Text and pictures by Lim Yaohui
Ho Kaijie, 25
Undergraduate
Height: 1.73m Weight: 69kg
Exercise regimen: I exercise almost daily - weight training at the gym twice a week covering bench press and squats, my own ab routine four times a week and Brazilian jiu-jitsu thrice a week (my only form of cardio, where we push ourselves to do several rounds of sparring at one go). It is an excellent fat-burning method, and also strengthens mental resilience.
Diet: I usually eat bread with spreads for breakfast, and the typical mixed vegetables rice for the rest of my meals. I do not really have a diet regimen. I simply try to limit my intake of unhealthy food, like cakes or fried chicken, though I tend to binge on the occasional Old Chang Kee finger food or fried prawn paste chicken. I choose to "pay back" my lack of a strict diet with my disciplined workouts, relentlessly following the routine I have set out for myself.
Marie Chen Li Wen, 22
Undergraduate
Height: 1.64m Weight: 51kg
Exercise regimen: I do weight training (11/2 to 2 hours) in the school gym four days a week between or before lessons, following a general upper-lower body split. I mix up the weights and rep ranges depending on the type of exercise, and also incorporate lots of super sets and giant sets to keep the heart rate elevated. Recently I've picked up dragon boating, and I train once a week on Saturday mornings. On Sundays, I enjoy swimming to stay active while giving my body some rest.
Diet: I eat three to four meals a day. Breakfast is almost always oatmeal with peanut butter; lunch and dinner are generally sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables and a fatty protein source, such as salmon or chicken thigh. I may end my day with more oatmeal to hit my macro-nutrient goals. I eat out very rarely and cook almost all my meals. I avoid fried food, fast food and sugary drinks as I do not find them palatable.