Gymless Fitness Revolution Blog

It truly never ceases to amaze me how fast time really flies. By all accounts, 2016 has been a pretty eventful (and rough) year so far: with the spread of the Zika Virus across South America, the exit of Britain from the EU, and of course, the unprecedented spate of terrorist attacks across France, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Bangladesh, Iraq etc .... Here in Singapore, we can count ourselves pretty fortunate - being shielded from the bulk of the ills facing our world. However, as part of the vast humanity at large - nonetheless, we can't help but be affected still - in one way or another - by the spill-over effects of the above. Truly, in such volatile and turbulent times as now, I - like many others - have been trying hard to make sense of what's really happening around us, while going about my daily life as a Husband, a Father, a Son, a Business Owner and a Fitness Professional . Cozying up to the love of my life - my wife, Shirley. So much so that in spite of the ...

As a practising personal trainer and owner of a personal training business here in Singapore, I've been asked many times what it means and how it feels being part of the fitness community at large. Well, I can't speak on behalf of every single trainer or coach here in the country - as there are simply so many different trainers, contrasting training approaches, varied fitness niches, and diversification of fitness services across the industry today. More importantly, I'm sure every single trainer/coach out there would have his/her own personal and unique views regarding the profession too. Thus, for the purpose of this blog post, I would rather focus on what I - or rather, WE, of the personal training industry - are NOT . The following represents some of the most commonly-held myths and misconceptions about us - trainers and coaches - and my personal take on these issues, as well as the "hard truths" behind many of these assumptions: 1) We Are NOT ...

As a personal trainer and pre-post natal exercise specialist , a large part of my job scope involves  working with postpartum clients here in Singapore - helping them to re-gain their pre-pregnancy figures, re-condition their Core and to re-build their fitness levels. Journeying along with my female clients through this process, I can honestly say that it is both a rewarding and heartening experience for all involved, especially when we get to see - first-hand - the physical transformation of our clients gradually taking place right before our eyes. At the same time, via my interaction with the postpartum population through the years, it is also apparent that many myths and concerns that women have with regards to a Post Natal Fitness Programme still exist. Some of the more common ones are as follow: 1) I Must Wait At Least A MONTH Before I Can Do Any Sort Of Exercise! This is absolutely NOT true! And the sad thing is that there are still pockets of medical professi...

To most people, the concept of Environmental Fitness is something relatively new and unfamiliar. However, in its essence, it simply means: programming and structuring a fitness workout in your immediate environment: one that is ultimately familiar , convenient and accessible to you. And to most of us living here in Singapore, such an environment can be anything and anywhere : from our own homes to an outdoor park, from a nearby children's playground to even a public car park. Let's look in detail some of the more common locations for environmental fitness training, and the types of tools/props available in these environments that could be utilized for a great workout! A) Home Workouts ANY space in your home - sitting/dining area, bedroom, balcony, garage, backyard, etc - could be effectively and creatively used to give you an effective workout. Add to that: common-place furniture such as chairs , tables , stools , bed frames etc to every-day household fu...

Recently, in one of my more contemplative moments, I decided to take a trip back in time, and tried to objectively compare the fitness scene now in Singapore with that maybe just 6-8 years ago. And what truly amazed me is this: how interest and participation in Fitness & Health have truly skyrocketed in Singapore in just these few mere years! The ever-increasing statistics of residents engaging in sports and physical activities, a mushrooming and vibrant fitness scene where practically  EVERY imaginable kind, type and shape of fitness class, exercise course, event, race, competition and even training facility and venue - catering to every whim and fancy - have emerged in the country. All in all, the evidence point to the fact that Singapore is indeed fast becoming a major Fitness Hub in the world - like it or not! Fitness Classes Are Highly-Popular In Singapore! However - and this is just my personal opinion - these outward physical, infrastructural and statistical ...

To me, the Human Core has always been one of the most fascinating and intriguing areas of study in exercise science. And despite having been involved in the fitness industry here in Singapore for well over a decade, I still find the subject of Core Training or Core Fitness wildly exciting and pretty amazing.  The Kettlebell Swing - A Great All-Round Core Exercise As a fitness professional , I have been privileged to been exposed to the many different concepts, interpretations and understandings of what constitutes the Human Core and the varied types of training modalities associated with that area. Unfortunately, most of this knowledge is  NOT readily available to most of the general population - at least not here in Singapore - based on the numerous misconceptions , fallacies  and erroneous training methods that I encounter frequently among members of the general public and the gym-going ...

For those who have been actively following my blogs, you would have known by now that I am a strong advocate of gym-free fitness training and mobile fitness workouts here in Singapore. In so much that for all the fitness programs that I conduct here locally in Singapore, I always strive to adhere to 3 main guiding principles. These are: the scientific use and application of Body Weight Training principles (the concept of your body being your GYM),  the creative use of everyday environmental objects around us in fitness training - an approach I term - Environmental Fitness Training, and the proper utilization of Portable, Functional Fitness Tools for  variety ,  zest and added dimension  to any workouts. For the purpose of this blog, I'll be touching on the last principle - the proper and creative use of functional mobile fitness tools in any training program. Port...