learning to play the piano, my mum signed me up for gymnastics and swimming when I was in kindergarten. Unfortunately, the flexibility gains after all those years of gymnastics have become non-existent – I can’t even touch my toes anymore.

When I was nine, my parents introduced me to triathlon (swim, bike, run). I didn’t exactly find the sport appealing at that age, so training was pretty irregular. I trained only three to four weeks before each race and immediately regretted signing up for those races. Strangely enough, I continued signing up for races as the years passed.

I also played football and badminton from primary to secondary school, although I wasn’t really good at either sport.

What did you get into as you got older?

I continued triathlon until I was 19, where I made a transition into hybrid fitness (gym and run). I felt that triathlon was too time-consuming and it was not something that I wanted to continue in the long term. Furthermore, I was getting skinnier by the day and wanted to lift weights to get stronger and bigger.

 

Samuel switched from triathlon to hybrid fitness. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What are your fitness goals now?

I didn’t have any fitness goals till I was around 18, where I was training hard to do well in triathlon, especially the running segment. When I transitioned to hybrid training, I shifted my focus to the gym, even considering competing in powerlifting due to my decent bench press numbers (135kg at 69kg bodyweight).

Now that I’ve dealt with different circumstances, I’ve decided to set different goals. I’m trying to get faster again in my running, while still being strong, functional and filling up the shirts I wear. The main difference right now is that I’ve stopped focusing on the numbers, but instead finding purpose and fulfilment in the training I do. I believe that setting specific goals are necessary, but it’s even more important to enjoy and appreciate the process towards self-improvement in the physical aspect of life.

How did you get that scar on your right arm?

It's always fun to tell people this story (not so fun on the day itself though). Many people think I broke it through some sports, but the truth is I broke it during a friendly arm-wrestling match after church. I didn’t even notice when it initially snapped. There was a loud noise that sounded like wood breaking. I didn’t feel it myself, so I stared at the wooden table thinking that it broke. It was only after a minute or so that I felt my arm wobble unnaturally, akin to a second elbow. The pain then started to set in.

My friends and I initially thought that it was a dislocation, but the x-ray showed a full spiral fracture of the humerus. A titanium plate was put against the bone, along with 11 screws to fuse the plate with the bone. To think that I was still laughing and joking in the car while feeling immense pain on the way to the hospital.

When you broke your arm, how did it affect your fitness regime?

The first thing I thought of when I saw the x-ray was “Well, I’m going to be skinny again after all these years of training”. It was tough, especially in the first few days, where I could hardly move my arm. My other muscles, including my leg muscles, had atrophied so rapidly due to being bedridden for a while.

It was difficult to adjust from exercising seven times a week to having totally no exercise. There were some days where I felt really frustrated but I think I coped really well with the support of my friends and family. I surprised myself too; I thought that I would be beating myself up over the situation. Somehow, I quickly came to terms with the situation and focused on the recovery process. My mindset of “It has already happened, what can I do now?” helped me immensely in focusing on the next steps instead of negatively dwelling on the situation.

Was it difficult to get back on track after recovering?

The difficult aspect was more mental than physical. I asked the doctor, “Will I still be able to take IPPT in August this year?” He laughed and told me to forget about it. Keep in mind that I broke my arm at the end of April and my IPPT was scheduled for mid-August. I asked the physiotherapist the same question and got the same response.

Being well-versed in physiotherapy and recovery (I never took an official course but learnt it over the years due to personal interest), I used a very methodical and systematic recovery approach. Normally, injured patients will see the physio two to three times a week for strength and mobility work. I went once or twice a week, but performed all the necessary recovery routines that I knew a few times a day, every single day.

 

Samuel broke his arm during an arm-wrestling match. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

This diligent process, along with progressive overload, allowed me to recover extremely quickly. My friends told me I was crazy, as I was still finding out how to train with a broken arm. I did leg exercises, while also doing exercises with my other arm such as one-arm pushups. When I was finally cleared to go back to the gym, I started with 2.5kg weights and was very cautious to stay within my limits.

Observing the way that I was recovering (both my bone and my strength increases), I made the decision to take IPPT, achieving a push-up score even higher than before I broke my arm (92 in 60 seconds). You can imagine the shock when I shared the news with my physio and doctor.

Your Instagram account is mainly about shoe reviews and has now garnered worldwide attention. How did you start that?

Since I was 18, I developed a passion for running shoes. Until today, running shoes are the main driving factor as to why I run. I figured that if I were to do a sport that could get monotonous at times, I would want something comfortable on foot that would make me feel good and also perform at my best.

I started doing running reviews for a website, but after they stopped their review scheme, I decided to create my own page to continue sharing my passion with the world. The page started off pretty rough for the first nine months, but gained traction and grew to an incredible 46,500 today.

I started this page not to gain popularity, but to share my love for running shoes, and not needing to fund this expensive hobby on my own. I’m proud to say that today, I have many partnerships that allow me to continue this passion.

When you were younger, did you experience any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

Throughout my secondary school life, I was a constant subject of bullying. You could say that I was the weird kid you’d find in every cohort. I was small and skinny then, an easy target to pick on. I was constantly judged for my looks, receiving really mean comments that took a toll on my confidence and mental state. Back then, I did not know how to stand up for myself, and for a while I believed those words that the bullies berated me with.

2022 was also a really tough year where I experienced countless setbacks and hardships. It was that year where my mindset took a 180-degree turn for the better. I used to blame everyone but myself and ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I constantly felt helpless and began to turn bitter.

However, there came a time where I did some introspection, while also seeking the guidance of others. I told myself, “You can’t live this way forever, enough is enough.” Through my seeking, I found life-changing advice that would guide me into turning my life around. A wise man told me that I was fully in control of my life and how I feel should have no bearing to the things I do. Now, I abide to that principle. The days where I’m feeling the most unmotivated are the days where I force myself to take action, whether it is to run, gym, or fulfil other responsibilities in life.

This action, though relatively a new implementation in my life, has completely changed my perspective on life. I also used to envy those who were better in me in some aspects. Now, I stopped comparing myself to others. The only subject of comparison has become the me of yesterday. I believe that the principle of striving to do something different each and every day to become better than the myself of yesterday is the way to truly be happy in life.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

I think that I was the least confident around secondary school where I was being picked on. I struggled with self-esteem for years after that till I started going to the gym. I think that many people perceive gymming to be vanity-based, but it could not be further from the truth.

I picked up gymming to feel more confident about my body and also gain the ability to stand up for myself. Right now, even with a decent physique, I still get insecure about my body occasionally, but I do not dwell on it and constantly push myself to be better every day.

That said, going to the gym did not solve all my confidence issues. I still had to work on my social interactions and public speaking to gain confidence. The gym work definitely gave me a boost in self-confidence, but my active choice to constantly step out of my comfort zone daily is what truly built my confidence up.

 

Samuel became a popular web reviewer of running shoes. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Do you struggle with your body?

I actually struggle with gaining weight. Even with all the meals, I’m stuck around the 70kg range with all the cardio I do. Especially when training for a half marathon, I’m unable to gain weight despite stuffing my face with pretty much any food that’s in front of me.

Some might say that it’s a good problem to have and attribute it to genetics. However, I believe that it all comes down to calories in versus calories out. I burn a crazy number of calories daily, so I have to be conscious about eating enough every day to maintain a calorie surplus to get bigger.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

There’s this saying, “The day you step into the gym is the day you’ll never be satisfied with your body.” I think that this statement is true to a certain extent, as I still feel I don’t look good on some days. Overall, I would say that while I’m content with my current physique, I still want to get bigger than what I am now. I have a dream physique in mind, and am still working towards it. Though, my focus right now is less on my physical appearance and more towards whether I’m constantly challenging myself to push past my comfort zone.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

People used to call me skinny and tell me to eat more all the time before I started going to the gym. Now, I have quite a number of messages telling me that I look good. While I’m grateful that I’m no longer skinny, I feel sad that some people only started to want to be associated with me based on the way I looked. I never received the kind of treatment I have now back when I was small.

If you could change anything about yourself, would you?

I wouldn’t change a thing in the past about myself as I believe that the adversities and challenges that I’ve been through has shaped me and made me into what I am today. Who knows, maybe I wouldn’t have been in the gym if not for being picked on and being called small and skinny.

I believe that reframing my thoughts is important, and I use hate and negativity as fuel to constantly drive myself past my comfort zone. While I’m happy with where I am today, I refuse to rest on my laurels and constantly push myself to grow not only physically, but also in every other aspect of life.

 

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Samuel Chua (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by sphere

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Jacky Ong (6 Feb 2023)

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week, Jacky Ong, is an athletics coach. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Jacky Ong (@jacky.ongyj)

Age: 26

Height: 1.71m

Weight: 56kg

Occupation: Athletics coach

Status: Attached

Food: I don't follow a strict diet, but I believe that everything in moderation is possible.

Exercise: A typical week for me includes one to two speed workouts, one tempo workout and two easy/long runs.

Jacky took part in basketball, badminton, and rugby during his school days. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What were your backgrounds in sport?

In primary and secondary school, I tried a variety of sports. I participated in basketball, badminton, and rugby (yes, I was in rugby the longest before getting into track).

Then I began running with my mother, who joined the New Balance Running Club in 2010, and I've been hooked ever since.

What are some of the highlights of your running career?

My highlights were not the race winning part, but rather, the memorable trips and races outside of Singapore, especially team competitions like the 100km Hong Kong The Great Relay. That is one of the top three favourite races in my life.

What are some of the challenges you faced while competing in running?

Time management is essential!. As a student athlete back then, I must constantly ensure that my studies do not suffer as a result of my training.

Also, as an extrovert, I enjoy hanging out with my friends after school. As a result, reminding myself to balance everything was a major challenge for me.

Jacky counts his overseas races, such as the 100km Hong Kong The Great Relay, as the highlights of his life. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

You are now an athletics coach. What made you decide to become a coach?

Throughout my running career, I had several coaches who taught me various things that I know I couldn't learn or experience in school.

They are without a doubt the reason why I believe coaches do more than just coach.

What do you like about being a coach? How do you hope to influence the next generation of runners?

The sense of accomplishment. Seeing your athletes mature as people and athletes reassures me that it was all worthwhile to enter this industry. I hope to inspire the next generation of athletes in the same way that my coaches have inspired me.

I hope they understand that participating in sports not only teaches them to be fit and fast, but also teaches them many valuable lessons that they cannot learn in school.

What are your fitness goals now? Any plans to continue competing?

Definitely. It's something that's always on my mind. But for the time being, I need more time to figure myself out in this industry.

I want to give my athletes the best experience possible and hopefully, bring out the best in them.

Jacky overcame a low point in his life over a decade ago to regain his confidence. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

In 2011, I had the worst running year of my life. I made a bad decision at the time and was publicly humiliated in front of my entire school. Following that, I changed schools and took a brief break from running as a result of the whole ordeal.

That was the lowest point in my life. I was anxious everywhere I went because people were gossiping about me in front of me whenever I went for a run at MacRitchie Reservoir.

But one thing I learned from that experience was to move on with my life. Slowly, I began to open up again and gain confidence in myself.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

I used to be a little skinnier, but after national service, I think I'm a little healthier. So, considering the amount of food I consume, I am satisfied haha.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Most people think I'm too thin, but I think I'm in a happy and good shape.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Jacky Ong. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Melvin Wong (2 Jan 2023)

Melvin Wong is a senior account manager. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Melvin Wong (@melvinwongyh)

Age: 39

Height: 1.72m

Weight: 60kg

Occupation: Senior Account Manager

Status: Married

Food: Toast, eggs and coffee in the morning, mix of carbs/vegetables/fish/chicken for the rest of the day. Yong Tau Foo for dinner on workout days.

Exercise: Six days of running with Sundays off.

Q: Did you grow up doing sports?

A: No actually. I spent 10 years playing the French horn in my school concert band. I spent most of my time in school at band practice during my formative years (secondary school to junior college) and rarely had anything to do with sports.

I guess the only exercise I was exposed to was running around the school field and doing push-ups as punishment. We also had to do a series of diaphragm exercises before each band practice and get a taste of water treatment every six months where we had to blow our guts out to have a bubble coming out of a water-filled tuba.

Melvin started his journey in endurance sports during his university days. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

When did you become more serious about sports?

Upon enlisting for national service, I had to run and do a variety of exercises to pass our IPPT. I picked up swimming and cycling towards the end of my army days and start of university so that was probably the time when I ventured into sports.

Despite being very new to sports, I picked up the courage to learn how to swim and run and eventually, earned a spot on the university’s aquathlon team within a relatively short time frame, perhaps three months. That was the start of my foray into endurance sports (triathlon specifically) and I went on to enjoy the sport for a few years before retiring in 2012 when I got married.

When did you start running more competitively?

I started running competitively from 2014 when I joined a running group upon recommendation from a running friend and mentor. I was exposed to a really good group of training mates and more importantly, a structured training regime monitored by a renowned distance coach locally.

Did you ever expect to be representing Singapore in the SEA Games?

Everyone talks about representing Singapore and that was the same for me, but it was just a dream as it was very challenging to meet the qualifying mark. Back when I was competing in triathlon, I had the desire to compete in triathlon after watching Cheng Jing Hean and Mok Ying Ren clinched consecutive gold medals in the SEA Games (2005, 2007). But I was realistic and knew that I don’t have that calibre to compete at that level so I closed the triathlon chapter when I got married in 2012.

Fast forward to 2015, I had already spent three months training with my running group and they have all the middle distance runners who were contenders to qualify for 2015 SEA Games in Singapore. The funny thing was, I asked my coach back then whether he saw the potential in me to qualify for the Games. He was rather straight-faced and said “not a chance”.

Melvin represented Singapore at the 2015 and 2022 SEA Games. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Thus, I ended up becoming a training buddy for my other training mates. They were certainly quicker and stronger than me so I just tagged along for their sessions for a few months, happy to play a part in their build-up.

Then I raced two 5,000m races in early 2015 but in both races, I fell short of the 16:00 minutes target that my coach and I set for ourselves. It was only when I travelled to Malaysia for my first overseas athletic meet at Malaysia Open in March that gave me a glimmer of hope that the SEA Games could possibly on the cards.

I was only registered for the 10,000m race as there was no 5,000m race available for registration before that. However, with an administrative hiccup and a stroke of luck, I was entered for both the 5,000m and 10,000m races that weekend – 24 hours apart. I clocked my personal best (PB) in both events that weekend and broke the 16:00 minutes barrier for the first time. The SEA Games fire got switched on then and I eventually qualified for both the 5,000m and 10,000m.

You've been to the SEA Games twice now.

2015 was clearly the better of my two SEA Games outings. I was a newbie with little expectations in the largest athletics contingent of 72 athletes and on our home turf. There was absolutely everything to look forward to, be excited about and fight for in front of all our screaming fans!

When your parents, family, colleagues, friends and every running fan in Singapore are screaming your name at the newly built Sports Hub, the atmosphere is electrifying and no other Games can be compared to that home edition. That is also when we won three golds as an athletics contingent and the best showing as a nation at a SEA Games.

Personally, I was disappointed with my first race in the 5,000m but came roaring back to clock a PB in the 10,000m (32 min 59s) which still stands as my PB till date. Again, I competed in both events within 24 hours and was so proud of this moment as it remained one of the fastest 10,000m times set by a Singaporean on home ground.

The 2022 SEA Games at Hanoi was clearly muted in terms of excitement as everyone was cautious about containing COVID-19 while staging the first SEA Games post-pandemic. On a personal level, I had the best build-up and spent six weeks in Australia which gave me a huge confidence on my ability. For this edition, I went up the distance to tackle the full marathon and came in 8th overall.

Melvin is at peace with his body right now. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What are the highs and lows of your running journey?

The high will be the 2015 SEA Games finishing the 10,000m race with a strong finish. The time clocked remains my best for the distance till this date.

The low will be 2017 Berlin Marathon where I clocked a 2 hours 41 minutes performance. I wanted to improve on that time but was not able to make progress. I actually stopped running at the 26km mark as I was not making time on my target. After a few minutes of self-talk, I decided to jog back to the finish as my wife and newborn were waiting for me.

How do you balance work, training, family and life?

It is hard to give an equation or an explicit answer for this. At every stage of my life, there are things which I prioritised more and that is where I find myself gravitating towards and spending more effort on. But one thing where I cannot drop the ball is my family.

When you were younger, did you experience any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

When I was trying to make the university aquathlon team, I could not swim well. I was often singled out by the coach back then that I swam like a roti prata (flat and no rotation) and needed to swim next to the wall so I can grab if I panicked.

When we headed out for Saturday practice at Sentosa (for a swim and run), I was often the last one out of the water so I would go into transition with little worry because there would only be one pair of shoes left – mine. My self-esteem took a hit during those times though.

To help me, I actually borrowed a book called “Total Immersion” from the library and read it and then practised it at a public pool just so that I did not get such remarks from my coach again.

Did you ever struggle with your body?

I tried to lose some weight in Primary 5 as I seemed to put on some weight back then. I often ate Char Kway Teow at my school canteen and maybe that’s why the weight gain occurred. Eventually, I developed gastric and that affected my gut health.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

Yes I am truly at peace with my body now – no matter what shape and size it may be. I would not want to change anything now as I am well and truly content with what I have.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Melvin Wong (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Avery Aloysius Yeo (28 Nov 2022)

Avery Aloysius Yeo is a radio deejay with 987FM. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Avery Aloysius Yeo (@averyaloysius)

Age: 27

Height: 1.66m

Weight: 66kg

Occupation: Radio DJ

Status: Single

Food: I don't count my calories. I believe in eating sustainably and that means being able to eat what you like in moderation. I enjoy a good pizza every once in a while, but on a daily, it’s one portion of carbs a day and a higher protein-based diet. So if I have rice or noodles for lunch, my dinner would contain little to no carbs.

Exercise: I go to the gym at least four to five times a week, with some sprints somewhere within the week if I can find the discipline and motivation to do them.

Avery goes to the gym four to five times a week. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: When you were younger, were you active in sports?

A: Since young I’ve always been pretty active, I was in track and field in primary school, then took on softball as well, went on to secondary school where I started rock climbing.

What did you get into as you got older?

In poly I played (a little) rugby, but I didn't stick to it for very long. I started hitting the gym in October 2018 when I was in the Air Force during national service. I had nothing to do in Australia when I was there, so it was a way for me to kill time and exercise.

I think something just made me feel good about going to the gym and it’s been my go-to ever since, becoming more consistent from 2020. It also had to do with how I viewed myself but we'll get to that.

You've always wanted to be a radio DJ.

I remember when I was younger, I was always amazed by the radio and how the DJs were able to make me smile, laugh and critically think about something they just said. I was always in awe at how confident they always sounded and how they always spoke right before the song began.

I think it was always magic to me that a voice held so much power and radio has always made me smile.

You have the late night shift, how do you balance your workouts with your sleep?

This is a tough one. I do the night show on 987FM which runs from 8pm till 12 midnight and I used to be an early sleeper and an early riser too – only one of those things have changed. Sadly, it’s my sleep cycle.

So now I try my best to sleep by 2am latest, which sometimes proves to be a challenge because after the show it takes a while to get home, wind down and actually fall asleep.

