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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Jay-Hykel Jailani

Jay-Hykel Jailani is a personal trainer.
Jay-Hykel Jailani is a personal trainer. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

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!

Name: Jay-Hykel Jailani (@jayhykel)

Age: 29

Height: 1.80m

Weight: 80kg

Occupation: Personal Trainer

Status: Married

Food: No strict diet, I just follow a 70/30 rule where 70 per cent of what goes into my body is "healthy" and for dinner I usually eat whatever I want.

For breakfast, I always eat the same thing every day, which is three scoops of oats, one scoop of protein, two tablespoons of honey, two tablespoons of Biscoff spread and a banana (about 800 cals). I take a protein shake (200-300 cals) after my workout.

For lunch I rotate, but it's usually 150g of meat, 100g of carbs and 100g of veggies (600 cals). I then take a protein bar (100-200 cals) for my snack before dinner.

For dinner I eat whatever I want but usually just meat and veggies. I also drink water all day long, about 4-6 litres.

Exercise: I'm playing rugby again now so I've changed from a bodybuilding split to a more athletic movement split. On Mondays I do interval runs, Tuesdays and Thursdays are full body strength days, Wednesdays are for sprint techniques, Saturday is for more of conditioning circuit or rugby day. I rest on Friday and Sunday.

Jay-Hykel follows the 70/30 rule where 70 per cent of what goes into his body is
Jay-Hykel follows the 70/30 rule where 70 per cent of what goes into his body is "healthy". (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: How did you get into rugby?

A: I was from Saint Andrew's, so rugby has been a big a part of my life since I was Primary 3 and got introduced to the sport during PE lessons. I instantly fell in love with it! In between, I dabbled in a bit of football as well, playing in the B Division team and also for the Tampines Rovers U-16s.

When did you start getting competitive with rugby?

I guess I started playing competitively when I entered my first every rugby tournament in the U-11s in 2003.

You're still playing rugby competitively.

Yes, I love the adrenaline, the intensity, the brotherhood on and off the pitch.

What are some of the highlights of your rugby career?

Representing the national team in all age groups and men's team in the sevens and 15s versions. Also, being the first Singaporean to play for the Asian Pacific Dragons.

Jay-Hykel has represented Singapore in both sevens and 15s rugby, and is the first Singaporean to play for the Asian Pacific Dragons.
Jay-Hykel has represented Singapore in both sevens and 15s rugby, and is the first Singaporean to play for the Asian Pacific Dragons. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Conversely, what are some of the lows?

The lows would definitely be missing out on three SEA Games in a row, albeit training with the team right through to the tournament but missing out either through injury or National Service.

How did you decide to become a personal trainer?

I became a personal trainer in 2020 when an opportunity arose through a mutual contact regarding a job opening with Bodies By Lawrence.

Is there any pressure to look good for your line of work?

Honestly no, but I put the pressure on myself to be of a certain standard as we should practise what we preach.

What's your coaching philosophy?

I believe in having a sustainable lifestyle. Meaning, I too love to go out and have fun with friends on weekends but it's all about moderation. You can still have fun, client meetings, family vacations but it's about setting standards and living in moderation.

Jay-Hykel believes in having a sustainable lifestyle that is grounded in moderation.
Jay-Hykel believes in having a sustainable lifestyle that is grounded in moderation. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

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

I have always been the skinny boy in group (nothing wrong with being skinny), but I felt insecure about my body and how I looked. I always wanted to be much more muscular and struggled the most when I was 18, as the people I started playing rugby with and against were much bigger than me.

When did you feel the least confident about yourself?

When I was in polytechnic and surrounded by people older than me and I felt I didn't bring much to the table. So, I started going on YouTube to find gym workouts and made more friends in the gym to learn from them.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

Honestly, I will never be just like everyone else, but my wife says she loves it, so it's good enough for me.

Have you ever received any comments about your body?

Yes, with humility, I usually get positive comments.

If you could change anything about yourself, would you?

No, if not I would not be the man I am today!

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Jay-Hykel Jailani.
Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Jay-Hykel Jailani. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)