Tell us a little bit about you
I am a rehabilitation and functional training coach, as well as the Training and Development Manager at Functional Training Institute (FTI). My goal is to help others maximize their overall performance by combining the perspectives of both a practitioner and a therapist. I aim to empower them to make small steps towards their goals.
While I am a certified as a fitness and rehabilitation coach, I am also a certified life coach. Additionally, I am a fitness enthusiast and have a passion for competitive sports ranging from kickboxing to marathon racing on top of weight lifting.
How did you become a fitness professional?
I was previously working in 2 mega commercial gyms in Singapore as a fitness professional and part of the management team. I saw for the fact that we are pushing fitness, health and fun. However, the biggest missing link was the fact that many people are pushing fitness and pain in the same direction.
Coincidentally, I met Nelson (owner of Functional Training Institute) and he shared that his vision was to help people move pain-free actively and that’s something that speaks volumes to me. It was a no-brainer for me to move from being a fitness coach to being a rehab and functional training specialist. I am excited everyday to see our clients make breakthroughs from coming to us with pain to being able to move without pain.
What does your typical day look like for you?
A typical day for me involves working with 4-5 clients, followed by a few hours spent on learning, development, and creating material to add value to my coaches or clients. Of course, not forgetting some time for a workout.
How did recent advances in tech & innovation helped you elevate your career, what are some examples? Is it always positive?
Technology has helped me greatly in my career. I have gone from tracking client programs on paper to using tools like Notion (a note-taking app), MindBody (for booking and scheduling clients), and AI, as well as other video editing apps for content creation.
How do you define success, and what are some of the challenges you had to overcome?
To me, success means empowering individuals to work towards optimal health. This includes helping someone that suffers from back pain from a simple task like tying their shoes laces to being able to go back to lifting weights; as well as helping someone who has trouble walking up stairs to be able to run again without pain.
How relevant are fitness qualifications/certifications today?
While fitness qualifications and certifications are important in our line of work, it is also essential to be a practitioner. Practicing what you preach is emphasized at FTI. Our coaches never stop learning and are required to keep up with their level of fitness.
At FTI, we adopt our unique R`4 methodology of Review, Release, Retrain and Results. This unique approach has empowered thousands of individuals to live pain-free actively and sets us apart from the other Rehabilitation/Pain Management fitness institutions in Singapore.
Why did you get into the fitness industry?
I graduated with a diploma in Information Technology and Fitness was probably the last thing that anyone would think I would be in. However, since young, I’ve always loved fitness and loved hitting the gym. Back then, having a gym membership was a luxury for me as I couldn’t afford it. I still remember the days when I received a 2-weeks free trial to California Fitness (Huge franchise back in the day) and had to face the brutal, hard selling of the personal training packages and gym memberships every time I am done with a workout. I never missed a day and yes it was a no-brainer that fitness was more of my thing.
What is your fitness specialty and why?
I specialize in functional movements and see myself as a movement specialist to help people bridge the gap between rehabilitation and performance. I’ve had my fair share of experience in gymnastics, kick boxing, weight lifting, parkour and marathons. I see and sympathize with the fact that many people go through fitness with lots of pain and injuries (myself included). It’s always a never ending cycle between rehabilitation and training, and I hope to be able to bring value to help break the cycle.
What are some of your top tips to pass to current and/or emerging Exercise Professionals?
In the words of James P. Carse in Finite and Infinite Games, “There are at least two kind of games, one could be called finite: the other infinite. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play” -there will always be milestones and obstacles along the way. However, it is crucial to focus on key habits that will help you reach your goals, never stop learning, and always find ways to add more value than anyone else.