Avery used to be insecure about his short height. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

But I try to get at least seven hours of sleep, so I try to get up by 9am just to get my day started. But throughout the day, it’s easy to get a workout in, because everyone is at work and it’s the best to work out in an empty gym/

When you were younger, did you experience any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

I've always been a short human being and when I was younger it always affected me, because I thought that it would affect me in many ways. I think it’s a constant struggle every day. I honestly feel that as a short guy growing up, I faced a lot of teasing from everyone around me. It wasn't easy and to this day, I still get made fun of about my height. Women alike will say things like, "Oh if only you were taller" and it used to really affect me.

But one day, I think I realised that there is literally nothing I can do to change my height, but there was something I could change and that was how I saw myself in the mirror and how I lived my life. So I learnt that there are just some people that will always be looking down on you (literally cause I’m short) but they don't matter. It’s ultimately up to you to change the things that are actually within your control and do it for yourself.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

Again, as much as I have come to terms with my height, it is still something I wish was different. But then we go back to the same thought process of "Can I do anything about it?" and the answer is always the same. And then I ask myself, what is it that I can do to make myself feel better about myself?

So I hop on my motorbike and head to gym. Maybe in a way it’s a little twisted way of motivating myself haha!

Working out is a way for Avery to feel confident about himself. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Did you ever struggle with your body?

I think I struggle to put on weight. I don't count calories and I know I should if I want to put on the weight and I have tried. At my heaviest I was at 69/70kg but it was so tough to keep it there and even gain more.

Plus, it is so expensive to meal prep...so I think I decided that I am happy with my size until I can afford to meal prep every day. Also because I don’t have the discipline that the bodybuilders have, so mad respect to them.

Are you content with your body now?

I don't think i'll ever be content. Because I believe that there should always be a bigger goal, another level to reach. And if I ever say that I am satisfied with how I look, I have become complacent with myself. So it’s gonna be a never ending journey.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

It’s mixed feelings from people I guess. My mother and ex-girlfriend used to call me a nugget (short and stumpy) which I found super funny actually but other people tell me that it pays off and that I look good. And without a doubt, it is definitely a good feeling when your hard work gets noticed. So it kinda makes you wanna work out even more to get the compliments! But then there are also moments when people say "Put your shirt back on" and I can’t tell if it’s a compliment or an insult.

If I could change one thing about me, I would be 1.8m. Haha nah, I think we are all made in a certain way and I know it’s things that can’t be changed, so instead of wishing I could change it, embrace it! It’s what makes you, YOU! #shortking

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Avery Aloysius Yeo (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Kelvin Goh (7 Nov 2022)

Kelvin Goh works as a consultant. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Kelvin Goh (@j0shua75)

Age: 47

Height: 1.74m

Weight: 73kg

Occupation: Consultant

Status: Complicated

Food: I do not follow any diet as I find it very challenging to stick to one, with the distractions of Asian cuisine. However, I do watch what I eat and consciously reduce my carb intake, replacing it with quinoa or wholemeal bread whenever possible. I avoid soft drinks completely.

I drink a lot of milk, eat a lot of fish, chicken and fruits and occasionally indulge in my favourite local cuisine such as char kway teow, prawn noodles, nasi lemak and chicken rice. During durian season, I also tend to eat a box of my favourite MSW or D13 as a meal.

Exercise: I exercise about two to three times a week with each session lasting about 60 minutes. I generally prefer to work on calisthenics exercises and the occasional cardio session to burn off more calories. I find that body weight exercises suit me more now as I get older. There is less risk of injury and overstraining my muscles.

I read that calisthenics also increases my resting metabolic rate which is important for active aging and also allows me to enjoy my favourite foods without too much guilt. I also enjoy swimming and do laps at the pool once a week for about 30 minutes each time.

Kelvin does calisthenic exercises, which is important for active aging and also allows him to enjoy his favourite food. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: When you were younger, were you active in sports?

A: Yes, I started swimming when I was five and remembered my first swim competition at six years old. I was in competitive swimming from primary school and was also in the track team from secondary school. Recreationally, I enjoyed playing badminton and basketball.

What sports did you get into as you got older?

I continued to swim, play basketball and badminton recreationally. I've recently learnt cycling to keep up with my daughter so that was a mini achievement for me to pick that up at my age. I was skiing quite a bit before and excited to resume that now that COVID travel restrictions have been lifted.

When did fitness become part of your lifestyle?

It has always been part of my lifestyle since I was young but took a backseat during periods of my work career. It is more consistent from four years ago after a series of significant life events led me to focus on my priorities and life goals.

How have your views on fitness changed as you got older?

In my school days, fitness was a natural outcome of being in competitive sports. Now fitness is a conscious decision and a means to keep my promise to my children to be with them at every key moment in their life. I married relatively late and my children are young, hence a real need to stay healthy for longer.

I believe regular exercise and fitness is a sure way to slow down the effects of aging. I fully intend to run after my grandchildren and not have them push me around in a wheel chair.

Kelvin created the ActivEdge app to help others get started and maintain the habit of regular exercise. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

You created an app called ActivEdge.

ActivEdge is a technology-first solution for the average person who understands the importance of regular exercise, needs to exercise more but simply does not know where or how to start. The goal of the application is to overcome the barriers faced in getting started and maintaining the habit of regular exercise.

It is targeted for beginners and working parents as a compelling solution to get the recommended hours of physical activity from the convenience and privacy of home. The tech behind the app automatically selects the most appropriate workouts to match individual fitness level and dynamically adapts as one progresses. You avoid doing inappropriate workouts which might lead to overexertion and even injury.

What led to you creating ActivEdge?

When I wanted to get back in shape four years ago, personal training was too expensive for me. Searching online yielded an avalanche of results that overwhelmed me. I tried popular exercise classes and those were not suitable for me as well. I either felt very “lao kui” or very “pai seh” (both meaning embarrassed).

Most of the time I was simply lost and could not keep up with the rest of the class. After sharing my challenges with my peers, I realised I was not alone. I went about figuring an easier way for working parents like myself, and even beginners, to exercise that considered our limitations of time, lifestyle and space without compromising on safety and effectiveness.

Hence, ActivEdge was conceived and the beta version was launched in January 2022. The prospects are very promising and we have received positive feedback on it thus far which will go towards further improvements to the application.

My goal for ActivEdge is to be the market leader for enabling and empowering active lifestyles in Singapore and beyond.

In your life, have you experienced any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

I don’t recall any specific incident. I believe insecurity is a result of society applying its standards and expectations on each of us. Succumbing to it is detrimental to mental health and can be debilitating. I have been fortunate to grow up in well-insulated environment which built up my self-confidence to face such social pressures as an adult.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

The past four years have been the most challenging period of my life thus far. I faced financial difficulties from the failure of my first business venture. I have two young children who live with me. My marriage broke down. I was unsuccessful in numerous job applications. Relationship with my parents and sibling soured. Beyond the loss in confidence, it was a sense of hopelessness and loneliness.

Kelvin overcame the struggles of a failed business venture. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Early on was the hardest. At one period, I surrendered all my personal insurance policies just to support the household expenses. I relied on ad hoc work, up to six at one time to survive. There would be bad days I feel especially depressed and get panic attacks.

Accepting religion in my life played a critical part in my recovery and I now focus on my blessings daily. It was a fundamental shift in mindset and priorities. Mental strength and discipline to exercise regularly played a role as well to regain my confidence. I must also give credit to the support from my family and positive-minded friends who shared the same values and beliefs as me.

Did you ever struggle with your body?

Yes. In the first year I was working in Hong Kong, I enjoyed dim sum at least three times a week, went drinking every weekend and did not exercise at all. That was the heaviest and most unhealthy I have ever been.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

Yes. Although my cardio endurance is lower and rate of recovery is slower now with age, I feel what I gained from calisthenics is functional strength. Being able to do different calisthenic exercises brings a lot of satisfaction to me.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Nothing specific. I get comments that I do not look my age most often.

If you could change anything about yourself, would you?

No, I am fortunate to have good genes from my parents.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Kelvin Goh. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: E.J. Philip (18 Oct 2022)

E.J. Philip is the founder and owner of Alpha Beast Fitness. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: E.J Philip (@ejphilip)

Age: 41

Height: 1.75m

Weight: 76kg

Occupation: Celebrity Trainer, Founder and Owner of Alpha Beast Fitness

Status: Single

Food: Weekdays I generally eat healthy, with weekends being the relatively less healthy times which are usually dinner and drinks with friends and family. I make sure I hit my macros in the form of protein, carbs and fat for my meals depending on the period of training that I am in, bulking or cutting.

Exercise: I set aside an hour for training daily which involves strength training and hypertrophy. I take Sundays as an active rest where I swim or do boxing.

Q: When you were younger, were you active in sports or fitness?

A: When I was younger I was really active and participated in school marathons, as well as played soccer for the school team during my secondary school days. I was also a skinny kid!

As I grew older in my 20s, I started lifting weights to grow bigger and also learned Muay Thai for a couple of years.

E.J. did school marathons and football in his school days, as well as muay thai in his 20s. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

How did you become a personal trainer?

Coming from a background of F&B, I opened a bar bistro when I was 32 and ran that for four years. The stress of the business coupled with excessive drinking and partying took a hit on my health. It got so bad that I was suffering from borderline depression and almost got hospitalised. That’s when I came to a conclusion that I should sell the business and do something that would be beneficial to my physical and mental health.

I was lucky that an opportunity opened up in an internationally-renowned commercial gym for a trainer and I applied for it. I worked there for three years and eventually decided to leave and start my own brand during the pandemic as I saw a demand for personal training. Shortly after, I opened my own gym, Alpha Beast Fitness.

You train quite a number of celebrities. Is there any difference in training celebrities and regular people?

Well, celebrities are people too and they have their own challenges. The only difference between them and normal people is that their schedule is erratic and sometimes they don't have control over the food they eat on set. Also, they can be mentally and physically drained after a long shoot session.

However, generally they are more focused as they are goal-oriented and preparing for either a photoshoot or a role and they are working on a tight timeline.

E.J. started his own fitness gym after working with an internationally-renowned gym for three years. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

You compete in bodybuilding. How did you get into bodybuilding?

After working at the commercial gym for a year, I learned a lot about training methods and ideologies and I was inspired by a couple of colleagues who were already seasoned bodybuilders .I was encouraged by one of them who mentored me in my first competition in 2018.

Being a newbie in a world of bodybuilding, I had no choice but to force myself to be super disciplined with my food and training. Because of that I managed to clinch third in my category, Men's Physique, in one of my competitions.

What are some of your highlights in your bodybuilding journey?

One memorable highlight of my bodybuilding journey was coming in third in an international lineup in 2020 where I competed against competitors from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. It made me realise that standing on an international stage is not easy and that I have to continuously upgrade my physique.

What are your goals next for bodybuilding?

I would love to compete in more international shows, maybe compete overseas. and this time bring in the gold medal and come in first.

E.J.also competes in bodybuilding. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

When you were younger, did you experience any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

When I was younger, I was a really skinny kid and often got picked on by the bigger boys in school. That made me want to train and become bigger so I can protect myself, but as I grew older I realised that there are many other ways of handling bullies. Violence and intimidation are not the solutions.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

When I was running the bar, that's when I was most insecure about the way I look as I had gained a lot of weight and being in the entertainment industry, people judge you based on first impressions. Having an uncle bod was not cool! Also, the extra weight made me look haggard.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

I believe there's still a lot of potential for my body to change and grow. To me, fitness is not only just looking good but also, more importantly, to be able to move pain free and efficiently. Mental health is also very important and exercise releases stress.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

I’ve received both positive and negative comments about my body. People have said I'm too big or I am too muscular for their liking. Honestly I’m not bothered because how I feel is more important versus how other people think how my body should look like. I wouldn't change anything about my body because I'm absolutely comfortable with how I look.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: E.J. Philip (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Bystrik Uko (5 Sep 2022)

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Bystrik Uko (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Bystrik Uko (@bystriku)

Age: 35

Height: 1.89m

Weight: 88kg

Occupation: Bartender

Status: Single

Food: Follow diets or talking about diets, in my opinion, is a very sensitive manner and a never-ending topic for discussion. Currently, I am fully into CrossFit so I need to make sure that my daily food intake is rich in kind of all parts of a diet – protein, carbs, fats, fresh veggies and fruit as well because of fibre and sugar. I am trying to avoid processed foods and fast foods as much as possible.

I truly believe that before people take on any diet, they should strongly consider the side effects and the impact it is going to have on their overall daily routine and level of energy. A lot of people think, they need to stop eating in order to lose weight, which is complete nonsense. Reducing food portions or being more mindful about what you eat yes, but to stop eating while you exercise on a daily basis can result in a very bad ending.

Exercise: Right now I work out 5 times a week about an hour to two hours max, if you count stretching and warming up before the actual exercise.

Q: Were you an active kid?

A: I would say yes for sure, I was a very active kid. With other kids from the neighbourhood, we played a lot of games on the street or in the backyard. We would kick ball, run around, climb trees and play hockey in the winter on the frozen river until very late in the evening when the streets light come on.

In spring, summer and autumn we played football even when it was raining.

I had a beautiful childhood without any tablets or smartphones. A lot of times my mum had to come and get me to go home because it was too late and dinner was getting cold.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Bystrik Uko (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Did you continue being active as you grew older?

During winter we used to play a lot of hockey and the rest of the year we mostly played football. Thus I used to play competitive football in my youth, but I started get busier at college and completely gave up on sport eventually.

The pandemic led you to prioritise fitness.

Yeah, I am pretty sure there are many people out there with a similar story like me. Everything was shut down and I could not imagine being locked inside the whole day. I knew there was finally time for me and myself, so I was prepared to do something about my non-existent fitness regime. I started running, which was kind of something that stayed with me from my childhood and I always enjoyed it.

Then from running, I slowly moved on to body workouts and calisthenics. I did not see a point to order any weights or dumbbells then, because I did not have space and they would probably end up somewhere forgotten in the cupboard after some time.

As all the gyms were closed, the only option was to go out and exercise in the playgrounds at HDB areas or at the fitness corners in parks that had stationary machines and pull-up bars.

Then I started to get into jump rope, which most of us underestimate a lot, but it is actually one of the best tools to help your cardio and overall fitness. It is pretty interesting how many of these tools we used to play with as kids, but struggle to get the movement patterns right as adults.

How did you get into CrossFit?

When the gyms reopened, I was working out 4 to 5 times a week, but it was mostly at the gym in the condo. It’s just a simple setup with basic machines and dumbbells.

Then one day I was having coffee with my colleague and he told me about CrossFit. That was also when the CrossFit Games were happening (annual event taking place every year in USA for the best in CrossFit in the world) so I went home, watched a couple of videos on YouTube and said to myself, “How is this even possible?”

It looked to me, on first sight, very dangerous and demanding, but then as I watched more and more videos, I was like, “Hang on, they are actually doing stuff that I was doing as well”. Obviously not at the same pace, but pretty much the same movements.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Bystrik Uko (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

I did some research and went around to some CrossFit boxes in Singapore to see how they look like and what people actually do there. I also asked a couple of regular gym-goers, but they told me not to do it as it “can be dangerous and you can injure yourself very badly, or I know someone who stopped exercising because of CrossFit”. That was the answer I heard most of the time.

Now, the more you tell me that I cannot do something or I should not be doing something or how dangerous it is, the more I want to see for myself and find out why there is so much controversy and why people have so many mixed opinions.

Initially I signed up at a CrossFit box for two weeks just to see how it goes… but the rest is history. What do I like about it? There are so many things. Sign up for a CrossFit class and you will see what it is about. Then you let me know how it went for you.

You work in nightlife. How do you find time to work out?

It is all about the priorities that you set for yourself. Break down the day in phases – when you sleep, when you go to work, when you have time for yourself and how you want to use it. Working in F&B can be very consuming, but nothing that you cannot manage.

Get out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself, make adjustments, break down time that you spend on smartphone, watching Tik Tok or browsing the phone, shopping, and how long it takes you from shower to falling asleep. There can be so many things you can reduce time on and eventually you will find yourself having an extra hour in your daily busy schedule that you can invest in fitness. There is no really any secret recipe for that – just take a pen and paper and write all these notes.

What are your fitness philosophies?

I think one very important thing is to never compare yourself with anyone else and just working at being a better version of yourself every single day. I know there are so many channels and platforms where you can see thousands of pictures of people posting their success, shredded bodies or recent workouts and how long it took them.

Don’t take me wrong, it is good to have these kinds of examples and you can take inspiration from them. But at the same time, we should not completely fall into the idea of wanting to look like him or her, and be doing the same things and following the same process. You can easily become obsessed and stressed about the whole idea of looking fit and you will forget about yourself, your progress and the fact that you already did a bit more than you did yesterday.

Everything takes time, be patient, don’t rush, commit yourself to your dreams, be convinced that this what you really wanna do and the results will come.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Bystrik Uko (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Most people think they need to relax, take a break and rest in order to be fully recharged for next day or next task or whatever it is. This statement is correct, logical and makes complete sense, BUT don’t forget we need to give energy to our day, our jobs, our daily activities and be fully committed to them. This energy needs to come from somewhere and that somewhere is from other physical activities like running, cycling, anything.

This mantra has been with me for some time already and I completely apply it to my daily schedule and routine. For me, CrossFit is the tool that gives me the energy boost and adrenalin, helps me think clearly, helps me relax, be confident, comfortable, focused and ready for the day.

At the end of the day, your mind is the voice telling you if you are tired or not. What the mind believes, the body will achieve.

When you were younger, did you experience any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

I think we have all gone through different situations in our childhood or at a younger stage of our lives that have left scars on us. Perhaps we are not really recovered from these and have not really acknowledged the whole situation. Fortunately, I never experienced anything major or anything that left a bad influence on me.

I truly believe what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I can say I am very blessed that I never experienced anything bad. I would say it was important that I was always around positive people or people that were always there for me in case something went wrong. It is very important be surround with positive people, positive-minded individuals and not those who keep complaining, see the bad things in life or blame other people. At the end of the day, we should all wish good for each other.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

One of the greatest, Vince Lombardi (legendary coach in American football), once said, “Confidence is contagious, so is lack of confidence”. I cannot recall any specific situations, but on a daily basis I think we are all fighting with confidence and our little demons telling us what we should and should not do, thinking too much over certain situations and feeling insecure. It is important to quickly forget about that and think positive.

One thing that has always helped me is self-talk or inner talk, just for a couple of seconds or minutes to psych yourself up. Generally speaking though, since I started CrossFit, it has helped me with overall confidence and I know a lot of people who have experienced the same.

Have you ever struggled with your body?

I am very lucky and gifted from God that I have never had an issue with body weight, like too fat or too skinny. At times if I get too skinny or lean, I would know what the problem was – like stress or lack of sleep – and be able to rectify it.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

I really believe that in order to be happy and make progress in any area of life, you have to first of all, be happy with yourself; with the way you look and the way you behave as a human being. I am very happy with myself and if ever I am not, or someone is not, it is in my hands to make it better.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

I am pretty sure I have received, but I just don’t remember because I don’t really pay much attention to these comments. I am not on this planet to look good for other people, I am here to look and be happy with myself. I would change absolutely nothing!

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Bystrik Uko (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Eusebius Han (14 Mar 2022)

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week Eusebius Han is a personal trainer. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Eusebius Han (@eusebiushan)

Age: 28

Height: 1.75m

Weight: 73kg

Occupation: Personal trainer

Status: Attached

Food: I don't follow a strict diet or any diet for that matter. I try to ensure my meals contain a healthy serving of protein and I look for lower calorie options when selecting my beverages.

Exercise: My weekly training routine looks like this:

• 4-5 x Strength Training

• 1-2 x Cycle/Hike

Eusebius began his fitness journey when he took part in Muay Thai classes in his polytechnic days. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: When you were younger, were you active in sports?

