Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Jeremy Lee
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: Jeremy Lee (@fab.abs.bulous)
Age: 36
Height: 1.78m
Weight: 70kg
Occupation: Pilates and Boot Camp Trainer
Status: Single
Food: I eat a high carbohydrate and protein diet. I need the carbohydrates for energy to function in my work and protein to sustain muscle building. I turn to pasta and rice for carbohydrates and all meat besides lamb for protein. I’m not fussy with how they are cooked.
Exercise: 2 times of Pilates (equipment-based or calisthenics-based), 1 - 2 times of Barry’s Bootcamp classes, 1 - 2 heavy weightlifting sessions in the gym
What is your background in sports?
I competed actively in kayaking in junior college and university days and also dabbled with dragonboating. As I grew older, my functional scoliosis and muscle imbalance worsened and that's when I discovered Pilates, which helped to correct a lot of incorrect movement habits and alignment.
It is also during my years in Pilates that I discovered the benefit of ballet and I got into it for a few years. Several years ago, I started to include HIIT (high-intensity interval training) in my fitness regime and started seeing how it helped to change my physique.
When did you become more involved in Pilates?
I started diving deeper into Pilates and that's when I realised I'm passionate about the work and I could do this for a living, imparting useful information and knowledge to people who had a hard time trying to figure out what works best for their body. Fast forward many years later, I'm now a full-time boot camp and Pilates trainer.
What do you like about being a fitness trainer?
The joy in teaching comes when you see you bring out the best in your clients and they make progress on their bodies and fitness journeys.
How did you come up with your IG handle @fab.abs.bulous?
The name of my social media handle is inspired by my favourite class I used to attend in the gym – ABT, which stands for Abs Butt Thighs.
When did you feel the least confident about yourself?
Good-looking bodies sell in the fitness industry and trainers are constantly compared to each other based on that. Sometimes these comparisons become nasty comments and it becomes bullying.
There were times when I was made to feel unconfident about my body because of that but I also know having an awesome body is not enough to help clients in their fitness progress. When I have these gloomy days, I'll remind myself of the praises and gratitude from clients for helping them "get back on their feet" – whether it’s recovering from injuries or giving them a well-planned fitness programme that ensures trajectory in their fitness growth.
I remind myself that having a good physique helps but at the end of the day being genuine and passionate about what you can provide for your clients are the qualities they appreciate. It helps in building trust and a good relationship with your clients.
Have you ever received any comments about your body?
I have positive and negative things said about my body. I thank those who said good things about it and take the negatives ones like a pinch of salt. At the end of the day, the only person who understands my body and has been through my fitness journey is myself.
