In a blink, August arrived and heralded the beginning of the second month in my personal training program with SAFRA EnergyOne. Progress has been slow in July with only 5 out of 13 training sessions taking place. I had to forgo 4 sessions due to a cycling trip at Pengerang and vacation in Hua Hin. The rest of the cancelled sessions were so that my personal trainer can nurse his on-and-off flu symptoms that have plagued him for a month. Sure hope his family didn’t catch the superbug from him!

Although the realized training sessions have been scant, there’s something I found invaluable in adding overall strength and popping out the upper body… Back training. In my previous gymming routines, I hardly train my back because it is not a part we see when looking in the mirror. But there’s nothing sexier than a broad, cobra-shaped back flanking the chest and abs for a V-cut that would make Vuitton swoon in his grave.

So here are 4 exercises I was taught that really made me feel stronger and more pumped after doing them.

I have a deadline to improve my physique in 6 months so I’m in a bit of a hurry to get my bod in shape. But of course, when training, each rep should be controlled and never rushed to activate the deep muscle fibers within. This reverse pec-fly is a great exercise to carve out a deep back valley between the shoulder blades. Isn’t this animation that made me look like a dragonfly comical?

To really bulk up the back muscles, the Incline Lever Row is a must-do. I’ve done this before but I learnt that I can place my feet flat on the ground instead of the pedestal for better balance. But I feel that stepping on the pedestal isolates the back muscles more.

For the life of me, I’ve never done Deadlifts in all my years at the gym but after this first attempt, the day-after feeling convinced me it’s a must-have weekly exercise. I was told that the Deadlift stimulates bone marrow production but I thought it’s a bunch of hooey. However, after doing this, I really felt super and energetic the next day! From now on, it’s a mainstay in my gym routine.

The mother of all back exercises is Pull-Up. It is my Achilles heel during IPPTs and continues to be on my most-loathed exercise list. But without a doubt, it is the best exercise to work the upper body.
There are 3 grips – overhand, sidehand and underhand. Pictured here is the sidehand grip that is the easiest. Apparently, Arnold Schwarzenegger does 50 pull-ups as warm up for his gym sessions. If I did 50 pulls, I’m done for the day.

I never used to pay attention to my back other than who’s stabbing it but I found these 4 exercises to be truly muscle-busting for me. There are many more moves to sculpt the upper and lower back which combine to form the largest collection of muscles on our body so what we don’t see is definitely making a huge difference to the overall proportion of our physique.

So the next time you’re at the gym, don’t neglect working your rear to bring back the sexy!

Don’t chase after the sun to be on the bright side. It’s exhausting and it burns.

While the National Day Parade (NDP) attracted thousands to join hearts in the celebration of Singapore’s 48th birthday at Marina Bay, I joined limbs, torso and buttocks with fitness lovers at SAFRA Mount Faber for a mass kick-boxing and Zumba session!

The 2-hour non-stop adrenaline pumping workout gave me a high that was equivalent to the euphoria of watching the NDP fireworks ‘live’. But even better. The firework was brought within to torch calories and burn fats with the feel-good mood lasting the whole day instead of a mere 10 minutes at the grandstand!

Happy Birthday Singapore! 新加坡，生日快乐！Selamat Hari Jadi Singapura! இனிய பிறந்த நாள் நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள் Singapore! I love ya!

Put your hands up if you love Singapore! Regardless of race, language, religion and deodorant use, the theme this year salutes our unity in diversity through “Many Stories… One Singapore”. The many strands of fur under my armpits concur!

Fireworks can also come from the faces of people. The smile from this gungho nanny who kicked and grooved through the aerobic moves brightened my morning and showed that exercising is the fountain of youth!

A-cha! 李小龙俯身! High intensity kickboxing is one of the best calories burner with an hour burning up approximately 400 calories for women and 700 for men. How much calories one burns depends on age, sex, weight and muscle mass in the body so those numbers are just a gauge, but kickboxing is definitely one great way to rev up the metabolism. Plus, it is very cathartic to throw those punches and high kicks at the stressors of life.

Participants of the free aerobics session from 10am to 12pm were encouraged to turn up in red and/or white attire.