A: You know that kid in the class that used to take 25 minutes to complete his 2.4km run? That was me haha. I did play a little football and basketball every now and then during recess but I wasn't a very active child.

What changed?

I joined the Muay Thai club when I was in polytechnic and that really was the start of having fitness as part of my lifestyle. I wasn't very good when I was practising it, but if not for Muay Thai I'm not sure how things would have turned out for me fitness-wise.

I also dabbled a bit in Krav Maga, and competed once in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2019.

Was working as a personal trainer something you always wanted?

Nope! It used to be one of the professions my younger self added to a list of "jobs I don't wanna do", mostly because of ignorance and lack of understanding of fitness and what the job entailed.

I knew I wasn't going to be doing what I studied in polytechnic so I was floating around after national service. I ended up falling into coaching after some help from a good friend, whom I was training with at that point in time.

Deciding to become a personal trainer is definitely one of the best decisions I've made in my life.

Eusebius feels it is satisfying as a personal trainer to be part of a community's community's journey in health and happiness. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What are some of the challenges you face as a trainer? Also, what are some of the highlights?

As trainers, we work with people of all sorts, of all ages, with varying physical conditions, mindsets, and goals. The challenges that come with the job usually lie in being able to bring our clients towards their goals of becoming better versions of themselves, while navigating around injuries, health issues and, many times misconceptions, beliefs, and overzealousness that could prove detrimental to a client's training - or worse, potentially be harmful to them.

What's really satisfying however, is knowing that we're part of our community's journey in health, and happiness. Personally, heading to work with a great team and a great community everyday really is the cherry on top.

What are your fitness goals now?

To be honest, after getting hit by Christmas, New Year’s, the Booster Jab, and Chinese New Year, at this very moment my fitness goals would be to get back into my regular training routine and get my strength and cardio back up.

Right now you focus more on powerlifting. How did you get into it?

I'm a serial dabbler when it comes to sports, but the one constant in my training has been strength training and I found myself getting very proficient in my technique and getting stronger, so it seemed like the most natural path to follow.

Lifting requires a certain kind of "zen". It allows you the opportunity to practise the ability to remain calm and focused when you're facing a great physical challenge, and personally I feel that translates to your ability to deal with life's adversities with the same calm and focus.

Might take on some competitions in the future.

Eusebius also dabbles in powerlifting. PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

When you were younger, did you experience any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

I grew up a scrawny, weak kid and I guess I've always had that lingering insecurity in the back of my mind? But it hasn't bothered me too greatly, though I would never wish to go back to being weak and scrawny.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

I can't think of a particular point in my life where I didn't feel very confident with myself, but there definitely have been times where I felt that way about my physique, and my lack of skill and knowledge.

I read a phrase once before that goes something like, "You'll only continue to feel bad about the things that you don't do anything about" and that for me is something I pull from as a call to action to (in my case) constantly train, practice, and educate myself.

And of course a combination of a little stoicism, and good friends and people that are supportive of you.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

Yup! I know for sure my body isn't a limiting factor for the things I want to do in life and that's the most important thing for me - if we're talking about appearance, I'm looking the best that I've ever looked in life and I'm quite happy with that.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Who hasn't received comments about their bodies before? Comments I've received have definitely shifted from negative-ish to positive ones ever since I prioritised fitness in my life.

If you could change anything about yourself, would you?

Man I would love to be able to grow a full beard.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Eusebius Han. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Mohamed Fazli (10 Jan 2022)

Mohamed Fazli is personal trainer and F45 trainer. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Mohamed Fazli (@fitbyfaz)

Age: 28

Height: 1.71m

Weight: 74kg

Occupation: personal trainer, F45 trainer

Status: married

Food: nothing fancy or strict; just keeping a healthy, balanced diet of three meals a day.

Exercise: six days a week

Fazli was influenced by his brother to take up gym training. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: When you were younger, were you active in sports?

A: I was active in hockey during my primary and secondary school years. As I grew older, I did table tennis and badminton, then eventually I got into bodybuilding and fitness.

When did you first go to the gym?

The first time I started working out at the gym was in 2009 during my secondary school days. My late brother competed as a professional bodybuilder and he was very disciplined in his workout routine and meal diets. He encouraged me to exercise and that was what started my fitness journey.

You were working as a pastry chef and then a firefighter previously. What led you to become a fitness trainer?

I always enjoyed working out and also training any of my friends or family. Seeing them improve and reaching their fitness goals inspired and motivated me. That was what got me started in my fitness career.

Challenging myself physically and learning various types of exercises that cater to different people of all ages and with different injuries is also what drives me to help people with their fitness.

What do you like about being a fitness trainer?

I enjoy going through the process of my client's journey instead of just working on the end product. It gives me the satisfaction to work together with them and see their progression from day 0. I believe that people work at different paces and have different conditions.

Fazli enjoys going through the process of his fitness client's journey. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

When you were younger, did you experience any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

When I was young, I had a skinny body frame and that affected my self-esteem. Instead of giving up in the face of adversity, I usually face it with a positive attitude and smile.

I have also always been a shy and introverted person. It was hard for me to open up to people in a new environment too. So I decided to go to the gym to work on my body and this helped me a lot as I was able to communicate with different people in the gym and we had a common topic of interest to talk about.

As months went by, I was able to improve my body image and also made new friends. Therefore, this helped me with how I perceived myself and I also reevaluated my choices.

Did you ever struggle with your body?

I had difficulties in gaining weight and muscle mass when I just started as I was used to having just one meal a day. To have a healthy balanced diet, I had to discipline myself to have at least three meals a day moderately. The challenge that I faced was in planning and preparing my meals daily to make sure I eat enough.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

Yes, I am grateful for my body and also how it has helped me gain more confidence. Through fitness, I am now able to communicate with people better.

Fazli used to struggle with being skinny and unable to gain muscle mass. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What are your fitness goals now?

I would like to build more on functional fitness to have more longevity in life. I would focus on performance as well, rather than only strength.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

I have been told that I have big muscles yet am also very flexible.

If you could change anything about yourself, would you?

I may not have everything but I wouldn't change anything because I'm blessed and grateful enough to have all that I need

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Mohamed Fazli. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Marcus Neo (20 Sep 2021)

Marcus Neo keeps his physique with a strict keto diet. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Marcus Neo (@marc.neo)

Age: 29

Height: 1.68m

Weight: 65kg

Occupation: Self-Employed

Status: Single

Food: I’m on a strict ketogenic diet except for cheat dinners on weekends.

Exercise: 5 days of functional strength training followed by boxing, 2 days of running

Q: You weren’t an active kid.

A: Yeah, growing up as an only child with overprotective parents, I wasn't that active in school or had any sporty hobbies. Even PE classes and inter-class games were a dread, given how unfit and inactive I was.

When you were younger, did you experience any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

I was fortunate to have been spared unceasing bullying in school, except for a few incidents where I got made fun of for not playing sports or lacking stamina.

The biggest insecurity, however, came from being surrounded by cousins who were school athletes and exuded a confidence that I wish I had too. They were looked up to within the family in conversation and admiration.

By focusing on measuring myself against others rather than paying attention to my own inherent value, I suffered from emotional adversity and undervalued my capabilities throughout my youth. The less I believed in myself, the more I felt leading an invigorated life wasn't a priority.

Marcus was unfit and overweight a few years ago. (PHOTO: Courtesy of Marcus Neo)

You started to struggle with weight in the army when you got injured.

The first few weeks of basic military training (BMT) gave me a wake-up call to how unfit I was. The constant exercise, marching and running gave me zero excuses to slack off.

It was there that I realised I was born with extremely short Achilles tendons – something I wasn’t aware of due to years of inactivity in my youth. After six intense weeks of lower body exercises in BMT, my tendons eventually snapped and I instantly lost all mobility.

To regain my mobility, I had to undergo surgery to lengthen both tendons, which entailed a prolonged recovery and halted any fitness progress gained in BMT.

Subjected to a wheelchair and crutches for nearly half a year, I gained weight from the lack of mobility. Seeing my weight creep up again made me lose most of my motivation to get fit and I returned to the bad habits of slacking off and mindless eating again.

Would you say you let yourself go after that?

Yup. Being inactive again for half a year abruptly after getting used to intense activity (and losing weight in the process) broke any motivation. Eating healthy and progressively ramping up activity as recovery advanced took a backseat, especially since I had a sedentary job in NS.

Despite having little support from friends and family, I made several attempts to lose weight after my ORD, spurred on by the fact that I was gaining weight at a rapid pace. There wasn't much else to do while waiting to enrol into college in the United States, and I started working out in the gym and doing a bit of jogging. Unfortunately, those attempts ended up in vain as they felt highly repetitious, and I lost the drive when I was due to leave for college.

I hit 79kg at my peak and having to refit my entire wardrobe for larger sizes felt highly demoralising. I stopped looking at myself in the mirror and even seeing my face in a video chat felt embarrassing. Despite the self-consciousness, the culture in the US wasn't one where being unfit or overweight was frowned upon. Finding comfort in food from homesickness was more consoling than going on another crash diet or workout plan.

Then your turning point came.

Yes, I found boxing by chance in college and decided to give it a go, as I never really enjoyed playing most sports growing up. Furthermore, a rebellious side of me wanted to shed that over-protected childhood through participating in a combat sport.

After a few training sessions of getting beaten down by my lack of stamina and fitness, I decided to persevere for the long haul. A few months into training, I started seeing an improvement in my confidence. My motivation to get fitter grew as I wanted to progress even further.

Having a goal to build my fitness made me more aware that I was eating roughly 4,000 junk food calories daily. I radically swapped it down to a healthier one at 2,500 calories with whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins.

The radical change in diet also improved my overall fitness, which enhanced my training, boosted my stamina and helped progressively shed weight. After several months of training, I lost nearly 5kg by adopting a 2,000 daily calorie ketogenic diet, boxing twice a week with strength training and cardio three times a week.

Taking up boxing and changing his diet worked wonders for Marcus Neo. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

How do you feel about your transformation?

To date, I have lost nearly 14kg from my peak while maintaining muscle mass. It is incredibly gratifying knowing that I have lost all the weight from being motivated to train and improve in a sport I'm passionate about.

The transformation has allowed me to be at the fittest I've ever been in my life. Being able to push myself physically in boxing, running and callisthenics is highly gratifying. The climax of the physical transformation was competing in boxing twice, which thus far have been one of my most remarkable life experiences.

Emotionally, I feel far more focused and mindful of the "why" in remaining consistent with exercise and persisting with the keto diet. Boxing has also given me far more confidence in myself, leading me to recover more efficiently from setbacks and adversity while looking forward in life with more optimism.

How long have you kept up this lifestyle?

I have been trying hard to keep this lifestyle up for close to five years since I started boxing in 2016. Conclusion – there are times when keeping consistent with my goals was more difficult, especially when travelling abroad for work with lifestyle patterns changing suddenly and drastically. It was also tricky keeping the motivation up with boxing after returning to Singapore as the training was unfortunately lacklustre and the community not as encouraging.

Thankfully, I am happy with the gym I currently train at and I am optimistic the flame of enthusiasm will remain alight. Another challenge I had returning to Singapore was the struggle in adapting local cuisine with the keto diet since the options here are limited and pricey compared to the US.

To overcome dietary challenges, I adapted to using more plant-based proteins. Pre-planning meals have allowed me to maintain some variety without eating chicken breast and broccoli all the time. I also allow myself to break the monotony with one or two high carbohydrates "cheat" dinners with friends over the weekend.

What are your current fitness goals?

My current fitness goals are keeping up with daily exercise and pushing my cardio limits through longer and faster runs. I aim to keep my weight consistent throughout the year, especially since weight is a crucial aspect of competing in boxing.

Marcus' current fitness goals to keep up with daily exercises and to push his cardio limits through longer and faster runs. PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Beginning this year, I have also made it a wellness goal to practise daily meditation and be more self-aware of my actions. This has helped with my confidence and given me the awareness not to let negative emotions or events (such as the pandemic) ruin the habits that I've built so far.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

I felt least confident about myself over two occasions – when I was in BMT and when I started boxing. Both instances unveiled my ignorance of how overweight I've become and how unfit I was, unable to complete simple exercises and constantly gassing out.

Overcoming those challenges in BMT was straightforward especially given how little opportunity there was to be distracted. Instead, improving fitness performance in the shortest period was the only way forward to have a more enjoyable time.

The same negative feelings came about again when I finally decided to try out boxing after slacking off for more than two years after recovering from surgery. However, overcoming my physical inadequacies was far more challenging given how I lived in the "real world", this time with distractions than the bubble BMT was.

Fortunately, I had an incredibly supportive community for support and coaches who adopted a "tough love" approach to building my fitness and confidence. The desire to improve my fitness to progress in a sport that I finally had a passion for helping me curb most of the distractions, negative thoughts and comfort eating.

Reigniting the motivation was similar to my BMT experience and I started to shed the weight off again with consistency. Overcoming the fitness hurdles of boxing while juggling other responsibilities gave me hope. With the confidence received from a robust support system, I could subdue a lot of the negativity and laziness I've carried with me to this day.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

Yes, I'm satisfied with my body now. Having been large from my late teens till my mid-20s, I am incredibly grateful for having the slimmer stature now. I also view this as a second chance to lead a healthier, more fulfilling life. Being lighter also means that I carry far less "luggage" around, and I can progress in the physical activities I enjoy without the burden of unnecessary injury.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Marcus Neo (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Is your body a result of your workout regime or is it something you worked towards?

I'll say with complete confidence that my body results from a consistent workout regime and conscientiously sticking to a diet plan that works around my lifestyle. Knowing that I started my workout regime to get fitter and healthier has prevented any unnecessary comparison with others.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Over the years, I've received both positive and negative comments about my body. Many who knew me as overweight and one who shunned sports have commented positively on my physique and the fitness to compete in boxing.

On the other end, I have received negative comments from coaches and training partners that I am still too large and lack the athleticism to progress further in boxing. Despite the negativity, being conscious of how far I've come through my fitness journey and knowing what still lies ahead spurs me to work on constructive criticism and silencing the pessimists.

If you could change anything about yourself, would you?

I am incredibly grateful for having the opportunity and support to radically change my lifestyle habits around to be the fittest I've been in my entire life. With that said and as cliché as it sounds, the only thing I will want to change is to constantly evolve into a better version of myself every day.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Marcus Neo (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Brandon Teo and Joseph Edward Gragasin (6 Sep 2021)

Joseph Edward Gragasin (left) and Brandon Teo are workout buddies. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Brandon Teo/Joseph Edward Gragasin (@brandyontherock/@font12_arial)

Age: 29/34

Height: 1.84m/1.77m

Weight: 80kg/74kg

Occupation: Brand communications/regional sales manager

Status: Attached

Food – Brandon: Generally no rice and noodles, eggs and protein shakes for breakfast with more meat and protein for other meals. I love my desserts too and I usually have some after my meals. This is my motivation that serves as a reward to keep up my fitness.

Joseph: I eat any food in moderation, from salads to home prepared foods to fast food. I believe in healthy habits, not restrictions, and understanding what your body needs to achieve certain goals.

Exercise – Brandon: Our training consists of traditional strength and high intensity workouts. I practise yoga too. We will go for city runs and MacRitchie runs on Wednesdays and weekends.

Joseph: We visit the gym about 4 to 5 times in a week. I create my own workout routines with a combination of cardio, strength training, stretching and martial arts exercises.

Joseph (left) and Brandon work out regular in gyms, and also go for runs around the city and MacRitchie Reservoir. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What were your backgrounds in sports?

Brandon: I grew up playing table tennis, badminton, basketball and volleyball. I picked up volleyball in my junior college days and I believed my height was an advantage in the A Division.

Joseph: Mostly practising martial arts at a very young age. Wushu played a big role when I was growing up. I also studied other martial art disciplines such as sikaran, arnis and taekwondo. I represented my university in the national level competitions and also represented my home country of Philippines in the region as a former wushu national team member.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of working out together?

Brandon: Advantages would be having the motivation and drive to break your personal best and also, not having to plan for the workout after a long day at work. Disadvantages would be a longer workout session and probably more distraction.

Joseph: An advantage of working out together is that it promotes a very encouraging atmosphere to push and challenge each other in every corner of the fitness programme which may yield to a very positive result.

A possible disadvantage is that when both of us have a big gap when it comes to fitness performance level, then one might find particular exercises too challenging, while the other may not be exerting enough effort to make it an effective workout.

That being said we believe that consistency in training is essential as well as patience and understanding to nurture each other and grow together to reach that common goal of fitness training synergy.

Brandon Teo says working out together with a friend provides the motivation to improve. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Joseph believes that consistency and patience is necessary between two workout buddies in order for both to see results. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Have you experienced any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

Brandon: I was told that I have “chicken’s wing” when I played table tennis in primary school. Feeling insecure, I changed sport to badminton and did high jumps where I gained some confidence because of the advantage of my height.

Joseph: I did experience insecurities and I think it’s normal, but I think they never were the reason for me to change any of my goals in fitness and in life I was always steadfast in my life goals, always reminding myself that I have to keep trying and keep believing in myself to achieve, no matter what I do.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

Brandon: When I was in primary school, I requested to be in the Trim and Fit Club (TAF Club). I was big but not overweight. We got to play sports during recess daily and I became more confident after losing some weight and gaining some skills.

Joseph: In competitions and tournaments, I sometimes find myself with an unsuccessful result and that makes me feel less confident of myself. But instead of hating or giving up, I make use of this opportunity to learn and understand how others made it. I see them as a source of inspiration to learn new techniques, improve myself and absorb valuable pieces of advice.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

Brandon: I am contented with what I have achieved so far but I need to continue to exercise because of my love for food and desserts.

Joseph: Yes, I think I have to be happy and I believe that being satisfied with what we have is crucial to one’s happiness. But we shouldn’t stop finding that room for self-improvement within ourselves and we should keep that flame burning.

Brandon believes that having a goal in mind helps set the mental and physical strength for his workout regime. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Joseph believes his physique is the result of believing in healthy habits. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Is your body a result of your workout regime or is it something you worked towards?

Brandon: It is both. Having a goal in mind helps set the mental and physical strength to attain the results. You can have a superb workout planned but without focus and the right mindset, you will not yield the expected results as well as to maintain it in the long run.

Joseph: It is the result of my way of life, believing in healthy habits and not restrictions.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Brandon: Yes. My physique is too big for modelling jobs (excluding fitness modelling). My head is too big for my body. My waist is too thick. Luckily, I have learnt to be contented with what I have now.

Joseph: Yes, most people say I am very fit or muscular, some say I need to train more of this and that part of my body, but ultimately I don’t really care of what other people say unless they are the people that matter to me.

If you could change anything about yourself, would you?

Brandon: I would change the way I perceive and receive such comments as well as how it affects me mentally and emotionally. Like they always say, “There are two sides to a coin”, so find the side that will make you feel good about yourself.

Joseph: NO!

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Brandon Teo (behind) and Joseph Edward Gragasin. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Benjamin Low (23 Aug 2021)

Benjamin Low is a bank officer. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Benjamin Low (@benlowblow)

Age: 32

Height: 1.79m

Weight: 72kg

Occupation: bank officer

Status: attached

Food: I eat mostly home cooked food which is low in sodium, but I do not control my diet too much while eating out due to convenience. I also try to stay away from fast food but I love ice cream, dark chocolate and peanut butter!

