From the magazine covers and pictures of his six-pack abs and ripped physique, it is hard to imagine that Singaporean actor, producer and director Zheng Geping had tipped the weighing scale at 87kg back in 2000. That would have put the 1.8m-tall artiste at a moderate risk of obesity-related diseases, going by his BMI.
But that was exactly the situation for Singapore’s reigning 59-year-old “hunkle”, who then decided to turn his life around at the age of 40 to give his career a longer runway.
Today, the fitness enthusiast and family man (as a father to Mediacorp artiste Tay Ying and singer-songwriter Calvert Tay, and husband to veteran actress Hong Huifang) cuts an enviable figure in the gym.
The man does know more than a thing or two about improving one’s health – his book Star Fitness was published in 2013 – and he’ll be at the Healthier SG roadshow at Yew Tee Square today (Jul 29), 3pm, to share his knowledge.
In the meantime, CNA Lifestyle finds out from the poster boy for middle-aged men how he stays healthy and fit.
BRISK WALK OR JOG
While many men in their 30s are struggling to fob off beer bellies and high cholesterol levels, Zheng was baring his body at age 47 for his role in Kampong Ties.
To get his physique camera ready, he’d hit the gym four times a week and stick to a diet that “only mad people would eat”, he said with such an uncanny Popeye-like chuckle, he might as well be digging into a can of spinach while chatting with us.
“I would jog on the treadmill to warm up first. On Monday, I might train my chest. On Wednesday, I might work on my back and the smaller muscles such as the arms. On Friday, I might target my shoulders. Leg day can be any other day. I always finish up with the abs and make sure there is a rest day in between my workouts,” he said.
But Zheng emphasised that this was for “aesthetics” and wouldn’t recommend it for those who are just starting to work out. “I’ll stick to 1.5 hours per session because I want to stay focused. No point spending three to four hours in the gym and you’re on the phone or chatting with people half the time you’re there.”
For those new to exercise or haven’t been active for a while, he suggested jogging or brisk walking, especially for seniors, if they have joint issues. “You don’t have to run for at least half an hour to get results,” he said. “If you’re a beginner and are struggling to jog for 5 minutes, then just jog for 3 minutes. It’s okay. Your stamina will improve with time.
“Rest when you get tired,” he continued. “The last thing you want are injuries. When you’re injured, it’ll set you back in your exercise routine and cause you to fall off the bandwagon. Then, it’s another uphill task to pick it up again after recovering.”
LIFT WHAT YOU CAN
If you want training guidance, go to a gym for it. “There are so many gyms to choose from… commercial gyms to those run by Active SG, Safra, Home Team and community clubs,” said Zheng. “It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money on gym memberships.”
When you’re there in the gym, don’t make it about how heavy you lift, said Zheng. It’s not a number game. “It’s about using what you can manage when you’re starting out. If you can lift 5kg, then start with 5kg. Slowly, as you build up your strength and endurance, you can progressively increase the weight you use. You don’t have to use heavy weights to gain health benefits.”
WHEN TO REST, WHEN TO PUSH ON
“There will be days when you don’t feel like doing anything. You can feel the fatigue everywhere if you’ve overworked yourself physically or mentally. If you feel out of sorts, rest," he said.
"Rest is also when your body builds muscles. Pushing yourself on would be unwise as you can get injured easily. Sleep, watch a movie by yourself or with family. Whatever you do, step away from work and the gym."
But if your body is telling you that every day, it could well be laziness, he said. “Laziness is in your mind. You give yourself a lot of excuses.” Zheng advised using a timetable and setting up a routine. “For example, if you schedule your gym session at 8am, be there by 10am at the latest,” he said.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
There’s no difference between what a young and older person does to stay healthy, according to Zheng. To help you stick better to the changes to live healthier, the veteran actor recommended keeping it simple: Have ample sleep, hydrate, stay positive and watch your diet.
“You can’t run away from these maxims. But people don’t put them into practice because they think: How can it be so simple? So, they look for over-complicated methods. But really, it doesn’t have to be that way.”
Sleep is important as that is when your body recovers in general, he said. “I’m not saying you have to hit the bed at 10pm. Even when I sleep at midnight or 1am, I still ensure that I get six hours of sleep at least."
Zheng doesn't have a napping habit but he does take 15-minute power naps to "recharge myself" when his production schedule gets hectic. "I can nap sitting in a comfortable chair and with my neck supported,” he said.