The sessions were injected with national songs such as “Stand up for Singapore”, “Home”, and this year’s theme song, “One Singapore”. I got goosebumps when they came on, feeling how lucky I am to call this little red dot home.

It may seem like psychological propaganda to exhaust the body and mind so that nationalistic messages may sink in, but I don’t think of it as propaganda because the fact is that Singapore, despite its faults and flaws, is truly a great place to be. So to any one who dislikes our nation, the above photo is for you *smile*

After an hour of kickboxing, the endorphin rush reached a crescendo with Zumba. Always game to try a new workout, I’ve perspired through almost all of them… step aerobics, body combat / kickboxing, body pump, hatha yoga, ashtanga yoga, pilates, and spinning, but I’ve never done Zumba. The reason? I have 2 left feet and 2 right hands. Need I explain more? My lack of coordination made keeping up with even the simplest of sequences in step classes a Charlie Chaplin act. So I’ve always regarded my participation in Zumba to be nothing short of being the joke of the town.

But I had the last laugh as the workout is really not as difficult as it looks and hips heaps of fun!

Zumba fans up in arms for their favourite aerobic workout.

What makes Zumba such an aerobic phenomenon is the hip (no puns intended) factor where it is not just a workout, but a freedom of self expression through fashion and dance.

Our Zumba instructress is a firecracker on stage with abs to serve ketupat on.

A 60-minute session of Zumba can burn between 500 – 1,000 calories depending on intensity. To make the aerobic moves more challenging, try strapping on some additional weight around the ankles and wrists.

Keep the fat off with a Zumba dance-off!

Bobee-bobee during Seventh Month (Hungry Ghost Festival)? LOL. The variety of Zumba moves is limited only by imagination and linked by enthusiasm. We all pray for continued harmony, prosperity and happiness for our nation as well as… world peace!

I made it through my first Zumba session and loved it!

We are the fireworks at SAFRA Mount Faber to celebrate Singapore’s birthday! Just realized I’m the only guy on stage with my extended Singaporean family. I don’t know any of them but I didn’t feel like a stranger after sweating it out together.

I used to think that the best way to celebrate National Day is to enjoy the parade ‘live’ with thousands of Singaporeans and our foreign friends. However, the NDP tickets are always so hard to get and traffic is a bane. But having participated in the unique mass aerobics session held in honour of our nation’s birthday at SAFRA Mount Faber, I felt it is really a great alternative or supplement to plug into the national spirit on this special day.

Moreover, what better way to enjoy a fantastic country like Singapore and all it has to offer by being in great health? So do more than just watch the fireworks, be the firework that builds our Singapore!

You can start igniting your body for better cardiovascular health with various fitness courses such as Kickboxing, Zumba Party, and Zumba Fitness at SAFRA. Check out safra.sg (Events & Activities > Courses) for more details.

Here’s wishing Singapore a very happy 48th birthday and excellent health to everyone so that we can continue creating more amazing stories to be told!

For most Singaporean guys, nothing shrinks the leather marbles faster than these four letters… I.P.P.T.

If you have the visual stamina for the expanded acronym, IPPT stands for “Individual Physical Proficiency Test”, the national standard in determining the fitness level of all able-bodied males in Singapore. Consisting of 6 stations – pull-ups / chin-ups, sit-ups, sit-and-reach, standing broad jump, shuttle run and 2.4km run, the exercises attempt to evaluate upper and lower body strength, core strength, speed, and endurance. Plus your vocabulary of swear words.

I haven’t done the IPPT in quite a while but as a measure of my current state of fitness to determine my baseline when going through a personal training regime with SAFRA EnergyOne, I faced these dreaded stations once again.

My IPPT was invigilated under the watchful eyes of my new EnergyOne trainer, Roy Chan, who provides consultancy services in designing fitness programmes for obese recruits to get them ready for BMT (Basic Military Training). Having attained the Silver Award during my army days, how would I fare almost 18 years later?

While I faced the five test stations with trepidation, I am thankful for one thing… the myths that Roy busted about IPPT. Through his experience in both conducting and preparing guys to excel at the exercises, he shared ways and means to perform better at each station just by a simple shift in perception.