Exercise: Depending on my schedule, I hit the gym, run, cycle and do calisthenics about five times a week.

Benjamin used to do skateboarding and dragonboating, but is now hooked on road cycling. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: When you were younger, were you active in sports?

A: I played "catching" and monkey bars a lot in primary school so I think that built my fitness foundation. In Primary 6, I started playing basketball and it has been my favourite ball game ever since.

I was introduced to skateboarding in upper secondary and had a whale of a time learning and perfecting new tricks – my favourites being the kick-flip and heel-flip. I also had a mountain bike and went riding on park connectors every weekend.

What other sports did you get into as you grew older?

I tried dragonboating and track & field for a while. I was also inspired by “Hannibal for King” to do calisthenics.

I was introduced to road cycling earlier this year and I am now hooked on the cycling life. I find it the very best balance of exercise and exploration as you not only get a great pump for your heart and lower body, you also get to experience beautiful sunrises and new places as you clock mileage.

Benjamin is currently working on improving his compound lifts – squat and deadlift. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

You used to work as cabin crew.

Yeah, back then I would allocate time during off days to get in some training and I walked a lot while overseas exploring. Nasty and unreasonable colleagues were the greatest challenge, but I just had to think happy thoughts about the travelling and food galore which helped me endure during those difficult flights.

What are you currently pursuing in fitness?

I am currently working on improving my compound lifts – squat and deadlift. I plan to learn power moves like cleans and snatches too when I get stronger.

Also, I will continually improve my road cycling speed and stamina and hope to cycle to Tuas Lamp Post 1 soon.

What affects your confidence?

I feel that it is the innate fear of people judging me that affects my confidence. When I don’t think much about it, there’s no fear and no fear = confidence.

I have experienced failures in life just like everybody else and yes, the feeling is very discouraging. But as long as there’s life, there’s hope and all things are possible when you believe and persevere.

Benjamin believes that the innate fear of people judging him affects his confidence. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Are you satisfied with your body now?

I am satisfied with my progress but will continue training as long as I can because fitness is a lifelong journey.

Is your body a result of your workout regime or is it something you worked towards?

I got it from my mama. Haha! Definitely a conscious effort to train and be a better version each day.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Some positive, some negative but it doesn’t matter because it is my body.

If you could change anything about yourself, would you?

I wouldn’t change a thing.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Benjamin Low. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Xavier Ong (8 Mar 2021)

Xavier Ong is a well-known actor in Singapore. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Xavier Ong (@ongxavier)

Age: 27

Height: 1.86m

Weight: 70kg

Occupation: Actor

Status: Single Pringle

Diet: I follow a ketogenic diet; not the super duper clean and strict kind though. I don't avoid sauces but I definitely stay away from sugars and hard carbs.

Training: I actually started my fitness journey only in March 2020 at F45 – so this marks my first anniversary of my fitness journey. Now I'm actually at F45 about five times a week.

Xavier Ong follows a ketogenic diet, staying away from sugar and hard carbs. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: When you were younger, did you take part in any kind of sports?

A: I did for a short time when I was 16. I was chasing someone I liked and that person was in dragonboating so I ended up in the team. However, if I may be honest, I wasn't exactly interested in the sport and I remember how I felt like dying every week because I didn’t do much exercise before that.

I've had Tourette Syndrome since I was 10 and have been excused from PE lessons even when I was in school, hence I lacked stamina and you could say I was… purely just weak.

When was your turning point and fitness became a bigger part of your life?

When I was filming "Titoudao" in late 2019, I had a scene where I was meant to run down a bus. During the rehearsal, I found myself out of breath just from doing that. Thus I told myself I needed to do something about it and work on improving my stamina.

Another reason was for my job – For the past two to three years I've been casted in certain roles because I was scrawny. I was mostly given roles like (overgrown) students or softer male characters like Hua Dan in "Titoudao". I wanted to show people my versatility and take on other roles too, thus I started to work on building my physique.

Xavier has Tourette's Syndrome since the age of 10. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Being in the entertainment industry, do you face pressure to look a certain way?

There's definitely a pressure to look a certain way whether you're in the industry or not. Be it for work or day-to-day, I think the most important thing is to be healthy and feel good about yourself.

There's also a need to show different looks for different roles, so I definitely felt the pressure to show versatility in my appearances.

Since you started becoming more active, has it benefited your career?

Since I started becoming more active, COVID-19 also became very active haha.

I actually got offered a role that needed me to go topless (where I had to show my abs to the director as part of audition). But that didn't go through because of the lockdown in Malaysia and Singapore so plans were deferred.

Have you ever faced rejection in your work because of how you look?

I think there was this period way before I started going on the ketogenic diet. At that time I didn't understand why I wasn't getting roles but looking back now I'm pretty clear of that reason.

My face looked like a large bun with excess fillings but no one exactly told me that for a good year until my manager back then sat me down one day and asked if I realised that I've put on a little bit too much weight. I actually felt I was very good looking back then.

Xavier says there is pressure in the entertainment industry to show versatility in appearances.(PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

You've been on a ketogenic diet for a long time. How has being on a keto diet benefited you?

I've been doing keto for about three years now and it all started when I was confirmed for a role, but the director told me I needed to lose a little bit more weight before filming started in three weeks. I went ahead to search for diets online and after reading through the diets that involved only juices or steamed chicken breasts and broccoli, I stumbled upon the ketogenic diet.

My brain started overflowing with food ideas (Korean BBQ, Mookata, roast duck, pork belly etc.) and that was when I knew I've found the diet made for me. I lost a good 18-20kg just from being on keto (even before I started this fitness journey), I didn't need botox anymore and honestly the energy is amazing. I would also like to think that my fitness progress thus far was made easier being on the keto diet.

I've tried to go back on a normal carb diet countless times but the change of energy was very obvious and I really felt horribly sluggish so I always just ended back on keto but I'm working around it to bulk up a little by increasing my protein intake. For me now, it's really just the energy which I absolutely enjoy and not about the weight loss.

What are your fitness goals now?

My goals are always changing to be honest. I'll achieve what I want to achieve and then move on to the next goal really quickly because I don't like to make crazy huge goals.

I believe in baby steps and being just 1 per cent better every day. For now I'm working on a larger chest and more defined abs. Then from there I'll progress again.

Xavier's current fitness goals are to work on a larger chest and more defined abs. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Was there ever a time where you felt the least confident about yourself?

I've actually always been pretty comfortable being myself and being in my own skin but there will be that one or two days a month when I feel a little under the weather or I feel like I'm getting slightly out of shape due to my occasional feasting.

When that happens, I usually just stay home and do some fasting, then I'm all ready for the world again.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

I'm not unsatisfied for sure but I do know and believe that I can achieve more, which is what I'm constantly working towards.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Ever since I started on my fitness journey, I haven't actually been getting any negative comments, Before I started working out however, a lot of people were telling me how skinny I was or how unfit I am when I'm filming. So I'm really glad I started on this journey and ever thankful to the people I have met throughout this period that has been pushing me on and keeping me on track.

Going to do a special shoutout here to power fitness couple Elise and Mika - I wouldn't have gotten so far without the both of them.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Xavier Ong. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Allan Wu (22 Feb 2021)

Allan Wu is a well-known actor best known for hosting The Amazing Race Asia. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Allan Wu (@wulander)

Age: 48

Height: 1.82m

Weight: 82kg

Occupation: Actor

Status: Single

Diet: I have never really followed any specific diet except maybe the "See Food" diet where I "see food and eat food." I have always been very active since I was young, so I believe this lifestyle has allowed me to eat what I want and when I want.

That being said, I have made more of a conscious effort to consume less as I got older, because I understand that our respective BMR (basal metabolic rate) does tend to slow down as we age. Still, I do eat all the foods I love but merely in a smaller quantity. Staying hydrated is very important to me too so I make an effort to ensure I workout and sweat.

Training: If I’m not too busy with work, I try to work out five to six days per week with certain days specifically focused on aerobic conditioning by swimming about 2km or running about 6 to 7 km. I try to swim more these days to protect and preserve my knees and joints because I’m certainly not getting younger.

I also like going to True Fitness and TFX gyms for weight training to maintain strength and muscle mass because after the age of 40, the process of muscle degeneration begins to accelerate.

And if time allows, I’ll play basketball and tennis with my kids or friends so we can hang out and also do something healthy together.

Allan works out five to six days per week, with certain days specifically focused on aerobic conditioning by swimming or running. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: You have always been a very sporty person.

A: Yeah, I grew up playing a wide variety of sports. I have always enjoyed going outdoors and being active so it was natural for me to try new sports. In primary school, I played dodge ball, kick ball and handball. My first foray into organised sports was playing baseball on my Little League Team.

In high school, I represented my high school in cross country running, basketball, soccer/football and track & field. I also trained and raced competitively in road cycling and beach volleyball. In university, I was on the crew (rowing) team before I got into snow boarding after I graduated.

How did you get into the entertainment industry?

After I graduated from UC Berkeley, I worked for a few years at a biotechnology company in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was there that I realised I didn't really enjoy what I was doing and wanted to see if I could become an actor. I knew it would not be easy for an Asian American trying to break into Hollywood, so I never really had the courage to do it.

However, on one fateful trip to Lake Tahoe to go snowboarding, I suffered a very serious accident while snowboarding, and that's when I realised everything can change at the blink of an eye, so I should start doing what I really wanted to do.

After going through extensive rehab and recovery, I took my first steps in starting a career in entertainment – I took my portfolio and approached several agents and got rejected until someone gave me a chance – and have never backed since, which was about 25 years ago.

Your career in the entertainment industry has taken you all over the world. How do you maintain your fitness regime through all the work and travel?

I have been very fortunate to have lived and worked in many different places like China, Hong Kong, the United States, and it's been an eye opener to witness how much health and wellness have become so popular and accepted everywhere. It has not always been easy to maintain a consistent fitness regime with a busy work and travel schedule. In fact, I used to be the type of person who would get a bit frazzled if I could not work out every single day.

However, I have learned through time and experience to "work smarter" now where I don't necessarily need to work out regularly and still maintain a healthy lifestyle. For example, I can go on the road for two or even three months on a project and not feel too bad because I know I can resume my fitness regime once I have completed it. I believe the key for all of us is to understand our bodies and finding the "sweet spot" where we are comfortable with who we are and what we know we can achieve.

Do you train with the aim of getting this physique?

I have always been active so I would say I started having this physique maybe not too long after I could start walking and running without falling. However, I would have to say I formally started working on my physique in high school around 17 years old when I watched the "Rocky" and "Rambo" movies and started adding weightlifting into my workout regime.

When I got to university, that is when I really started to work even harder on weight training and building my strength. I don't think I ever particularly trained to look a certain way or build a certain muscle, but I could see the positive results and gains from a consistent weightlifting regimen.

Allan's first step into the entertainment business came after a serious snowboarding injury about 25 years ago. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Being in the entertainment industry, do you face pressure to look a certain way?

I don't think it's absolutely imperative to look a certain way in the entertainment industry. We see actors, singers, hosts, models, etc of all shapes and sizes so there is a market for everyone. However, I have always found myself categorised as the more "athletic and healthy" option so that has worked out well for me because I look this way anyway.

Even though I have had to make some body transformations for certain roles in the past, we will naturally gravitate towards our own personal natural state of order based on our own personal lifestyle preferences.

Do you think your body has stereotyped you into certain roles?

Absolutely. I think my body has definitely helped and hurt me with certain roles and projects. It is a double-edged sword and works both ways when it comes to our look and physical appearance. This is also a profound difference between being an actor and host. As an actor, we are asked to physically bring a character to life and "flesh" it out. While as a host we are essentially portraying ourselves and can look and do as we please.

For your age, you look amazing. Is it hard to maintain this physique as you get older? Do you have to keep changing up your training and diet?

Thank you. It has never been that hard to maintain a physique as long as we enjoy what we are doing AND know that it is good for us. That being said, I must confess it does get more challenging as we age as we aren't able to always do what we could do before. For example, running has always been a cornerstone for me to burn quality calories and keep the aerobic fitness up.

However, I have been experiencing knee and joint issues for years now so I know that I cannot maintain the same volume of mileage as I did five, 10, 20 years ago so I have learned to do other sports such as swimming. The key for me is to continue to stay active and find activities I enjoy doing.

As for dieting, I still do eat and drink what I like although I do make more of a conscious effort to consume less and stay away from late night suppers. Those are the absolute worst for gaining unwanted weight.

Do you ever worry about women getting attracted to your physique and overlooking your personality?

I think it comes with the territory for all of us. We all hope who we are attracts the right person because the first thing we see is the physical. From there, we hope the opposite party cares to see and learn about the person inside. But of course, it doesn't hurt to stay active and take care of ourselves so we are happy with the way we look because self-confidence is a very attractive trait.

Was there ever a time where you felt the least confident about yourself?

I would say my very first season of The Amazing Race Asia really tested my nerves as I was traveling essentially every one or two days and didn't have anytime to maintain an active fitness regime. I remember trying to run on an old treadmill in New Delhi, India, after finishing work late one day. My clothes and shoes were drenched in sweat, and then I had to pack it all up a few hours later for the next international flight.

Having to travel a lot without time for workouts during the first season of The Amazing Race Asia made Allan feel insecure about his physique. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

I learned I didn't enjoy having my clothes and shoes all soiled and sweaty so I told myself to focus on work and getting rest when I could during the demanding filming schedule. After finally wrapping up the first season, I would focus on getting back into a regular fitness routine.

I wasn't exactly sure how my body and mind would go, but the world didn't come crashing down so I was happy to see I could stay sane and focus on work without having to overextend myself with working out on the road and filming. It was a mini epiphany for me and I have used this method ever since for all my projects thereafter.

Are you satisfied with your body now? Are you afraid to lose this physique you have now?

I have always been active and understand that my body is merely a vessel of what I love to do so I am content with it now and back then. I have never really given extensive thought about losing my current physique and probably won't dwell too much on this topic because I know exactly what I need to do to maintain it.

That being said, if I do somehow lose this physique when I am even older, then I would like to hope I won't stress out too much because I am already grateful with all that it has allowed me to do and perform from a physical and athletic standpoint.

What type of comments do you get about your body?

I have received all kinds of comments through the decades, both positive and negative. I remember some female classmates back in high school would comment I had a nice rear, and I was actually a little shocked because I never thought about that. It was maybe my first experience into what being objectified felt like.

Since then, I have received comments for various parts of my body from my arms to shoulders, to back to chest to abs to legs and calves to, of course, my butt. I have been in the public eye for quite some time so I take all comments both good and bad in good stride.

Any anecdotes to share about people's reactions to your body?

Since I was in university, I would always be asked to take off my shirt and display my physique. These requests have never really ceased through the decades, and I used to feel very self-conscious about doing it. However, I have reached a point now where I am more comfortable with myself and don't think as much about it.

If we have put in the work and are proud of what we accomplished, then we shouldn't feel bad about sharing it once in a while. And hopefully, someone will see what hard work can accomplish and be inspired to do the same for himself or herself because I truly believe we can all achieve our own personal fitness goals with hard work and dedication.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Allan Wu (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Nic Tjoa (26 Oct 2020)

Nic Tjoa works in talent management. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Nic Tjoa (@nictjoa)

Age: 32

Height: 1.76m

Weight: 70kg

Occupation: Talent Management

Status: Single

Diet: My meals consist of a lot of lean meat, fish and vegetables. I am a big foodie and have a serious sweet tooth. My main motivation to work out is actually so that I can eat whatever and whenever I feel the need to. Those who know me well can vouch for that. Haha! Although preparation for shoots does require a certain diet programme such as cutting down on unnecessary carbohydrates, sugar and minimising sodium intake.

Training: If my schedule permits, I usually train about three to five times a week. I am the kind of guy that likes to mix things up. I break down my workout routines into four main groups – strength, cardio, functional and skills.

The strength component is quite straightforward involving both low and high intensity weight training at the gym. The cardio aspect consists of HIIT (high-intensity interval training), hill sprints, boxing and swimming. I usually aim to burn 700 to 1,000 calories in a single 60-minute session. At that point, it is all about challenging the mental and physical threshold while strengthening the heart and lungs. It is the workout component that I usually dread doing at the start (especially as I age) but yet when completed has the most fulfilling satisfaction.

My functional routine consists of calisthenics and yoga where I work on fine tuning my body through advanced bodyweight and mobility exercises. The skills part was recently added during Circuit Breaker where I plan progression exercises to practise complex calisthenics movements such as handstands and full planche as well as advanced yoga poses such as the peacock and crane pose. This is usually done on days where I am either recovering from the previous workout sessions or when I am feeling low on energy.

Nic Tjoa breaks down his workout routines into four main groups – strength, cardio, functional and skills. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: What were your backgrounds in sports growing up?

A: My first competitive sport was swimming. I swam at junior national level until about the age of 15. It was throughout those years that I developed a knack for competing. I was one of those kids that held four to five extra-curricular activities throughout my primary and secondary school days. I competed in sports such as basketball, football, athletics and even sepak takraw.

When my school days were over, I fell in love with martial arts such as boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts. I competed for a few years in martial arts but I came to realise the injuries I sustained during trainings and fights weren’t ideal for someone like me, who was then working full-time in the corporate world.

The adrenaline rush from the latter activities then developed further, fuelling my current passion for extreme sports such as snowboarding and surfing.

What led you to start your own talent agency?

It happened quite by accident actually. I was previously working as a corporate shipbroker for a few years. However, the constant consumption of alcohol and second-hand smoking (while entertaining my clients) really strained my health and fitness. I decided to leave that industry before even deciding on what to do next.

I decided to get some advice from my peers and they were joking about how I should consider being a talent or actor full-time. At that point of time, I wasn’t so sure that career will take off for me, but then it struck me. Instead of being a talent myself, why don’t I start an agency to help others venture into this industry.

Being in the entertainment industry, do you face any pressure to maintain your physique or look a certain way?

I am not bothered by any pressure to look in a certain way as I am more client facing than camera facing. The only pressure I have is one that I set on myself. I prefer to see it as an added motivation by staying healthy and fit as an example for my talents and peers. It is easy to get caught up with work and personal commitments and come up with excuses or reasons to brush aside one’s health and wellness.

Nic is also a fitness trainer, and it helps in making him more presentable and professional when he applies for talent jobs that involve fitness. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

You're also a fitness trainer – how does being a model and actor complement that?

I figured it just makes me more presentable and professional when I apply for jobs that involve fitness. However, I find more joy in coaching and helping the talents under my management during my free time. Having them stay in shape and be healthy does add longevity to their careers.

What did you do during the Circuit Breaker and how did you train then?

I am a person who enjoys routine, especially when it comes to fitness. The recent Circuit Breaker really disrupted my daily activities, especially since they consist of mostly team sports and constant human interaction. Thankfully, we are living in a technology era where one can get information and learn new things over the internet.

I managed to find a silver lining by attempting activities that I have been procrastinating on for quite some time – such as yoga and calisthenics. Being alone and confined to just my own home has allowed me to focus on strengthening my mind and body through bodyweight exercises and increasing mobility and flexibility through constant stretching (of which I have seriously neglected over the years). It was truly a humbling and life changing experience.

What are your fitness goals now?

My fitness goals are constantly evolving. My level of fitness, recovery and commitment isn’t quite the same as before. Therefore, I have stopped competitive sports as a whole.

My main goal now is ensuring that I still maintain discipline by setting time aside to stay active regardless of my work and personal schedule. Even if it means squeezing a workout during my lunch break or after hours when everyone is likely to be in bed. My new found love for calisthenics and yoga has also reignited my goals for the next few years to come.