As for water, he always has a bottle with him to help cool and hydrate him. “Those who don’t drink enough water have very toxic systems.”
And try to stay happy to help boost your mental wellbeing. “Think positively. This, of course, depends on your character. There are those who tend to be negative in their outlooks. Expose yourself to positive things and think positive thoughts.”
WHAT TO EAT?
Zheng is of the opinion that you don’t have to severely restrict what you eat; just have a balanced diet with carbohydrates, protein and fibre, and try to reduce deep-fried and greasy foods. “Listen to what the Health Promotion Board says; their advice is simplified for you to follow.”
What he’ll avoid is sugar. “When sugar is not fully utilised by your body, it gets stored as fat. If you eat out a lot, avoid using additional sugar because most food already comes with it. For instance, I order kopi-o kosong. If you can’t accept coffee without sugar, ask for siew dai (less sweet). Over time, you’ll be able to cut it out.”
But he wouldn’t recommend following his diet when “I’m on a low-carb and restricted diet to achieve the aesthetics I want”.
“No one wants to eat with me. It’s the same thing every day and I have ever kept to this diet for six months straight: Oatmeal, eggs and bananas for breakfast; steamed chicken breast, broccoli and eggs for lunch; and fish, asparagus or broccoli, and eggs for dinner. Sometimes, I replace fish with beef slices cooked shabu shabu-style in just hot water. No oil, no seasoning.”
And despite eating as many as 24 eggs every day for a month straight, Zheng’s cholesterol levels are okay, thank you very much. “Out of, say, the 12 eggs I have for one meal, I would only eat the yolks from two eggs. The rest would go to my wife for making fried rice sometimes,” he said with a chuckle.
QUIET YOUR MIND
To help him decompress when he is done with work, Zheng would retreat to a quiet place. “I would leave the office, and go home or go somewhere to be with myself. I find that spending even just 5 minutes being quiet in your mind helps a lot. Switch off your phone – don’t even put it on vibration mode – and just close your eyes.
You don’t have to wait till your day is over either. “You can do this in a quiet corner in the office. Just close your eyes, empty your mind and focus on your breathing. It’s not complicated and it doesn’t require complicated methods. Most people ask, so simple ah?
"But if it’s simple, why aren’t you doing it?” he said.
For more details on the Healthier SG roadshows, visit www.healthiersg.gov.sg/roadshows/about/.
Continue reading...
But that was exactly the situation for Singapore’s reigning 59-year-old “hunkle”, who then decided to turn his life around at the age of 40 to give his career a longer runway.
Today, the fitness enthusiast and family man (as a father to Mediacorp artiste Tay Ying and singer-songwriter Calvert Tay, and husband to veteran actress Hong Huifang) cuts an enviable figure in the gym.
The man does know more than a thing or two about improving one’s health – his book Star Fitness was published in 2013 – and he’ll be at the Healthier SG roadshow at Yew Tee Square today (Jul 29), 3pm, to share his knowledge.
In the meantime, CNA Lifestyle finds out from the poster boy for middle-aged men how he stays healthy and fit.
BRISK WALK OR JOG
While many men in their 30s are struggling to fob off beer bellies and high cholesterol levels, Zheng was baring his body at age 47 for his role in Kampong Ties.
To get his physique camera ready, he’d hit the gym four times a week and stick to a diet that “only mad people would eat”, he said with such an uncanny Popeye-like chuckle, he might as well be digging into a can of spinach while chatting with us.
“I would jog on the treadmill to warm up first. On Monday, I might train my chest. On Wednesday, I might work on my back and the smaller muscles such as the arms. On Friday, I might target my shoulders. Leg day can be any other day. I always finish up with the abs and make sure there is a rest day in between my workouts,” he said.
But Zheng emphasised that this was for “aesthetics” and wouldn’t recommend it for those who are just starting to work out. “I’ll stick to 1.5 hours per session because I want to stay focused. No point spending three to four hours in the gym and you’re on the phone or chatting with people half the time you’re there.”
For those new to exercise or haven’t been active for a while, he suggested jogging or brisk walking, especially for seniors, if they have joint issues. “You don’t have to run for at least half an hour to get results,” he said. “If you’re a beginner and are struggling to jog for 5 minutes, then just jog for 3 minutes. It’s okay. Your stamina will improve with time.
“Rest when you get tired,” he continued. “The last thing you want are injuries. When you’re injured, it’ll set you back in your exercise routine and cause you to fall off the bandwagon. Then, it’s another uphill task to pick it up again after recovering.”