So here are the tips (and some myths busted along the way) I learnt from Roy to do better at IPPT and they really work!

IPPT Test 1 : Pull-Up / Chin-Up

This is my all-time weakest station. At my best, I was able to do 10 solid reps. My score for this test? 3 reps for pull-up and 4 reps for chin-up. It’s a far cry from my fitter days.

Myth : Chin-up (underhand grip as in photo above) is easier than pull-up (overhand grip of the bars).

Busted : I always thought that underhand grip is the wuss version of the chin-up but I learnt from Roy that that’s not the case. Pull-up and chin-up tests the strength of different muscle groups (even though there may be overlaps) so neither is easier than the other. It just depends on which is the stronger muscle group for you.

IPPT Test 2 : Standing Broad Jump

Another station that I suck at, but did surprisingly well this time is the Standing Broad Jump. My leap measured a distance of 225cm. Roy told me that many younger guys can’t even manage a pass (> 212cm) at this station. Phew!

Myth : You should swing your arms and bounce your legs to build momentum in order to jump further.

Busted : Don’t swing and bounce as the leg muscles get stretched and contracted too much before a jump and that tires them out. Instead, look at the distance markings, fix a point, bend your legs and leap towards it. I tried that instead of my usual habit of bouncing and jumped one of my best records at first try.

IPPT Test 3 : Sit-Up

This station is my personal favourite simply because I always ace it. Even with that mid-life belly now, I still managed to clock 48 reps within 1 minute. That’s Grade A under the IPPT point system.

When I do sit-ups, I play an up-tempo track in my head to take my mind off the abdominal burn. My head music during this sit-up test was Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson.

IPPT Test 4 : 4X10m Shuttle Run

Shuttle Run is another station that I do rather well at as I get regular training from sprinting after buses. My timing of 10.2secs is another Grade A for my age category. It’s a relief to know that my chicken legs still pack some torque.

Myth : You should only stop when you reach the touching line.

Busted : Start planning to stop about 3 steps from the touching line so that accumulated velocity during the sprint would not push you beyond the line and lose time to run back. And for the 4th sprint back to the start point, run through and do not stop at the finishing line.

IPPT Test 5 : 2.4km Run

When I was at my physical peak some 20 years ago, my timings for 2.4km has always been in the 9-minutes region. And that was despite the discovery that I’m actually asthmatic by the Army M.O. which resulted in a PES downgrading.

So you can imagine my shock when I completed the run this time round with a timing of 14mins 30secs! Where I used to attain a Grade A or B for the 2.4km Run, I’m now grade F… Fail!

Myth : Always start slow in the beginning of the run so that you’ll have energy to last throughout the whole distance.

Busted : The longer you run, the more tired you’ll get so even if you start out slow, chances are that you’ll be too tired to pick up speed later. So start off at a faster pace and try to maintain it for as long as possible rather than beginning with a slower pace and try to pick up speed later.

In The Long-Run

While I did pretty well for some stations and passed 4 out of 5 tests, my overall IPPT result was still a fail due to my 2.4km Run. Sigh.

Endurance level depreciates at a rate of about 20% every fortnight of not keeping up with cardio workouts. That is, if you are running at a 100% endurance level today, after 2 weeks of no running, your endurance level would drop to 80%. After another 2 weeks, it would drop to 66%.

To maintain your level of endurance, do some cardio activity (eg. jogging, swimming, circuit training) at least once a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. To really rev up endurance and stamina in the long-run, engage in medium to high intensity cardio cum strength training exercises at least 3 times a week.

Although there are 6 stations in the standard list of IPPT tests, we did only 5 to assess my overall level of fitness. My 2 weakest links are pull-up and 2.4km run but I’m not too concern with the run as my goal of personal training at EnergyOne is to bulk up and gain a well-defined body that’s thick with muscle volume and striations.

Of all the exercises, I think pull-ups would be the best benchmark to determine my improvements in upper body strength before and after 5 months of personal training with Roy. But as the whole body work as a complete system where improved endurance will help me to lift harder for longer, I would remain faithful to my cardio routine (jogging at least once a week) as well as yoga (twice a week) to increase my flexibility. Add these to my thrice weekly training sessions with Roy and that pretty much sums up my social life.