Being confined at home during the Circuit Breaker has made Nic Tjoa more focused in his exercises, yoga and calisthenics. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Did you ever not feel confident about yourself?

During my teenage years till about my early 20s, I had trouble gaining weight and muscle mass. I was very active in competitive sports and in general a hyperactive person that can’t seem to sit still. Weightlifting wasn’t really my thing back then. It didn’t help that I also had hypermetabolism syndrome throughout those years. I could never get my weight past 60kg with my current height. I had to seek medical advice then and was told to cut down on my fitness activities because I was already burning more calories than an average person by simply sitting down.

Being an avid sports person and extremely competitive, those were orders I struggled to heed. Therefore, I decided to pay more attention and discipline to my diet by consuming over 3,000 calories per day, and adding weightlifting to my routine in order to put on some muscle mass.

Are you content with your body now?

As I’ve gotten older, I have started viewing my body as more of a machine rather than just an outlet for aesthetics. That being said, the choices I make towards living a healthy lifestyle function mainly to make sure that my “machine” is operating at its highest performance level with zero to minimal breakdown. I prioritise this by focusing on functionality and well-being over the look of my body.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Generally, I have had positive comments about my body but I choose to not pay much attention to them. I know that the body is a fickle thing and its appearance can change in a heartbeat.

Speaking from experience, aesthetics doesn’t last forever and maintaining the “perfect” body requires enormous upkeep of diet and exercise. I’d much rather focus on my overall health and well-being while staying extremely active and doing the things I love to do.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Nic Tjoa. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Nelson Wong (17 Aug 2020)

Nelson Wong is a marketing manager, as well as a group exercise instructor at Fitness First and Virgin Active. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Nelson Wong (@nelson.niersen)

Age: 36

Height: 1.77m

Weight: 69kg

Occupation: Marketing manager, group exercise instructor at Fitness First and Virgin Active

Status: Married

Diet: I am a meat eater and my meals are usually loaded with proteins, vegetables, and minimum carbohydrates. I take frequent meals rather than big three meals a day. I don’t eat to 80-90 per cent full for a single meal and I usually snack between meals. If I am not preparing for any races, my meal would be pretty balanced and I will avoid fried food and sugary drinks. Kopi c kosong (coffee with evaporated milk without sugar) is a must for me to kickstart the day.

Training: In a week, I would run three times a week (average 8-10km per run). I also conduct two to three HIIT (high-intensity interval training) classes at a local gym. With my tight schedule, I usually squeeze in one or two strength training sessions with quick exercises hitting all the major muscle groups.

From playing soccer and basketball when he was young, Nelson Wong moved on to bodybuilding while doing his bachelor's degree. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: When you were younger, you played soccer and basketball, did off-road mountain biking and sprinting. What did you do as you got older?

A: I took up bodybuilding when I was doing my bachelor degree overseas. I wanted to bulk up to look physically strong and I ended up becoming 1.5 times my current size, which was 15kg heavier than my current weight.

When I started working, I met my wife in a gathering and I stumbled upon long-distance running by accidentally running a half-marathon with her (we took a wrong U-turn). And the rest is history.

What are some life lessons you've learnt from your various fitness pursuits?

Be persistent and never give up easily. This is what I have learnt when training for marathons. Do the work, put in the mileage, and keep going until you see the results at the finish line. It’s important that you need to trust the process.

One of Nelson's fitness goals is to help others get fitter, stronger and lead a healthy lifestyle. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Results take time and consistency is key. Keep doing what you’re good at, and be patient; your time will come and eventually it will bear fruits. I used to be just a regular gym goer and have always been passionate to help others to stay fit. Then I took up an opportunity to get certified to be an exercise instructor.

What are your fitness goals now?

My goal now is to maintain a healthy body, continue to upskill, and pursue a new training regime that motivates me, as well as help others around me to get fitter, stronger and lead a healthy lifestyle. During the COVID-19 period, I have also gotten the opportunity to teach online classes to reach out to a wider group of people who are interested in my program called #TorchxSculpt.

What are some of the challenges, and also the joys, of being a fitness instructor?

Some of the joy as a fitness instructor is having the opportunity to reach out to a large group of people in a class, inspire them to work hard, and to motivate them to get out of their comfort zone by overcoming the tough workout together. I enjoy establishing connections with members in the group fitness environment, guiding and helping them with their fitness transformation.

As for challenges, it would be not having enough sleep for morning classes – it’s tough juggling a corporate career, leading a running club and teaching fitness classes.

Nelson enjoys being a fitness instructor as he is able to motivate people to get out of their comfort zone by overcoming tough workouts together. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

How do you balance your corporate life with your fitness passions?

I set priorities, plan it in advance, and schedule it in my calendar so that I know what my typical day will be like. Fortunately for me, my wife is also into fitness and has been very supportive in what I do outside of work.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

I would say when I’m doing things that I am not familiar with. But I learnt to overcome them by taking baby steps to learn, listen and get feedback from others in order to grow, and always being humble with the given opportunities.

Are you contented with your body now?

Yes, I am happy with my body now. I want to continue to maintain the physical fitness of an athlete.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Yes, about my chest. I used to bench heavy weights at the gym and now I am doing lighter weights with higher reps to get it toned.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Nelson Wong. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Edmund Choo (18 May 2020)

Edmund Choo is a veterinarian who enjoys a wide range of sporting activities. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

NOTE: The following interview was conducted before the enhanced safe distancing period.

 

Name: Edmund Choo (@edtivevet)

Age: 30

Height: 1.75m

Weight: 68kg

Occupation: Veterinarian

Status: Married (with one kid)

Diet: No specific diet for me, although I believe in eating moderately. I start my day with two half-boiled eggs, before having the usual breakfast, lunch and dinner, so that makes up about 3.5 meals each day. I try to consume a higher proportion of protein – such as meat, eggs and tofu – each meal. On days when I feel that I’m not getting sufficient protein through my diet, I also supplement with whey protein to aid in muscle recovery. I do have cheat days too (I’m only human), and I’ll just make a mental note to push myself harder in my exercise routine the next day.

I’m rather particular over what I drink though, which is an aspect some may neglect as part of their fitness regimen. For instance, I generally steer away from sugary drinks. I just stick to loads of water, and not more than a cup of coffee each day.

Training: Depending on my physical condition, I train for about four to six times a week, in the morning before work. I try to be disciplined and consistent in my training – mixture of strength training, sprints and Tabata workouts. I also squeeze in a 10km night run on a weekly basis.

Edmund believes an important but overlooked part of fitness is what one drinks. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: You seem like you’ve been in sports all your life.

A: Yes, I’ve always been an avid sportsman, dabbling in a variety of competitive sports like table tennis, skipping, track and field, basketball and taekwondo while schooling. During my army days, I also tried dragonboating and marathons, before taking up rowing in university. During my peak, my personal best for a full marathon was under four hours. I love diving too, and am also a dive master.

I really enjoy both individual and team competitive sports, and of course, winning makes all the hard work I’ve put in worthwhile. By participating in competitive sports, I’ve learnt the importance of fair play, teamwork and sportsmanship. Such lessons definitely eased my transition into adulthood and working life.

When you started working, how did your fitness regimen change?

In the past, I had the luxury of spending hours working out and playing sports, but now spending this amount of time is simply unimaginable. To manage my commitments better, I now exercise in the mornings to get a head start, focusing on a mix of strength training, sprints and Tabata workouts.

Edmund balances his work commitments with a mix of strength training, sprints and Tabata workouts. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

For those who have not heard of Tabata workout, it is a form of HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and a fantastic way to remain functionally fit, while giving your metabolism a much-needed boost.

What are your fitness goals now?

I try to set new fitness goals from time to time to challenge myself. Currently I am working on strengthening my weak muscle groups such as shoulders, to improve posture and joint stability. If I am preparing for any event or competition, I will also tailor my training accordingly.

What are your objectives for working out?

To really take care of my body, both physical and mental. I do not want to be restricted in what I do or eat. Working out consistently allows me to lead a healthy lifestyle on my own terms. Exercising alone in the mornings also allows me to have the much-needed “me” time before starting the day.

What have you learnt about the relationship between nutrition and training?

I have some knowledge, but I’m still learning as I go along. I see nutrition and training like soya milk and youtiao, they come together. A conversation about health won’t be complete with just either of them. Whenever possible, I make sure I support my muscle recovery and growth with the right nutrition and hydration. Having sufficient rest is very important too.

Edmund's current fitness goal is to really take care of his body, both physical and mental, and not be restricted in what he does or eats. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

I didn’t really like to be photographed growing up, because I was embarrassed about my teeth and smile. I also felt insecure because of my lean physique from all the running I was doing. It was only after I had my braces done, that I felt a lot more confident in my smile. In addition to that, I focused on things that are important to me and make me happy, such as sports and family. Since then, I have been much happier and more confident.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

I’ve worked hard over a long time to achieve my current body. It may be far from the standards found in fitness magazines, but I’m proud and happy with myself. To others aiming to achieve their ideal body, don’t give up. There are no shortcuts, think discipline and consistency.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Certainly, both positive and negative comments. As mentioned earlier, I’m proud of my body and I’ll continue to do what makes me happy.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Edmund Choo. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Tyler Lim (23 Mar 2020)

Tyler Lim believes in intuitive eating, whereby he mindfully eats in moderation whatever and whenever his body tells me to. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Tyler Lim (@thisfitdoc)

Age: 32

Height: 1.83m

Weight: 79kg

Occupation: Doctor

Status: Married to @thisfitblonde

Diet: I eat intuitively, as others might call “intuitive eating”. I make peace with the food that I eat. There is technically no bad or good food; too much of anything is bad. Junk food makes you overeat before you feel full. It also makes me feel sick and sleepy post-meal, and I recognise that as what my body does not want.

Healthy food makes me eat in proper portions and gives me mind clarity after, and it gets my day going for what I need to do. It also moves my bowels regularly. There is a certain mental satisfaction to moving bowels regularly and its science (look it up). So mindfully I’d eat in moderation whatever and whenever my body tells me to. I also find that I keep more friends that way.

Training: I do strength training with my favourite personal trainer twice a week, and three times a week of HIIT for cardio with my friends on ClassPass.

Tyler Lim views personal fitness as a lifestyle rather than a means to an end. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: What were your backgrounds in sports growing up?

A: The only sport I did back in the day was e-sports, which involved a lot of finger clicking and sitting down. I mean, I did occasional basketball with my friends but never competitively. I was actually a sickly little asthmatic kid growing up and I’m glad I grew out of it.

What made you suddenly take an interest in fitness? Was it your wife who got you into this active lifestyle?

Well, national service (NS) definitely played a part in kickstarting my fitness exposure. I did it at 26 though, because of medical school. But I never had the love for fitness because who likes being shouted and screamed at while working out.

Then my wife (girlfriend then) started dating me during my NS time and pretty much got me into a routine because she’s a fitness fanatic, enthusiast, advocate, you-name-it.

How have your views towards fitness change?

I think a lot of people, including myself, view fitness as a means to an end – getting in shape or to lose weight, often within a designated period – when we first start. But more recently, I feel like it’s more than that: I see it as a lifestyle. It’s about getting active and spending time with like-minded people, having fun as you would going about your daily life.

Tyler Lim motivates himself by working out with his wife. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

I can bore you with all the benefits of working out and the science behind it (and it might get you started or even get you to try out your first class), but you wouldn’t sustain doing it if you don’t find yourself happy living that lifestyle.

What are the advantages of working out with your wife?

Well, you'd always have dates (you'll be surprised how many married couples can miss out going on dates for weeks), and that little endorphin at the end of the workout brings you ever closer together. You work out together, you eat together, you head home together. I guess that why couples who sweat together, stay together.

How do you balance your work as a general practitioner, being a dad and keeping fit?

Everybody is busy. I’ll find time to do things that are important to me, like you would for things that are important to you. I believe that you'll have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. As you are reminded you every time you board the plane, “Please put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others”.

What are your fitness goals now?

I don’t like the term “goal” because it suggests that there’ll be an end to what I do. I enjoy that lifestyle and I like challenges, and currently I’m challenging myself to build more strength and maintain it.

Tyler Lim has balance his fitness lifestyle with his career as a doctor, as well as being a dad. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

I used to be self-conscious especially when public speaking and leading in projects, especially back in school days. It leads me to over-worry and then appear nervous. When in actual fact, I think I’m often the hardest judge of my own performance.

I now just make peace with myself and focus on the task at hand and try to complete and clear the objectives I set for myself. I find that more people say I’m confident that way.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

This question makes me think about and then judge my own body and then feel insecure when comparing myself to others. I otherwise wouldn’t think about it. I'd be lying if I said I don’t care, so I try to think about answering other questions in life – which are aplenty.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

I can imagine I would after this post gets out. But I mean here and there I’m sure everybody does, but I’m lucky because I mainly get positive things. Probably because I’m always around people whom I love and respect and likewise.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Tyler Lim. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Rayson Yong (20 Jan 2020)

Rayson Yong managed to cut his weight from 91kg to 67kg after embarking on a fitness regime. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Rayson Yong Wei Xiang (@raysonyong)

Age: 34

Height: 1.73m

Weight: 70kg

Occupation: Customer service executive

Status: Single

Diet: I tend to include a lot of vegetables and fruits in my diet, avoid fried food and eat everything in moderation – the usual. I also stop eating after 8pm, as this helps me to not munch on excess calories (read: snacks) near bedtime.

Training: I am currently training five days a week. I will hit the gym either during lunch time or after work. I split my workouts into three categories – “Push”, “Pull” and “Leg” – and there will be a rest day in between for recovery. I usually spend about an hour at the gym, with a very short break in between sets to maximise efficiency.

Q: What kind of sports did you do in school?

A: I played badminton and volleyball during my secondary school days, and I represented my teams at inter-class competitions. I also played tennis leisurely for about a year in my final year in polytechnic.

When Rayson Yong was at his heaviest, he suffered ailments such as high blood pressure and lower back aches. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Over the years, you started to gain weight and you let yourself go. How did that happen?

I did not play any sports nor join any fitness clubs after I left school. I started work shortly after completing my national service. Back then, I was not active and was eating irregularly due to work. During the weekends, I would just stay at home, play games and eat on my bed. This went on for 12 years.

When did you realise it was time to do something?

The awakening came when I was getting ready for my reservist back in late 2017 and I could no longer fit into my uniform. At that point, I weighed 91kg and had a BMI of 30.4, which was way beyond the healthy or ideal range. I was basically 25kg over my ideal weight.

To top it off, I was having issues with high blood pressure and lower back aches. I was also falling sick regularly and constantly feeling lethargic. It was then that I knew I had to do something about my excess weight to prevent it from damaging my health.

What kickstarted your fitness regime?

I tried losing weight by cutting out carbohydrates completely from my diet. I thought at the time that this was the easiest way to lose weight without having to spend too much time and energy exercising. However, I started having withdrawal syndromes and was feeling nauseated and light-headed, and I wasn’t enjoying my new diet as well. That was when I realised that it wasn’t sustainable.

My friend, Benny, who’s a member at Fitness First, encouraged me to start going to the gym for more effective results. He mentioned that the trainers could guide me through my nutrition and weight loss journey.

Rayson Yong began to see success in his weight-loss regime after getting advice from a personal trainer. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Initially, did you feel intimidated about going to the gym?

I signed up for a membership at Fitness First back in March 2018 due to the convenience of their locations around the island so that I could get a workout done wherever I am. I felt intimidated initially because it was my first time stepping into a gym. I was overweight, unfit, and had no experience with the equipment then, so I was quite worried about how I would perform and if my body could take on the intensity of the workouts.

How did you overcome the fear?

I had a personal trainer, Daniel Tan, who guided me through the gym equipment and routines, and showed me the correct form when exercising so I don’t get injured. In addition to personal training sessions, I started attending lunch classes with my gym buddies Benny and Michelle.

The first class I attended was RPM (indoor group cycling workout). For someone who was overweight and unfit back then, cycling still seemed easy and manageable – or so I thought. But I was wrong! Muscles which I never knew existed started to awaken from years of inactivity. While my body was sore and ached for the next few days, I never felt more alive and stronger.

I continued to push myself and tried out different group classes with Benny and Michelle. After three to four months of exercising I continued to try out different group classes available at Fitness First, such as RPM, Body Pump, Body Combat, Body Steps, Body Jam, Yoga, and Spartan Training.

When did you start seeing change in your body?

I saw progress as my weight fell from 91kg to 80kg – I took a whole 11kg off. I felt a strong sense of achievement and was motivated to set higher goals for myself to become stronger and leaner. With these goals in mind, I signed on for another 24 sessions of personal training with Daniel.

By September 2018, I weighed 72kg with a steady decrease in my fat percentage and by December 2018, I reached my goal of 67kg – I was at the leanest form ever in my entire life. My shirt size dropped from XL to S and my waist also shrank from 38 inches to 29 inches.

It's like a brand new you - how have people reacted and how do you feel about the new you?

Funny you say that. In the third quarter of 2019, Fitness First organised a motivational award ceremony called the New You Achievement Awards that recognises and celebrates the health and fitness achievements of members. With the successes I made and the lessons I learnt, I decided to take part in the awards because I hoped for my story to inspire others to not be afraid to take on the challenges in life.

After shedding weight, Rayson Yong signed up for his gym's motivational award ceremony, in hope that his weight-loss journey can inspire others to not be afraid to take on the challenges in life. (PHOTO: Courtesy of Rayson Yong/Cheryl Tay)

To be honest, my fitness journey was not smooth-sailing. There was a lot of pain, frustration and self-doubt. But with the encouragement of my friends, family, fitness buddies and personal trainer – I persevered.

After I shed the pounds, I received many compliments from my family and friends on how well and lean I look. And there were of course some who could not recognise me at all. My health also improved tremendously.

What else have you been up to besides going to the gym?

I completed my first 10km and half-marathon in October 2018 and April 2019 respectively. I also completed the Spartan Sprint race last August. I am looking forward to challenge myself with a full marathon and a more challenging version of the Spartan race.

What are your fitness goals now?

My goal for 2020 is to continue to increase my muscle mass, make good food decisions, and live healthily.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

I did have doubts initially when my training did not seem to be effective after my first three months, as my muscle mass did not increase despite me diligently hitting the gym every day to attend classes and doing weights training.

Daniel then advised me to focus on weight training, and increase the intensity and weights over time. That was when I start to see progress and managed to lose body fat as well as increase my overall muscle mass.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Rayson Yong. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Caleb Goh (23 Dec 2019)

Caleb is an avid triathlete who has taken part in Ironman 70.3 events. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Caleb Goh (@run_caleb_run)

Age: 28

Height: 1.78m

Weight: 68kg

Occupation: Programme & Partnership executive at APSN

Status: Single

Diet: I do not follow any diet plan. I don't really eat any breakfast unless I am going for a workout, then I’ll have something small. Lunch and dinner are as per normal, but Fridays are off days so I will only have a heavy lunch for the whole day. I do not really eat vegetables but I take in lots of different fruits or juices daily.

Training:

• Monday – Swim (3km)

• Tuesday – Speed Run (60-90 min)

• Wednesday – Swim (3km)

• Thursday – Bike Trainer Intervals (60-90 min)

• Friday – Rest Day

• Saturday – Morning: Swim (45min), Afternoon: Long run (90-120 min)

• Sunday – Long Ride (3-4 hours)

Q: Were you a runner in your younger days?

