Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Nelson Wong
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: 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.
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.
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.
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.
