Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Kenneth Seet

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: 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).

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.

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).

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.