A: I was in track and field in secondary school – my pet track events were 400m and 800m. I also enjoyed running for cross-country, both organised by the school and by the Wings Athlete Club.

Caleb start getting in triathlons during his army days, when he was enlisted in the commando unit. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What sports did you get into as you got older?

I play ultimate frisbee and badminton with my friends and family leisurely. I started running 10km and half-marathons when I was enlisted into the commando unit during national service (NS), as most of our commanders are into long distance running and adventure racing. I had a few achievements in cross-country, as well as local adventure racing.

How did you get into triathlons?

During NS, one of my army mates introduced triathlon to me, since we were already doing plenty of run trainings. He felt that triathlons should be easy to train for, as the swim leg is the shortest and the cycling leg again using legs. So we signed up for the 2XU MegaTri event, even before we bought our bicycles. We ended up grinding through the race until the run leg; it was actually quite torturous.

What was your most memorable race?

My first Ironman 70.3 race at Subic Bay in 2016. I was in the 18-24 age group and there were only six participants. I went in without any expectations, except to enjoy the race. It was really gruelling for me as the road conditions of the bike route were really bad, and I barely made it through the run because of the heat.

Surprisingly I came in third, but I missed the prize-giving ceremony because one of my friends had crashed during the bike leg and I had to attend to him after the race.

Caleb likes the unpredictability of triathlons, how every race turns out differently even after plenty of preparation. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What do you like about triathlons?

I like how unpredictable it is. No matter how you much you have prepared, you will never know how it will turn out on race day. I like how you can look forward to the next discipline of the race that you might be better in and catch up to your competitors. Because of how intense and long each race is, at one point you might feel strong, but the next moment, if you didn’t get your nutrition right, you might end up with cramps. That's why I train to prepare myself for the unexpected on race days.

What are your fitness goals now?

To be able to bring my swim time to 1min 40sec per 100m, biking at 35kmh for 90 kilometres, running at 1hr 40min for 21km, trying to go under five hours for the Ironman 70.3, as well as to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. Another fitness goal is to train and not get injured.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

I graduated from secondary school with grades that weren’t ideal and I couldn’t get into a polytechnic. I still carried my usual happy-go-lucky spirit, telling myself that something will definitely come through for me, but it was hard because deep down I felt pressure from the comparisons made against my siblings, cousins and friends who did better.

Caleb finds self-confidence after being enlisted into the commando unit. Having sponsors who believe in him also gave him lots of confidence. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Previously when I ran competitively in school, it was a form of validation for myself and I clung onto this identity. But once I left school, I didn’t have a running club anymore. I stopped exercising and started stress eating. I forced myself to study something that I had no interest in but I didn’t have a choice because I didn’t know what I wanted in life then.

How did you overcome that period?

Enlisting into commando helped me to become more confident, as we are the elite force in the army. It taught me so much about myself and I’ve also made many good friendships.

I also received a bike sponsorship from Elite Custom – which I am very grateful for because they saw potential in a nobody. That raised my confidence too. Other sponsors Tailwind Singapore and Hoka Singapore also came along to support me and I am so thankful, as all these wouldn’t have been possible if these people didn’t see something in me that I couldn’t.

Are you satisfied with your body now and why?

I’ve been gaining a tummy since I started work but I’m content with my body, as long as I'm able to train freely and happily do the things I like. How my body looks doesn't matter anymore.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Caleb Goh. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Joshua Tay (25 Nov 2019)

Joshua Tay is currently a personal fitness trainer. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Joshua Tay (@joshua_isaiah_tay)

Age: 35

Height: 1.70m

Weight: 67kg

Occupation: Personal Trainer

Status: Married with one son

Diet: I used to be very strict with my nutrition but I’ve taken it easy and become more aware of what I put in my body. Instead, I would stick to a healthy and hearty breakfast which consists of oats and honey with a mixture of fruits. For lunch and dinner I would tend to stay away from fried and oily foods, but once in a while I’ll treat myself to some prata or char kway teow.

Training: I would mix things up with weights training at the gym, CrossFit, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and calisthenics with wakeboarding twice a week

Joshua Tay represented Singapore in wakeboarding at the 2015 and 2017 SEA Games. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: What was your sporting journey like?

A: I used to have quite a few co-curricular activities back in primary and secondary schools but I was most competitive in gymnastics and track and field. Then as I got older, I had a go at muay thai but was mostly into wakeboarding.

How did you start wakeboarding?

I started wakeboarding in 2008 when my cousin invited me to try it out. Ever since then I got hooked. I’ve won a few small competitions and some overseas ones but I guess getting a silver in the Team category at the SEA Games twice takes the cake. I’ve also competed in the Wakeboard World Cup, Asian Championships, Asia-Australasia Cup, Malaysia Nationals and Singapore Nationals, just to name a few.

You represented Singapore at the Southeast Asian Games in wakeboarding twice, in 2015 and 2017. How was that like?

There was a lot of pressure and stress involved as I had to juggle work and training. I will definitely love to take part again if my body allows me to.

Joshua Tay made the switch from a business development job to become a personal trainer on the encouragement of his wife. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

You’re working as a fitness trainer now, doing personal training and teaching classes. How did you get into this line?

It was my wife who asked me to give it a try since I’m always so active and she noticed I had the knack for it. So in 2017 I quit my job and became a personal trainer. Before that I was doing business development in FMCG.

What do you enjoy about your job?

Bringing my clients to a level they never thought possible by empowering them with physical and mental confidence.

What are your fitness goals now?

To be able to maintain my physical and athletic abilities till I’m old and wrinkly.

Has becoming a dad changed anything about your lifestyle?

It changes everything! Everything that I set out to do needs to revolve around my family.

Joshua Tay's fitness goal is to maintain his physical and athletic abilities until he is old. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Do you have times when you don’t feel confident about yourself?

Just like anyone, I do have my bad days but it’s just a matter of telling yourself it’s all in the mind. Just keep training and sticking to your goals and objectives. Constantly ask yourself why are you doing this. Without the “why”, your goals and objectives are just immeasurable “wants”.

Are you contented with your body now?

I’m never satisfied.

Do you get any comments about your body?

People do ask me how I stay lean and fit. I tell them I’m just lucky I have good genetics.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Joshua Tay. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Darren Huang (28 Oct 2019)

Darren Huang goes to climbing gym trainings three to fours a week. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Darren Huang (@frostyfrostysnowman)

Age: 35

Height: 1.81m

Weight: 75kg

Occupation: Civil servant

Status: Attached

Diet: No particular diet, I love food too much. I eat almost everything with little moderation.

Training: My main sport now is climbing. I hit the climbing gyms about three to four times a week, and go for runs about one to two times a week.

Q: It’s interesting how you didn’t like sports when you were younger.

A: Yeah, to be honest I didn’t do a lot of sports when I was younger. I was a boys’ scout in primary and secondary school, which had limited physical activities. My parents did introduce swimming and cycling to me back then but I didn’t like it, so I was a scrawny kid who spent most of my free time playing video games and barely passed my NAPFA test.

Darren Huang first took courses in rock climbing after joining the Outdoor Adventure Club in his junior college days. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

So when did your interest in sports start?

Something clicked in me when I was in junior college. I joined ODAC (Outdoor Adventure Club) and that’s where I started trying different sports. During my time there, I took courses in rock climbing, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, and went on trekking and camping trips.

When I was in university, I was in the wakeboarding team and competed too. I swam and ran as part of my own training back then. I also took part in marathons, and ran the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon and Sundown Marathon every year for 10 years since 2007.

Other activities I dabbled in were diving, yoga, dirt biking and skydiving. I was pretty much an adrenaline junkie and was up for anything that would give me that euphoric rush.

How did you start in rock climbing?

I seriously started climbing about five years ago. Rock climbing has an intriguing appeal. As a firm believer of the phrase “Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of it”, rock climbing is one sport which truly embodies this. It is a combination of puzzle solving, strength, flexibility and endurance. It’s all about executing movements, at least 20 metres (4 stories) off the ground, tethered by a rope about 9.5mm in diameter. It’s about absolute trust in not just your belayer, but in yourself to have the confidence to make the move.

The challenge of figuring out how to negotiate a rock wall without hanging off the rope is what Darren Huang finds exciting about rock climbing. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Rock climbing is the art of weaving all of these elements together, to “flow” up the wall. Most importantly, rock climbing invokes my self-awareness and self-mastery. Finding peace in the face of fear, finding strength in fatigue, finding stillness in uncertainty, all whilst maintaining full spatial awareness of your body’s movements.

What are some of your best experiences in climbing?

The best experiences in climbing have always been about completing your “projects”. A climbing route is considered complete when you’re able to climb from start to finish without hanging off the rope. Climbers can sometimes work on a route for weeks, months or even years. When everything finally comes together for that successful climb, the feeling at the top is absolutely euphoric. I’ve had many of such “projects” through the years, with the longest one had me climbing it repeatedly for almost two months.

What are your fitness goals now?

My fitness goal right now is really all about longevity and staying active. It’s not about how hard I can climb or how far I can run today, but more about how I can continue doing what I love tomorrow. Sustaining a major injury and being out of action for any amount of time is excruciatingly painful on both the mind and the spirit. I want to continue to build on core strength, as I’m a firm believer of “Strong Core, Strong Body”, and keep the doors to try new activities open, especially in my later years.

Finding the joy in sports is key for Darren Huang in becoming an active, sporty person. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

I would say I was least confident about myself in my younger years, up till secondary school. I was always the odd kid sitting in the corner of class, with very few friends. I hardly spoke, never indulged in any sports or physical activities and played computer games all day. It was not a good place to be in, and I never want to go back there.

How did you overcome it and become more confident?

Life took a big turn for me when I was in JC, when somehow, something clicked. For the first time, I felt like I was actually capable of achieving something. I joined ODAC in JC and that ignited my love for sports. It was a positively reinforcing cycle: being active, staying fit, bolstered my confidence, which allowed me to push harder and continue to be active.

Finding that joy in sports was key. It’s also something that I try to pay forward by encouraging my friends around me to do the same. I hope to influence others around me to be more active, to love what they do, and that sports isn’t a torturous endeavour. It should be something that brings you a certain joy, an euphoria, a sense of achievement.

Are you content with your body now and why?

I would say I’m happy with where I am now with my body, not with how it looks but what I can do with it. But I want to be better! I want to be stronger, more flexible, more agile, and more enduring, and I want to keep this going into my later years. Of course, a nice body is definitely a bonus.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Darren Huang. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Lim Yao Peng (5 Aug 2019)

Lim Yao Peng is a former national sprinter who has represented Singapore at the SEA Games. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Lim Yao Peng (@_yaops_)

Age: 30

Height: 1.68m

Weight: 70kg

Occupation: Speed and strength coach

Status: Single

Diet: See-food diet

Training: Preferably four to five times a week, about 1.5 to 2 hours each time.

Q: You played table tennis competitively for many years. How did that start?

A: My father brought me for lessons when I was seven as my elder brother played table tennis too. Then I represented my school in table tennis at the age of 10 and played all the way till I was 16. I played for school at the national schools level and was selected to play singles among the top 32 players from 16 schools.

At the age of 10, you started getting into athletics too. How did that happen?

I was selected to join the Track and Field CCA (co-curricular activity) after Sports Day in Primary Three. I was doing sprints (mainly 100m and 4x100m relay, occasionally 200m) ever since my introduction to athletics.

Lim Yao Peng took part in both table tennis and athletics competitions during his school days. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

How did you balance competing in both table tennis and athletics?

The CCA schedules for both sports during primary school complemented each other. When I was in secondary school, I chose to skip one session of table tennis (out of three sessions) to train for sprints. When I was 13-14 years old, I was training sprints on my own on days that I had no table tennis training.

I started formal training for sprints only when I was 15, going to the tracks at Victoria Junior College and MOE Co-Curricular Activities Branch, and later at Gombak Stadium. I had to be extremely disciplined and focused to juggle between all my training and studies. Thankfully, my parents were supportive of my lifestyle.

When did you decide to stop competing in table tennis and focus solely on athletics?

I knew sprinting was something I love deeply and could excel in, compared to table tennis. Thus the transition was straightforward once I completed my table tennis season with Anglican High School.

Athletics has been a huge part of your life, competing in it till last year. What are some of the highlights of your athletics career?

During the two decades of competing in athletics, my highlights include being part of the SEA Games 2011 and 2017 teams and a finalist for the World University Games 2013. Each of these major games were special – 2011 was my debut for the National Open team, 2013 was special because I was part of a squad that was involved in the biggest game participation second to Olympics and 2017 was a comeback for SEA Games despite doubts from the community.

Even before his national sprinting career came to a end in 2018, Lim Yao Peng has already been involved in personal training and performance coaching. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

2013 was also a year that the six of us (relay team) decided to go full time while putting our studies on hold. As funding was only for five, I had to find my own sponsors who were willing to journey with me for a one-year commitment. 2018 was my swan song with Team Singapore.

What made you decide to stop competing?

I knew I had pushed myself enough over the years and given my all for Team Singapore, especially during the last three years working as a coach and being an athlete at the same time. Also, I was satisfied and tasted enough of life as an “elite” athlete.

When did you start coaching and what are your plans next?

I started coaching part-time after my GCE ‘A’ Levels. After I completed national service (NS), I coached my alma mater for a season on pro bono basis and also took on other part-time jobs such as being a rope skipping instructor for primary schools and corporate groups. I also had a strength and conditioning (S&C) coaching opportunity with a renowned swimming club for eight months after NS. It was during that period that I started honing my skills and knowledge as an S&C coach. Along the way, I did sprint coaching with clients through word of mouth.

By 2012, I decided to start my own business during university when I was just a Year 1 Sports Science undergrad. I started the business with broad services, from personal training to performance coaching but have since streamlined it to just performance for speed and strength in 2015.

The next major step for me is starting a gym with my brother, GRITYARD, a strength and conditioning gym based on all the training and knowledge we have accumulated over the years as national athletes, to help anyone and everyone achieve their personal fitness goals.

Lim Yao Peng believes that there is no fixed rule or one fixed type of body to represent fitness. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What are your fitness goals now?

There isn’t a particular goal. I love my sport and still use it as my staple for keeping fit. I’m also getting myself more involved with my favourite activities like rollerblading and Olympic lifting which are things that I had to limit during my athlete days.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

Probably like any athlete, it was during the comeback from a prolonged period of injury. I just had to persevere and continue to work on the process goals and handle what’s within my control.

Does it take a lot to maintain a body like yours?

I would like to say no, however I know it will be a half-truth or false to many! The thing is, I was never big when I was young, neither was I skinny. My lifestyle has been really consistent since young with a lot of sports. Even during the current phase of injury (about five months), although my exercise regime has reduced by 70-80 per cent, thankfully my food intake was reduced naturally, so it balances out. Energy in less than energy out!

Do you get any comments about your body?

Too much veins. Legs too big. Too buff for a sprinter. Arms are too small. I wish I’ve got a body like yours. I wish I got legs like yours. God is unfair.

What are some misconceptions of fitness in today’s society?

That you need a beautifully sculpted figure to represent fitness. However this is subjective and is a by-product of a mix of elements in one’s lifestyle from eating habits, types and duration of activities, social elements, work-life balance etc. These can affect how the body looks and functions. At the end of it, there’s no fixed rule or one fixed type of body to represent fitness. Just eat well, live well and think well!

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Lim Yao Peng. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Aaron Mossadeg (22 Jul 2019)

Aaron Mossadeg is an actor, and also host of Yahoo TV Singapore's Can Make It Fitness series. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Aaron Mossadeg (@acmossadeg)

Age: 27

Height: 1.76m

Weight: 72kg

Occupation: Actor

Status: Attached

Diet: it's about controlling the macro aspects. If I want to have something like say Hokkien Mee for lunch, or if I'm going to eating something carb-heavy before workout, then I'll aim for something with either half portion of carbs or no carbs at all for dinner. I also try to eat as much as possible in a moderately healthy way just to maintain my size because my metabolism rate is pretty high. Intermittent fasting also works for me, in terms of cutting down all the processed food, unnecessary carbs and sugar.

Training: Nowadays I'm focusing more on the strength training, because I'm trying to get smaller. So it's just a bench press, dead lifts and biceps on one day, then shoulder Press, squats and triceps on the second day, and then I play football over the weekend. That's about it.

Q: What kind of sports did you do when you were growing up?

A: It was football all the way. I played for my secondary school team, but then I kind of stopped during my polytechnic days. I also did skateboarding, and that helped me maintain a lean body. But I stopped that as well during poly days, and I saw the effect – I saw myself getting “skinny fat”. And that’s when I decided to hit the gym, around 2011.

Aaron Mossadeg began hitting the gym upon the encouragement of his friends. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

It was my friends, they used to go about twice or thrice a week, and they were trying to convince me to go. I used to say that I have things to do, but that was just an excuse because I was spending my time playing World of Warcraft. Eventually my friends convinced me that I can still play the game and go to gym for two days a week.

So I said, okay, I’ll do a maximum of an hour-and-a-half workout, twice a week. And then I quickly saw progress, and then it just got addictive.

Did your acting roles require you to bulk up or lose weight? How did you cope with all the weight changes?

When I first started out acting, I was doing very basic gym stuff. I had an aim to have a body like a young Brad Pitt, but then I got bigger than that. Eventually I settled on having a body like Superman. During this period, I went to the gym three time a week to work on my physique.

Then when I found out that I needed to bulk up even more for my role in Faculty, I had to do the things that I hated to do, such as leg workouts, in order to push my body over the plateau of my normal weight. I also forced myself to eat more than I liked to. Thank goodness it was just for one role.

So how did you cut down on your weight after the role?

I focused on strength training – fewer repetitions but at heavier weights. So while others may do about three sets of eight to 12 reps, I’ll do five sets of five reps at heavier weights and with long rests in between. So I’m basically training my strength, but not bulking my size or improving my endurance.

Aaron Mossadeg's current fitness goal is to become leaner, but stronger at the same time. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Is that your current fitness goal?

Yes, basically to look leaner but still become stronger. I’m also considering going to a fight gym soon. but I do need to find the appropriate one and not get injured doing the sessions.

What does it take to maintain a body like yours?

It's very easy to get to a gym routine, and just lift for the sake of lifting and not focus on each repetition. But if you slow it down and really squeeze each bicep curl slowly, doing it in the right tempo, the difference is remarkable.

When you really get in tune with your body, you can feel it every single repetition working for you. And when you start feeling the pain, and you push past the pain, still maintaining the good form. That’s where the truth is. Having that kind of focus is really necessary.

Being in the media industry, is there any pressure to stay in shape? Have you faced any negativity about your body from this industry?

For the most part, it has worked out for me. Thankfully, I already had a good physique to begin with, so that was to my advantage for photo shoots or roles. And the whole bulking up for acting roles was kind of fun, because once you understand your body and what you can do to it, you can sort of play around with your body size and still be in control. So that was fun.

Aaron Mossadeg went through a period when he had to change his weight and physique to fit into acting roles. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

But after that period, it's a bit hard to disconnect from that fun, and to really get leaner. It can get a little tiring to have someone constantly telling me that, “You should lose weight.” What am I supposed to be, you know? So there's the confusion of changing my physique to fit into roles, but this comes with the territory. It took a while for me to figure out if I’m happy with this, but once I did, I applied myself to do what it took.

Was there ever a time you were not confident about yourself? How did you overcome that?

