Fitspiration – Messages posted along with pictures of athletes to motivate and inspire you to persevere through exercise.
The Metropolitant team scour the internet and speak to folks dedicated to their craft. This new column will showcase fitness enthusiast sharing more about themselves and their favorite exercise. Stay tuned to get inspired and motivated before your next workout!
This week, we speak to 32 year old, Polytechnic Lecturer Heinz Loy
(High resolution pictures here)
M: Tell us more about yourself?
H: I am currently a lecturer in a local polytechnic, teaching sports-related modules. I come from a marketing and PR background, and have managed several sporting labels such as Mizuno, Salomon and Columbia.
I was the inaugural Sports Model champion for Singapore Fitness Model Search 15 and, the 2nd runner-up for the Sports Model Overall and Asian Fitness Model Search 15. I’m quite a boring person as my life revolves around the gym or DOTA (computer game). One of my resolutions is to travel to many countries when time, and money, permits.
M: What are some of your fitness goals?
H: I have no plans to compete this year, but am considering to compete overseas in 2017. I also want to improve on the parts which are lacking i.e. arms and legs. I would also want to inspire the older generation (80s babies and beyond) that age is nothing but a number, and they can start indulging in fitness even with a late start in life.
M: Care to share with us your diet and training schedules?
I eat almost anything right now since it’s my off-season and rotate my training schedules from time to time to avoid plateau. Currently I am focusing on strength training, thus I lift heavy with lesser reps. As my current work schedule is hectic, I can only focus on one body part a day.
M: As a fitness fanatic, what is your favourite work-out?
I love doing the deadlift (both Romanian and Sumo). It is the only exercise that stimulates the entire body and burns a good amount of calories. Proper form is VERY important though as you risk injuries such as slipped disc if the exercise is not performed properly. I also have a love-hate relation with squats because they hurt so bad but important to growing those legs.
M: Pardon us, but at your age of 32, why did you take part in a Physique competition?
H: I decided to join a physique competition at a ripped age of 32 because of a pact made with one of my best friends, Cory, a MMA practitioner. We were probably having a mid-life conversation and decided to do something crazy with our lives. She said that if I enter a physique competition, she will fight in a MMA match. There was no turning back since then. I started going to the gym when I was in the army, but it wasn’t until a bad breakup that I decided to be serious and channel the emotional turmoil into the gym instead. It has been 5 years ever since.
M: I hope your friend Cory lived up to her promise. Care to share with us who/what inspires you?
I am inspired by my students who are very into the aesthetic movement and I’d rather they spend their time in the gym rather than roaming the streets and pick up bad habits i.e drugs and fights. I am also inspired by our local champions such as Melissa Sarah Wee, Joan Liew and Jojo Sinclair. I am very blessed to have fitness leaders in my social circle and they are always sharing information and supporting me. We need to hang around with positive people because birds of a feather flock together.
M: What did you learn from your fitness journey?
One thing I have learnt in my amateur fitness journey is that people, more than often, are caught in the fame game. And they lose themselves in the journey to be recognized. It is very important to be yourself and be grounded because people can tell if you’re faking it. Hone your skills well, always be genuinely kind to people, and naturally they will look up to your as an inspiration. If you keep harping on the perks of being a fitness personality, trust me, not only nobody will respect you, but you’ll definitely be the butt of every conversation (and that’s not a good thing). That’s showbiz in the fitness sector!
We thank Heinz once again for taking time off his busy schedule to share with us more about his fitness journey. Meanwhile, do stay fit and lift on! Shout out to Fitness Factory for loaning us their gym for the shoot!