Singapore #Fitspo of the week: Samson Lau

Life goes beyond the numbers on the scale and your body is capable of so much more! Yahoo\’s #Fitspo of the Week series is dedicated to inspired Singaporean men and women who lead active, healthy lifestyles. Do you have someone to recommend? Hit on OR !

First name: Samson Lau ()

Age: 32

Height: 1.72m

Weight: 73kg

Occupation: Fitness trainer

State: To separate

Food: I mostly eat the same thing every day. My meal usually consists of brown rice, chicken breast, and broccoli. I cheat once a week, usually on a Friday night or Saturday when I\’m feeling lonely. I follow this rule in general: \”If you can\’t read or understand 90% of the ingredients you see on the food label, it\’s probably not good for you.\”

Exercise: I am active every day. As an athletic trainer and instructor, it\’s my job to teach group fitness classes. It requires me to move with my clients as I teach on stage and this is a bit of a pleasure for me. Before my classes, I will do my training which is mostly strength/weight training and a CrossFit WOD.

When you were younger, did you play sports?

Never. In fact, I hated working out as a kid. I only got into fitness before my National Service when I felt like I really needed to work out.

What did you get into when you grew up?

I actually got completely into shape by accident. When I signed up for a gym membership, I got access to group fitness classes and that\’s when I felt it was a perfect way for me to build a good habit of working out because it was fun and I don\’t have to think about what to do.

How did you become an athletic trainer?

Since I was very involved in the whole GX (Group Fitness) thing, I started attending classes and boot camps to gain more knowledge and tools to lead a class. After getting my certification, I started teaching regularly to gain more experience.

When I was still in school, a typical day for me was having morning classes, going to school or lessons and tutorials, then going back to the gym again to teach. After my graduation, I knew this was what I wanted to do, so I moved forward in this career full time.

The story continues

What is the most fulfilling thing about having a career in the fitness industry?

I definitely see progression and a change in my clients, whether it\’s a GX class or personal training (PT), and when they keep coming back or signing up for more PT sessions with you.

I\’m also into on-the-job training and development and being able to mentor new coaches and instructors and then see them on stage teaching a class with a huge shift, is something that is priceless and very fulfilling too.

Conversely, what are the challenges?

It is very important to be a role model when you lead a class and sometimes life gets in the way. You may feel very tired or sad or your social battery is low, but when you are on stage, you need to turn it off and be 100% present. Also, when I was a freelance instructor, getting injured meant you wouldn\’t be able to teach until you recovered, so you\’d be out of work for a while.

What are your fitness goals now?

Really work on my strength and stamina. But overall, in general, I still want to climb mountains and volcanoes when I\’m 80.

When you were younger, did you experience incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?

I guess feeling insecure has been a constant battle in my life. I find myself training so hard to get a certain fitness model physique that you see on social media and in the media. Sometimes I train three times a day and at one point I was overtrained and still not happy with how my body looked.

I remember one time nagging my client who kept getting injured because he trained so much outside of our regular training sessions; then it occurred to me that I was doing the same thing. It\’s funny that as a coach I\’m good at coaching others but myself. This changed my view of training and I now see training as a celebration of what our bodies can and cannot train with poor nutrition.

When have you felt least sure of yourself?

Usually after a breakup or a broken relationship, I feel like I\’m no good for anyone. I wouldn\’t like what I see in the mirror. But going to therapy and doing yoga has helped me a lot. It has helped me to be honest with myself internally and love myself a little more. I feel it\’s important to start loving yourself before anyone else.

Have you ever struggled with your body?

YES! When I first started getting into the fitness industry I was working with guys who are really passionate and muscular and people look to them a lot for inspiration. I remembered that I was trying to get funny like them and then I found myself overtraining and eating a lot more just to pack on that extra muscle mass. It made me really miserable during that phase.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

YES. I mean, it may look better, it may be stronger, but I look at it as a work in progress. I\’m just so thankful for what my body can do and I remind myself that it\’s enough!

Have you ever received comments about your body? If you could change anything about yourself, would you?

YES. I\’m embarrassed to say that these are usually good comments, but mostly I feel very underrated. If I can change anything about myself, it would be to have a healthier mindset to make sure I\’m okay with the way I am right now.