Fit guys are usually very insecure about their physiques, because they worked so hard for it. It’s the same for me, there’s always that pressure, that tendency to compare myself with others.

But then I eventually realised that, at the end of the day, I’m not a professional bodybuilder, and I’m not in Hollywood. It’s about understanding myself and my perception, whether I’m happy with the effort I’ve put in.

For me, I'm happy because I'm having a healthy lifestyle on my own terms. I eat and drink in moderation, I don't do a lot of cardio but am very strict with the training I do. It’s kind of balancing out pretty well, so I have to be happy. I know that, if I wanted a perfect body, it comes at a price and I'm not willing to pay that price. So I shouldn't feel sad.

Is there a misconception of fitness in today’s society that you feel needs to change?

I think people underestimate how important a diet is, and overestimate the importance of workouts. The unfortunate thing is, we have lots of cheap and delicious food in Singapore, but too much of those are just pure carbs. Unless you’re working out every day, you’re going to have a calorie surplus. That’s how you get progressively heavier.

Join Aaron for Yahoo TV Singapore’s Can Make It Fitness series every week.

Yahoo #Fitspo of the Week: Aaron Mossadeg. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by sphere

[sphere]

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Ben Tan (1 Apr 2019)

Ben Tan is a creative director who was the show producer for 2018’s National Day Parade. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Benjamin Tan (@bentan_)
Age: 29
Height: 1.79m
Weight: 75kg
Occupation: Creative director
Status: Single
Diet: I usually opt for meals that are high in protein and carbs and I stay away from oily food and sugary drinks. I do have frequent cravings for desserts which I cannot resist.
Training: I hit the gym two to three times a week and each session lasts for about 1 hour.

Q: What sports did you play as a kid?

 

A: I played badminton competitively from Primary 4 till Secondary 2. During this period of time, my mum also enrolled me and my sisters in swimming and taekwondo classes in order to train up
our survival skills. Thank you Mummy!

How did you get into contemporary dance during your junior college days?

During the graduating year in secondary school, I was really envious whenever my dance friends performed all the cool moves. I aspired to do something new hence I took a leap of faith and went for the auditions at Anglo-Chinese Junior College.

Ben Tan got into contemporary dance during his junior college days. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

How far did you take your dance?

After getting into AC Dance, I was exposed to a whole new world of productions, showbiz and art. I competed in the Singapore Youth Festival, local dance competitions and performed alongside local artistes such as Cheryl Wee and Nathan Hartono. It was also through dance that I began producing and directing my own shows.

You got into cheerleading in university after that. How did that happen?

Cheerleading was something that I had never expected myself to get into. I joined my hall team KR Steppers at the National University of Singapore, because the seniors were really friendly and welcoming during orientation. They were a fun bunch who were really intimate and I wanted to be part of the family.

I competed with the team at national competitions and got the chance to represent Singapore in an international one. Training was really strenuous and challenging. We would train up to four times a week when we were in competition season. The “rest” days were meant for us to get stronger at the gym.

What do you like about cheerleading and dance? Are they similar?

I like that dance and cheerleading both focus a lot on teamwork that requires self-determination and perseverance. Unlike other forms of competitive sport, your sense of achievement and worth is not determined by another competitor.

Ben Tan participated in cheerleading competition during his university days. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

The only opponent that you have is really just yourself. Performing a flawless routine as a team would make us feel like winners. Our ranking became irrelevant. This way of approaching competition and goal setting made me enjoy my time in both dance and cheerleading.

You are the show producer for the National Day Parade (NDP) in 2018 and also for this year. How do you keep up a regular fitness regime while working on NDP?

While working on NDP, I had to juggle an irregular schedule due to the large amount of time spent on meetings and rehearsals. It was really difficult to maintain a regular fitness regime so I had to keep things flexible. I took any available window to hit the gym in between meetings. Workouts were short but efficient. They were also good intermittent breaks for me to get my mind off things.

Did you ever not feel confident about yourself?

I have always felt insecure growing up as I was a really skinny kid with a narrow build. I remember some classmates used to call me nicknames like Chopsticks and Little ET, but other than that, fortunately there wasn’t any bullying.

Amid his busy schedule as NDP show producer, Ben Tan took any available window to hit the gym in between meetings (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

How did you become more confident?

I believe that the step I took with dance taught me how to get out of my comfort zone, to do something new and to inspire change. The following years were transformative as I became more
confident to take on new challenges and to reinvent myself.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

I’m definitely more confident and satisfied with my physical appearance now. Over the years, I’ve learnt to appreciate the hard work and effort that I’ve spent on achieving my goals and to become less critical of myself, in a good way.

Do you ever get any comments about your body?

I do get comments from old friends about how much I’ve bulked up and receive occasional encouragement on social media. Of course, there are some who are more critical, pointing out areas of improvement.

I learnt the importance of filtering and evaluating comments; after all, it is important for one to be comfortable with how you look and feel at all times.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Ben Tan. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Brandon Chong (18 Mar 2019)

Brandon Chong is a yoga coach, and founded the Instiinct studio two years ago. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Brandon Chong (@branstands)
Age: 28
Height: 1.85m
Weight: 68kg
Occupation: Entrepreneur/Yoga Coach
Status: Single
Diet: I try to balance my diet with the nutrients I need, but I eat pretty much everything. I am a huge fan of pasta and love to pair it with red wine.
Training: On top of the daily classes of yoga that I teach/do, I try to do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) twice a week, run twice a week, strength training three times a week, and a recovery swim once a week. I am not too strict about what I do, but I will do what I feel I need more for my body at this point of time.

Q: When you were studying, you competed in Latin dance and was also a model. Tell us more.

 

A: I enjoyed both a lot. Latin dance was a passion for movement and I competed in it from 16 for a few years, taking it to a very serious level. I won a few awards when I was still dancing, including overseas competitions. It was a great period to do something I was passionate about in the midst of studying, to balance out my life.

Modelling started as a side job in school. I was quite lucky to meet the people in the fashion industry I can now call friends, many of which who followed me through until now.

You were with the Navy for five years.

I was with the Navy for five years as a naval officer. I really liked how the uniforms looked, and after watching “Titanic” as a kid, I just had that dream of commanding a boat and making sure it’s done right.

Why did you leave then?

Well, I felt that I have achieved what I set myself to do and it was time to move on to other dreams and passion. This was a hard decision to make, as I had to just take the leap of faith and come out to pursue other dreams.

It’s the typical question of doing what pays you versus what you love to do, and to make that happen. But I am a huge believer that if you do what you are meant to do, finances would come.

Brandon Chong was previously a naval officer, and had also done some part-time modelling. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

So why yoga?

When I was in the Navy, I was doing all the exercise which army guys had to do and also hitting the gym. But I felt that something was missing in those strength-based workouts. One of my female friends, Melissa, brought me to my first yoga class and I throughly enjoyed it. The after-class feel was great and after that experience, I started going to yoga classes on my own.

As I was in the Navy, I had just enough space for my mat on the boat. I would download some tutorial videos each time I sailed, to stretch and put in whatever practice I could when I found the time.

Wanting to teach came naturally to me – I wanted to incorporate movement techniques I’ve learnt from dance into yoga. Also, I wanted to introduce yoga to everyone and tell my story – that yoga is not just for the flexible, it’s a holistic approach to fitness that everyone can do. Strength and engagement of the core is also a huge focus in yoga. Now, two years later, I see more guys doing yoga everywhere, and that is a great sign.

How did your company Instiinct come about?

I founded Instiinct two years ago, with an amazing team. It is a studio which incorporates mindfulness, strength training and yoga as its core.

I wanted to start a studio known for our ideas and personalities, which we show in events and in the new classes which we conceptualise, such as our signature backlight flow classes. I believe in coming up with fun, holistic approaches to a practice, be it a yoga session, a HIIT session or even a mindfulness session.

Brandon Chong believes that yoga is a holistic approach to fitness which everyone can do. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What are your plans next?

I’ve a few on my bucket list for 2019. First of which is a YouTube platform called Instiinctual – it’s a platform which showcases artistic lifestyle videos and movement videos to inspire movement and living well. Movement and living well are almost instinctual, but through the distractions of life, we start to forget that. Thus we hope that, with this channel, we can reach a global audience to inspire.

Another plan I am working on with my team is our holistic programme on mindfulness living, which we are launching in our studio very soon, hoping to bring a little bit of mindfulness with a team of experts and making it accessible for our community.

Did you ever not feel confident about yourself?

I never was the person who tried to fit in, this may be due to my personality. I was always the sort questioning social norms and was quite confident in my skin. But I think this comes with growing up and really figuring out what we want and do not want, what we like and dislike.

If there were to be a time in life when I wasn’t confident, it may be when I was modelling. As there were very few local models at that time, around seven years ago, there was always the occasional question of, “Was I good enough?”

Brandon Chong plans to start a YouTube platform which showcases artistic lifestyle videos and movement videos to inspire movement and living well. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Then you realise life isn’t a competition and there are always better-looking people everywhere else. So look inside and show what you are good at, and people will start to see that as well.

I started spending more time on what I’m good at, not just spending all the time doing what the world told me I had to do. I have a saying I tell my friends, which is to spend their time working on their strengths and being mindful about their weaknesses, so that you don’t waste time doing what you are not good at just to be mediocre, but to spend time to do what you are good at, to work hard and to be the best version of yourself.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

I am satisfied with my body yes. It feels great to not care about social norms but to build and embrace a body of what feels the best to me. Our body changes from time to time and I believe a fitness regime should be catered to you, depending on body type, goals and dieting.

Do you ever get any comments about your body?

We live in a world where everyone judges, has comments and criticises, so of course. But I am here to share my art and live with people in the most genuine way I can, and I think most of the people I know feel that.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Brandon Chong. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Kenneth Seow (3 Mar 2019)

Kenneth Seow is an avid soccer player, and also took part in dragonboating. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Kenneth Seow (@kennethsbw.fitness)
Age: 29
Height: 1.7m
Weight: 60kg
Occupation: Fitness Professional
Status: Married
Diet: I do not count my calories or follow a specific diet plan. Instead, I believe a well-balanced diet suits my lifestyle best. I generally have three meals a day with a simple breakfast consisting of eggs and toast. Lunch and dinner are based on convenience as I am constantly on the go due to the nature of my job.
Training: I mainly do calisthenics workouts and throw in weight days at least once or twice a week. Even for weights days, I combine bodyweight exercises with them, for example throwing in pull ups in between my sets for active recovery. I also play football on the weekends as I enjoy the competitive nature of team sports.

Q: You played soccer from a young age.

 

A: Yes, I started playing soccer ever since I was in primary school. Being a chubby kid, I started playing as a goalkeeper and transitioned into an outfield player once I got better at the game. Having a real passion for football, I played at every chance I got. I also represented and was captain of my secondary school soccer team, and I played at the Under-16 level throughout my teenage years.

As I always wanted to challenge myself, I decided to try my hand at a different sport when I entered Republic Polytechnic and so I joined the dragonboat team. It was a great experience as it definitely helped to build both my mental and physical strength. Training was tough (six times a week), and we had to be very disciplined but I certainly had no regrets. We managed to win quite a number of competitions and it built a sense of camaraderie amongst my teammates. I felt those years truly shaped my passion for fitness, training at such a high level for a particular sport.

You went back to playing soccer competitively after that.

Yup, I got back to soccer quite regularly after my polytechnic days and was playing up to three, four times a week. I was part of a team called Singapore Vipers for a number of years and we played in the National Football League. I decided to stop playing at that level eventually, as I was mainly afraid of getting injured. Quite a number of my friends had injuries due to the crunching tackles that happened during games. Although I’ve stopped competing, I am still playing on a social level so that keeps my passion and drive for the sport going.

Kenneth Seow decided to take the plunge into the fitness industry in 2017, after working with an automotive company and a hospitality firm. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What made you decide to leave your corporate job and become a trainer?

I was in marketing for an automotive company, followed by a hospitality firm, for approximately four years. It was a great learning process and I enjoyed what I was doing but I did not feel that sense of accomplishment going into work each day.

Therefore I decided to take the plunge at the end of 2017 into fitness as it was a real passion of mine and I truly enjoy interacting and helping people no matter how big or small their goals are. So far it’s been great and I am loving every second of it.

Did you know you were going to pursue a career in fitness, or did you quit and had some time to yourself first?

I took some time off when I left my corporate job in order to recharge mentally and travel a little. I was looking to get into another marketing job after my short sabbatical but my wife suggested that I give the fitness industry a go as I have been an athlete pretty much all my life and was quite sure I’d have what it takes to get into it.

I am truly grateful for her being extremely supportive as it’s been an amazing experience so far, being able to meet and train clients from all walks of life as well as spreading the word on the importance of both physical and mental health.

Kenneth Seow is trainer for the F45 gym fitness network, as well as a personal trainer. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Currently, you’re a trainer for the F45 network and a personal trainer as well. What do you enjoy about this?

I enjoy it a lot as being a trainer allows me to constantly grow and gain knowledge. With so many types of clients out there, each and every one of them comes with their own challenges, whether it’s to achieve a weight loss goal or gain a specific skill. It is important to be adaptable in order to align their targets with yours.

At F45, it has taught me how to be more confident about teaching a class in a group setting. I thoroughly enjoy it as it resembles team sport; there is a sense of camaraderie as both trainers and members are there constantly pushing each other, motivating one another to do their very best throughout the workouts.

You’re pretty into calisthenics. When did you start getting into this?

I started calisthenics about a year ago as I wanted to build strength aside from just hitting the gym. I saw videos online on people doing calisthenics and thought to myself that it was definitely a good way of challenging myself. The beauty of it is that it can be done pretty much anywhere as it is mainly bodyweight exercise and there are plenty of regression and progression to suit every skill level.

What are your plans next?

As I am relatively new in the fitness industry, I don’t want to rush into anything. There are plenty of things for me to learn, as well as space for me to grow as a trainer and a person. It has been an amazing journey so far and I am going into work feeling great being able to help people all the time. My ultimate dream would definitely be to own my very own gym, maybe in the foreseeable future, you never know!

Kenneth Seow is an advocator of calisthenics training. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What are your fitness goals now?

For now I am training to improve on several of my calisthenics skills such handstands and the front lever. These are pretty advanced skills which take a lot of time and dedication to be able to achieve even a level of consistency, but I love it as it allows me to adjust my training regime according to these goals I have set for myself.

Was there a time when you didn’t feel confident about yourself?

I feel confidence is not about the way you look but the way you feel. Mental health is something I feel strongly about and it is something that exercise definitely helps to improve. It may be quite taboo in society but as someone with anxiety myself, I have gone through days where even getting out of bed can be difficult.

Exercise certainly makes it easier and, being a trainer, I feel that it is also my part to impart onto others the positive effects that exercise can do to one’s health, not only from the physical point of view but mentally as well.

What keeps you confident?

Setting myself a constant goal and seeing progress bit by bit certainly has helped my confidence. As long as you set your mind to it and put in the work, improvements will happen along the way. I have a tattoo on my forearm that says “Small Victories, Stay Strong”. This is a reminder to myself that, with every step, there may be downfalls, but if you keep at it and keep going strong, you shall reap the benefits no matter how small they are.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

I feel that with the type of training that I am doing now, calisthenics has certainly helped me build a lot more lean muscle and improve my flexibility substantially in order to perform a lot of the movements better. I would say that I am quite happy where I am ever since I started calisthenics about a year ago, but there is always room for improvement.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Kenneth Seow. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Isaac Kwok (18 Feb 2019)

Isaac Kwok is the co-founder of Uppercut Boxing. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Isaac Kwok (@ijaac)
Age: 28
Height: 1.8m
Weight: 60kg
Occupation: Co-founder of Uppercut Boxing
Status: Single
Diet: No real diet; I try to make sure I get the nutrients I need
Training: I do boxing and strength training twice weekly and squeeze in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) or any other activities I can, like wakeboarding.

Q: What kind of sports did you do as a kid?

 

A: I joined rugby in primary school when every kid was still about the same size. In secondary school, I joined the band to play the saxophone but started skateboarding outside of school hours. Generally I would be running around.

What sports did you dabble in as you got older?

Just out of army, I started rock climbing and really got into it while I was living in Australia. I came back for holiday and competed in Singapore Management University’s Gravical (bouldering competition) and won the novice title back in 2011.

After that, I returned to my love for board sports and went on to take my instructor certifications for surfing (2014) and snowboarding (2018). However, these sports are difficult to do in Singapore, so I found martial arts to be a more accessible outlet for fun and fitness.

Isaac Kwok played rugby and did skateboarding in his school days. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Your fitness regime now consists of BJJ, boxing, skateboarding.

Yes, I’ve always had a love for board sports, but I needed to find something that I could do on my own time within Singapore. I was introduced to boxing and Krav Maga (Israeli martial art) by a bodyguard friend and soon I was on the road to the appreciation of combat sports.

I’m still really new to BJJ but I love the technicality and philosophy of the art (in Mandarin, BJJ literally translates to gentle art). I’ve definitely enjoyed the process and I think that’s the beauty of it all – the learning.

You seem to enjoy keeping active and doing a bit of everything. Why do you believe so strongly in keeping an active lifestyle?

Well, I’ve never quite been able to sit down as a kid. It was to the extent that I used to have to do my homework on a balance board. In general I enjoy movement and exploration, I want to consistently be at a physical condition to be able to travel and move at my best at all times.

Isaac Kwok enjoys movement and exploration. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

You co-own Uppercut Boxing. Tell us more – what made you decide to start this?

Well my business partner and I realised there wasn’t a boxing outlet for people to learn in comfort. We just wanted to make boxing more accessible to people and share the sweet science without the intimidation of burly men combating each other in a ring.

We label ourselves non-combat boxing, so unlike Boxfit or Boxercise, we still emphasise heavily on technique. Boxing isn’t just about hitting a bag or throwing punches, it’s a whole philosophy and science that can be applied to life. Punch with your fists, fight with your mind.

What are your fitness goals now?

I have a “30 before 30” list (laughs), but for 2019 the three main fitness goals are: Competently perform a handstand, compete in either boxing or BJJ, and learn more about the Macebell.

Isaac Kwok wants to make boxing more accessible to people. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

Growing up, I’ve always been skinny/scrawny. I still think that’s something that bothers me every now and then. I’ve tried bulking and taken supplements but they never really worked the way I hoped.

How did you overcome it and become more confident?

I figured the nature of the activities that I do meant that it’ll be difficult for me to bulk up and I shifted the focus of wanting to fit a perceived standard to setting my own. I told myself that, as long as I could perform and enjoy the activities to a level I am satisfied with and be healthy, that would be enough. I came to realise how I looked didn’t determine how I performed.

Isaac Kwok also enjoys wakeboarding. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Are you satisfied with your body now and why?

I think it’s a continual process and as long as I’m healthy and in a physical state that allows me to surf, snow, skate, box, flow and move; that joy has more weight for me than my physical appearance. I’m secretly still hoping I’ll start to put on some kilos as I get older!

Do you get any comments about your body?

Every now and then I still get asked about how or why I’m so skinny, so I just tell them being an entrepreneur is hard.

What are some misconceptions of fitness in today’s society?

There’s an image of what we as a society and culture define as an ideal body. However, that changes from person to person and although it’s great to set a goal and try to achieve the “perfect body”, form should not outweigh function. Instead the question is, “Can my body do what it needs to in order for me to enjoy the life I want to live?” If the answer is no, then make the changes necessary.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Isaac Kwok. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Nicholas Lee (4 Feb 2019)

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week Nicholas Lee is a rock climbing enthusiast. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Nicholas Lee (@nicholasleezj)
Age: 28
Height: 1.75m
Weight: 64kg
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Status: Married
Diet: I eat Japanese food all day, such as sashimi and donburi. I avoid fried food.
Training: I do rock climbing three times a week

Q: How did you get into rock climbing?