LIFT WHAT YOU CAN
If you want training guidance, go to a gym for it. “There are so many gyms to choose from… commercial gyms to those run by Active SG, Safra, Home Team and community clubs,” said Zheng. “It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money on gym memberships.”
When you’re there in the gym, don’t make it about how heavy you lift, said Zheng. It’s not a number game. “It’s about using what you can manage when you’re starting out. If you can lift 5kg, then start with 5kg. Slowly, as you build up your strength and endurance, you can progressively increase the weight you use. You don’t have to use heavy weights to gain health benefits.”
WHEN TO REST, WHEN TO PUSH ON
“There will be days when you don’t feel like doing anything. You can feel the fatigue everywhere if you’ve overworked yourself physically or mentally. If you feel out of sorts, rest," he said.
"Rest is also when your body builds muscles. Pushing yourself on would be unwise as you can get injured easily. Sleep, watch a movie by yourself or with family. Whatever you do, step away from work and the gym."
But if your body is telling you that every day, it could well be laziness, he said. “Laziness is in your mind. You give yourself a lot of excuses.” Zheng advised using a timetable and setting up a routine. “For example, if you schedule your gym session at 8am, be there by 10am at the latest,” he said.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
There’s no difference between what a young and older person does to stay healthy, according to Zheng. To help you stick better to the changes to live healthier, the veteran actor recommended keeping it simple: Have ample sleep, hydrate, stay positive and watch your diet.
“You can’t run away from these maxims. But people don’t put them into practice because they think: How can it be so simple? So, they look for over-complicated methods. But really, it doesn’t have to be that way.”
Sleep is important as that is when your body recovers in general, he said. “I’m not saying you have to hit the bed at 10pm. Even when I sleep at midnight or 1am, I still ensure that I get six hours of sleep at least."
Zheng doesn't have a napping habit but he does take 15-minute power naps to "recharge myself" when his production schedule gets hectic. "I can nap sitting in a comfortable chair and with my neck supported,” he said.
As for water, he always has a bottle with him to help cool and hydrate him. “Those who don’t drink enough water have very toxic systems.”
And try to stay happy to help boost your mental wellbeing. “Think positively. This, of course, depends on your character. There are those who tend to be negative in their outlooks. Expose yourself to positive things and think positive thoughts.”
WHAT TO EAT?
Zheng is of the opinion that you don’t have to severely restrict what you eat; just have a balanced diet with carbohydrates, protein and fibre, and try to reduce deep-fried and greasy foods. “Listen to what the Health Promotion Board says; their advice is simplified for you to follow.”
What he’ll avoid is sugar. “When sugar is not fully utilised by your body, it gets stored as fat. If you eat out a lot, avoid using additional sugar because most food already comes with it. For instance, I order kopi-o kosong. If you can’t accept coffee without sugar, ask for siew dai (less sweet). Over time, you’ll be able to cut it out.”
But he wouldn’t recommend following his diet when “I’m on a low-carb and restricted diet to achieve the aesthetics I want”.
“No one wants to eat with me. It’s the same thing every day and I have ever kept to this diet for six months straight: Oatmeal, eggs and bananas for breakfast; steamed chicken breast, broccoli and eggs for lunch; and fish, asparagus or broccoli, and eggs for dinner. Sometimes, I replace fish with beef slices cooked shabu shabu-style in just hot water. No oil, no seasoning.”
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And despite eating as many as 24 eggs every day for a month straight, Zheng’s cholesterol levels are okay, thank you very much. “Out of, say, the 12 eggs I have for one meal, I would only eat the yolks from two eggs. The rest would go to my wife for making fried rice sometimes,” he said with a chuckle.
QUIET YOUR MIND
To help him decompress when he is done with work, Zheng would retreat to a quiet place. “I would leave the office, and go home or go somewhere to be with myself. I find that spending even just 5 minutes being quiet in your mind helps a lot. Switch off your phone – don’t even put it on vibration mode – and just close your eyes.
You don’t have to wait till your day is over either. “You can do this in a quiet corner in the office. Just close your eyes, empty your mind and focus on your breathing. It’s not complicated and it doesn’t require complicated methods. Most people ask, so simple ah?
"But if it’s simple, why aren’t you doing it?” he said.
For more details on the Healthier SG roadshows, visit www.healthiersg.gov.sg/roadshows/about/.
Continue reading...