A: I played basketball growing up, but when I went to junior college, I wanted to try a new sport, so I started rock climbing. And I got hooked.

What do you like about climbing?

Climbing challenges the limits of my body. It humbles me and inspires me to work harder on myself.

Nicholas Lee enjoys rock climbing as he feels it challenges the limits of his body. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

What are some of your best achievements in climbing?

Making the National team in 2015; being promoted to the Open category in climbing competition in less than two years (For competitions in Singapore, there are three categories: Novice, Intermediate and Open); coaching my students and helping them get to the Open category.

What are you competing in next?

I’m preparing for Gravical 2019, a climbing competition organised by Singapore Management University. Then, I want to compete in the Climbing World Cups again. My previous international competition was two years ago.

You co-own Banana Tennis, along with other ventures. Tell us more.

Banana Tennis offers coaching for tennis in Singapore. You must be thinking why my company is called Banana Tennis. I get that a lot! Actually, I just want sports to be fun and Banana Tennis is a fun name. So far it’s working.

I started a rock climbing company in 2013, then I started a multi-sport kids company in 2014 before Banana Tennis in 2015. Last year, I left my previous climbing company, and this year I will be going into a bigger climbing partnership.

I enjoy creating things and am thankful to have good partners along the way!

Nicholas Lee started several sports businesses, including a tennis company, a rock climbing company and a multi-sport kids company. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Tell us more about what inspired you to start these businesses in sports?

My family is a strong reason for me to work hard. My mum, at the age of 50, is still working 14 hours day. That’s quite demanding on her health but she’s going strong.

Succeeding in business is a must. As I’m growing older every day, my parents and grandparents are too. Thus I have big dreams for the companies I set up. At the rate I’m going, I see myself earning enough for my parents to retire in the next two years.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

When I started my first business, I looked really young and people judged my capability due to my age. I believed them and that hindered my growth.

How did you overcome it and become more confident?

I developed a stronger mindset through listening to podcasts and learning from people who have already made it. Some of my favourite people are Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins.

Health had been a problem for Nicholas Lee in chasing his ambitions, but he has since planned his time properly to cut down on fatigue. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Any other personal challenges you encountered?

I chase many things in life. I want time with my family at important moments, I want optimum health, I want to be financially free, I want to be a pro rock climber representing my country, and I want to spend more time to serve in church. But there are only 24 hours a day.

Health was my biggest problem while chasing so many things. I overworked my body and got quite sick for two years, feeling the fatigue that didn’t go away. I was forced to take things easier and I became very intentional with how I spent my time. The things that don’t add value, I gave them all up.

It took a while before I found my style of working but now things are working out.

Are you satisfied with your body now and why?

Yes. My happiness is not anchored on how I look but how much impact I can make in our short time on this earth.

What are some misconceptions of fitness in today’s society?

“No pain, no gain” – that’s not true. I tried that and my health suffered for a long time. Now, I constantly listen to my body. When I’m tired, I eat better and sleep more. That has helped me to fall sick less often and benefit from training.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Nicholas Lee. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Lim Yao Xiang (24 Dec 2018)

Lim Yao Xiang is the co-founder of The Fitness Project, which teaches HydroFit programmes. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Name: Lim Yao Xiang (@limyaoxiang)
Age: 36
Height: 1.7m
Weight: 75kg
Occupation: Former teacher, now co-founder of The Fitness Project
Status: Attached
Diet: No specific diet; eats economic rice often because 4–5 types of food can be ordered at the same time
Training: From age 10 to 33, I was training every day for three hours a day for swimming or water polo. Now I try to work out in the gym at least 3–4 times a week with a weekly basketball game.

Q: You represented Singapore in water sports from a young age. How did you get started in the pool?

 

A: I started swimming at nine, and at 10, I took part in a national competition and came in fifth. My coach then asked me to try to compete for top two the following year – which I did and that’s when I started taking it more seriously, training six days a week, up to 11 times during holidays.

My main event is 50m and 100m breaststroke, and I competed at age group competitions in Asia. The best (or saddest) ranking I ever got was third in both the SEA Games and the Commonwealth Games trials. Singapore sends only the top two, so I never made it there.

What are some of your best achievements?

I guess there were great memories at every stage of the 12-year swimming career I had. My first international medal at 11 was one of the best memories.

Lim Yao Xiang picked up water polo during his university days, and helped the Singapore national side win three SEA Games gold medals. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

When did you decide to switch to water polo?

When I entered National University of Singapore, I slowed down for swimming but still wanted to do some form of training, so I picked up water polo. In the same year, the national team were calling for new players and I was one of the 20 invited. After training for a year, I made it into the team officially.

Was it difficult to pick up a sport so late, at that competitive level?

I picked up water polo only at 25 while some of my teammates started in Secondary 1, so there was a huge learning curve for me. Winning my first SEA Games gold medal at 27 was really special because it was really tough balancing my full-time job then with training every day.

It was really the love for the game that kept me going. I really enjoyed playing and wanted to see how far I could go. This was a great motivation that allowed me to work 10 to 12 hours a day and still attend training every night. Of course, winning helps keep me going.

It was a great run – in my time with the team, we achieved three SEA Games gold medals and competed at the Asian Games as well as the Commonwealth championship.

What other challenges did you face as a national athlete then?

Physical, mental and emotional fatigue. We trained till 10pm and I had to get up at 6am to go to work the next day, so there was hardly time for proper recovery. Plus, at my stage of life, I had other commitments as well. I found myself struggling on many days not to skip training; it was the passion for improvement and “perfection” that helped overcome my negative thoughts.

Lim Yao Xiang says HydroFit helps to engage and stabilise core muscles as well as improve body coordination. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

You started The Fitness Project, which teaches HydroFit programmes. What is HydroFit and why did you choose to bring this to Singapore?

HydroFit is essentially doing workouts on a floating mat. We have several programs such as Pump which is HIIT (high-intensity interval training) using bodyweight and light equipment, FLOW and CORE which are yoga and Pilates inspired for exercises that focus on the core, strengthening of stabilising muscles and flexibility.

Both me and my partner were swimmers and water polo players, so combined with my background in PE, sports science and as a former athlete, we were confident to use this platform to share a new yet meaningful workout for people of all age group, fitness level and fitness goals.

What are the benefits of HydroFit?

Firstly, being on unstable platform, it encourages us to engage and stabilise our core muscles in our spine, shoulders, knees. This helps us burn more calories and work on many neglected areas which are important for our daily movement to help us move better.

Secondly, it improves our overall body coordination as our exercises are dynamic. This helps with injury prevention and also better power efficiency which makes us improve our overall fitness level and stamina.

Lastly, it is also very safe, which avoids issues such as strain in our joints, yet still be able to get an effective workout.

Does it take a lot to maintain a body like yours?

“A lot” is a subjective term. To me, I would say it is okay because it has been part of my routine to work out on a daily basis. With age, you know your body better, you know how it responds to what you do and what you eat. I believe that fitness is a habit, just like diet, hence it is most important to create a habit and routine around your daily life and slowly it will be “easier”.

Lim Yao Xiang’s current fitness goals are to maintain his weight and to work out several muscle groups for better movement. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Do you get any comments about your body?

I don’t have the “ideal” height and the fact that I am broader makes it look like I have a short body with long arms and short legs. Some people do say I am too bulky, but that’s genetics and I got the shape from training for my sport, not because I trained for aesthetics.

What are your fitness goals now?

Personally, my goal now is to maintain my weight. Also, movement is an important part of my life hence I do a lot of dynamic, high-tempo movements which engage several muscle groups at the same time.

Did you ever not feel confident about yourself?

Like any human, there will be times when we feel lousy about ourselves. It can stem from our physical appearance which then translates into our own self-esteem and self-worth. It can be things like failure in achieving small goals that you had or even just feeling below your normal capabilities.

However, that is normal as there will always be ups and downs. It is okay to feel down but, more importantly, I would question myself what went wrong and consciously work on the small things to correct those mistakes. Also, knowing that there is never guaranteed success just because we put in the work does help ease the expectation of myself. It is crucial to know that you managed to do your best with the given resources you had at that moment.

Lim Yao Xiang, Yahoo’s Singapore #Fitspo of the Week. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

 

 

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Wesley Chow (10 Feb 2016)

Name: Wesley Chow (IG: @wes_c)
Age: 38
Height: 171cm
Weight: 63kg
Occupation: Freelance Personal Trainer
Status: Attached
Diet: Intermittent fasting
Training: Heavy strength training 3-4 times a week, HIIT and cardio on non-strength days

What kind of sports did you do as a kid?
I played table tennis, badminton and soccer in primary school and got really interested in playing basketball during my teenage years after being inspired by my idol, Michael Jordan.

 

I went on to play for my squadron's basketball team during my National Service days where we were competing for the inter-squadron championship within the airbase. Other than that, I was part of the 4x100m relay team during that time too. It was an inter-airbase competition and my team got a gold for that.

When did you first go to the gym and why?
Growing up, I was a chubby kid but after I lost the puppy fats during adolescence, I had low self-esteem for being too scrawny as I did not like the way I looked in some outfits.

I started going to the gym during my polytechnic days because I was tired of looking skinny and having narrow shoulders. My clothes always looked oversized on me even though I was wearing size S. I thought going to the gym would help me look bigger and better, so I went to a neighbourhood gym and started lifting weights. No one guided me; it's more of a monkey-see, monkey-do thing. I watched what people did and I just followed.

However, I began to realise I wasn’t getting any results just by following people blindly so I started reading up on exercise and fitness. To further enhance my knowledge and interest, I took up a degree in Sports Science.

What do you like about lifting weights?
There is a sense of satisfaction when you are lifting a weight which was too heavy for you months ago.  As you work your way up and develop your strength, your physique improves too.

What does fitness mean to you?
Fitness is an integral part of my life. It is both physical and mental. When both aspects are well taken care of, it helps us to perform in our optimum state to handle the daily challenges of life.

What are some of the misconceptions that society has about fitness now?
Some women have the misconception that they should not lift heavy weights for fear that it will make them bulky. However, lifting heavy weights has many benefits and women should not avoid heavy weights.

The bulky look that women think they will get is usually the result of increased calorie intake which leads to fat gain. Structure the weight training program with a sensible diet to avoid the bulky look.

Why is it important to lead an active lifestyle?
Leading an active lifestyle helps you lead a longer, healthier and more fulfilling life and you’ll look and feel better too when you are in shape! In the process, you may also meet new friends and get to spend quality time with family and friends. For example, I love flowriding at Wavehouse in Sentosa. It's an incredible workout and also a fun place to chill with family and friends.

Are you satisfied with your body now and why?
Honestly, I'm pretty happy with my body now. Given that I don't really watch what I eat and I don't follow any diet plan, but I always strive to be better.

Do you get any comments about your body?
I feel complimented when peers and clients suggested that I take part in physique competitions.

You managed to maintain your physique so well for your age - what's the secret?
Do not overeat and be consistent in your exercise regime. Don't be too obsessed in getting the six-pack abs and forgo other important things in life. Just enjoy the process and eventually you will see results.

 

 

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Eden Ang (25 Jan 2016)

Name: Eden Ang (IG: @eden_ang)
Age: 28
Height: 170cm
Weight: 65kg
Occupation: Entertainer / Artiste
Status: Single
Diet: Usually tries eat clean; recently cut down sugar intake
Training: Breakdances once a week, jogs almost daily, gyms 1-2 times a week; practises martial arts and B-boy conditioning

What kind of sports did you do as a kid?
As a child I was forced into swimming due to childhood asthma. I was also made to try basketball, softball and soccer, all of which I wasn't very talented in. However, it was karate that really appealed to me. I’m a Karate second degree black belt holder and I competed internationally, as well as won multiple national championships titles.

 

When did you first go to the gym and why?
When I was about 10 years old, I invited myself to play on a treadmill, revved it up to full speed, jumped on it and smashed my face. After that I started going with my childhood friends who were twice my size to show them that I could lift more than them. Now I know how to use the gym correctly though. *laughs*

When and how did you discover breakdancing?
I was 12 when I first watched the cool kids in school breakdance at school dances. I was intrigued by it but I was a nerd and not part of the cool kids at that time so I wasn't invited to join the "crew".

My first moves were a front handspring and coffee grinder (also called helicopter). I was self-taught so I injured myself a lot in the process and bled a lot as I used to train on concrete. It was difficult but addictive at the same time.

Aiming to achieve the impossible really motivates me so I kept trying. My first backflip allowed me to feel as though I was out of this universe, and for that moment I could "cheat death". This feeling is something I still enjoy till this day. A flip is 100 per cent or nothing – anything short of 100 per cent may cost my life and I really enjoy the thrill when I accomplish that. I also want to inspire people to believe that they can do it too.

What do you like about breakdancing?
I love the freedom and challenging the potential of the human body. I focus on power moves as they are risky gravity-defying moves that thrill and really entertain a crowd. I've also done contemporary dance which helped me immensely with my flexibility and lines. Hip hop, salsa and popping are other genres I've done as well. All these contribute to my style as a Bboy.

When was your first breakdance competition and how did you do?
My first battle was on the concrete streets of Christchurch City, New Zealand. I was challenged in a Bboy battle which I badly lost, only to be asked to join the crew as a trainee afterward. I later learned they were the number one breakdance crew in the country. Till this day I represent the ‘Common Ground Crew’.

What's your biggest achievement in breakdance?
Personally my biggest achievement, apart from representing the ‘Common Ground Crew’, is being part of Universal Studios Rockafellas – a full time dance/Bboy performance team. I worked there for 2.5 years and enjoyed it immensely. The amount of joy my fellow members and I could bring to the audience daily was something I enjoyed wholeheartedly. It was through this that I realised – as humans, we all have the right to do what we love and we can live off it as long as we bless others through what we do.

What are some misconceptions of breakdance?
“You break your bones dancing". It’s a joke many people tell me and it was funny the first 64 times but after a while we needed to tickle ourselves to fake our polite laughter. Though there are multiple theories on the origins of the name "break dance", I did some research and found that the most logical reason is that dancers used to dance to the bridge of jazz songs, which is also known as the "break" where the bass and drums drive and the horns and other instruments take a backseat. People enjoyed this part of the song and it later evolved into genres such as funk.

The older generation also see break dance as a negative dance form for delinquents. Though it was possible for delinquents to break dance, I feel to become excellent in this dance form, the delinquent will have to be very focused and in the process perhaps find his/her purpose in life. A halfhearted attitude toward this dance form quickly leads to injury. This dance form has also got me interested in the human movement and anatomy as well.

Being an artiste now, how do you balance exercise with work?
This is quite tricky. While I was a full time break dancer at universal with the Rockafellas, work was exercise and exercise was work. However these days I spend a lot of time in front of the computer editing videos and reading lines in front of a camera on set. Workouts usually take place at 2am, but I get it done. There is no excuse because in my industry, I am my own product and I do need to maintain and upgrade it.

What are some of the misconceptions that society has about fitness now?
That girls who don’t eat are fit. I spend a lot of time with actresses and models and never once found the act of starving attractive. I personally prefer a healthy looking girl with meat on her bones. So be happy and eat, please. Smiles are the most attractive.

Are you satisfied with your body now?
Yes. I just lost 6kg in about two weeks for an adidas shoot. While it wasn’t the easiest, I am very honoured to represent a brand that encourages its community to stay fit. Knowing I am in control of my body is a really satisfying feeling. I do have certain goals of how I'd like to improve but that you will see in a next shoot.

Do you get any comments about your body?
All the time! “You're ugly”, “you're too short”, “you're too fat”, “you're too skinny”. I get this every day. I'm an artiste and we are target boards for criticism. However, I’ve set my mind to just focus on the positive comments.

Why is it important to set aside time to exercise?                    
You are loved by many. So treasure yourself and take care of your body. To me, fitness is health. As an artiste I don't always get to decide how I look as I need to bulk and shrink according to the role and shoot I'm about to do. However, a healthy functional body to me is very important. That is the base of life.

 

 

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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Mike Darren Tan (11 Jan 2016)

Name: Mike Darren Tan
Age: 32
Height: 172cm
Weight: 62kg
Occupation: Radio DJ on Power98 FM
Status: Dating
Diet: Doesn’t keep to a specific diet but stays away from sugar because it is just empty calories and pure evil dressed in a cute outfit
Training: Hits the gym four times a week, swims or cycles twice a week

Did you struggle with your body when you were younger?
I did. I was that tiny, scrawny kid whose clothes would hang off him and who couldn’t go out on windy days. I was underweight for much of my childhood and teenage years but as I got older, I realised that I had the power to change that. All I had to be was brave enough to do it.

 

Were you an active kid?
I was pretty active as a kid actually. I played a bit of soccer at school and spent every day with kids in my neighbourhood, where we rollerblade, skateboard, play baseball, basketball and even more soccer. And of course, the best sport of all, hands-down, was catching.

Did you compete in any sports?
I’m always really thankful that my mum got me started with tennis when I was about 10 years old. Even though I initially dreaded training with a bunch of older kids once a week, I eventually grew to love it very much. Before I knew it, I became a part of my secondary school and polytechnic tennis squads and went on to play competitively throughout my teenage years.

When did you first go to the gym and why?
I picked up my first set of hand-me-down dumbbells from my brother-in-law when I was about 15 and would occasionally touch, roll them around and pretend I was fit, but I only truly started working about two years ago, after a devastating personal loss that led me to seek solace in the gym.

What do you like about lifting weights?
Lifting weights helps my mind fly, especially when your body catches on fire and all you can feel is the burn from that bar or those dumbbells. The physical pain takes away much of my mental and emotional stress and it’s incredibly freeing.

What does fitness mean to you?
Working out has and will continue to be a tremendous learning experience and I’ve come to know that the best workout is one that you do for yourself and not for anyone else. Maybe you wanna feel better, look better, fit into that pair of jeans, have that extra can of beer on a Saturday night, but whichever reason it may be, do it for reasons honest to yourself and be truly amazed at how far your fitness experience will take you.

What are some of the misconceptions that society has about fitness now?
The fitness culture has evolved in such a way that there are a million theories about a million things. This food will activate your metabolism, this cleanse will help you lose weight, that workout will get you rock solid abs… All the options in the world just means you get even more confused about where to start and what to do but fitness is all about where you stand and what you’d like to accomplish for yourself. Set simple and realistic goals, do a bit of reading and live by your standards, not anyone else’s.

Why is it important to lead an active lifestyle?
Beyond being healthy, I think it also helps you see and experience the world in a really unique and wonderful way. Sometimes you can’t trade the adrenaline rush of a great run, bike ride or tennis game for anything else. Getting your body moving means you’re running on endorphins and those guys just make you feel awesome about everything.

Are you satisfied with your body now?
I think as people and as human beings, we’re constantly a work-in-progress, whether it’s your body or state of mind. I’m not physically unhappy but there’s always something to strive and work hard for and I think that our life’s purpose – to always be the best versions of ourselves.

Do you get any comments about your physique?
Yeah I do and I’m extremely appreciative of all the wonderful things people have said but I think it’s equally important to never let compliments mess with your head. Working out doesn't make me more or less special than anyone else. Everyone has something they can be proud of and it’s up to you to decide what that could be.

 

 

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