Staying healthy and building a muscular body has become a full-time job!

I’ve been gymming for almost 20 years but never had I worked out as hard as I did in the past month. And I felt a difference. Not only do I feel that my stamina is improving, but my clothes are starting to feel tighter. *smile* The muscles are not bulging yet but my biceps do feel firmer and I can trace little humps on my quadriceps. I’ve achieved more growth in a month than the last two decades!

Being too cheap to engage a personal trainer, I’m one of those gymmers who tries every technique and exercise recommended in fitness magazines and bodybuilding websites. Following their advice and recommendations, those paper and digital experts were my trainers. Eventually, I settled into a set of comfortable exercises that I repeat each time I’m at the gym. There was growth for some time but my muscles soon got bored with the routine and fell asleep. Worse yet, I’ve sustained injuries to my lower back, left wrist and knees along the way. I was training hard the foolhardy way.

While there are many self-taught musclenauts who achieved impressive physiques just from following what they read (good genes play a big part too), for someone like me who is a hard gainer and a slow learner, personal training is the prince who delivered that waking kiss to my comatose muscles! But inking a personal training package doesn’t guarantee results. The trainer makes ALL the difference.

In the last 4 weeks, I’ve been training under one of SAFRA EnergyOne‘s most hardworking and dedicated Exercise Specialist, Roy Chan. Yup, his title is not a Personal Trainer or Fitness Instructor but a Specialist! However, I have a nickname for him…

Roy destroyed many myths I held about bodybuilding as well as bad training habits I’ve developed over the years while introducing new concepts and exercises to stimulate muscle growth. He’s a very friendly and jovial guy but when it comes to training, horns grow out of the side of his head.

The destroyer no give chance one. Thanks to his firm adherence to training sequences and rest intervals and encouraging words, I pushed myself harder than I did before. Every so often, I can’t speak after a set because I just don’t have the breath to. With Roy, there’s no compromise on proper form when executing an exercise no matter how much my muscles burned.

Holding a Masters in Sports Science from Edith Cowan University, Perth, Roy is a fitness coach who runs various programmes for schools and organisations while lecturing part-time on the care and prevention of injuries for an overseas institution.

His expertise in fitness and wellness spans across weight loss, strength / muscle building, pre-National Service preparation, and sports specific training (eg. golfing, team sports, etc). With such impressive credentials in academia as well as field experience, there’s a peace of mind training with him. But more than that, this guy really knows what he is doing.

After assessing my fitness level, physical condition and understanding my ultimate goal, he tailored a custom training programme to have me training hard, but training smart. Roy applies that motto for all his clients. He also believes in the adage of “no pain, no gain” but he doesn’t subscribe to going all out just to feel pain. The right kind of pain leads to muscle enlargement. The wrong kind ends you up on a stretcher.

The aftermath of another legs training session with Roy. My butt used to look like roti prata… now I see dim sum being served. *smile*

Having trained with Roy for some time, I would say that he’s probably one of the best around. He follows up with me about training sessions constantly to the point that I feel guilty for cancelling on him due to a trip to Bali and work.

One of the things I appreciate most about this trainer is his commitment and drive to help me achieve my physique goal, no matter how impossible it may seem, through a systematic and safe approach grounded in the efficiency of train hard… and smart.

To rebuild, we need to totally destroy mindsets that are limiting our growth potential and get acquainted with new bodybuilding sciences that will half the gym time but double the results. “Safe speed” to reach my goal is the essence because let’s face it, I’m no spring chicken. I’m in a race against my biological clock to get that ideal bod before everything sags to the floor.

And with Roy as my body sculptor, I believe I will achieve visible breakthroughs (have you seen my butt in the above photo yet? LOL). I have 4 more months of training with Roy and I look forward to the new me at the end of it.

Meanwhile, stay tuned to this blog as I leak training secrets and techniques taught to me by my Destroyer. So join me to welcome pain and gain the hard but smart way!

Fast fingers, quicker minds… SAFRA Mobile Snapathon is a test on one’s physical fitness and stamina for creativity.

We’ve all heard of walkathons, marathons and triathlons. But a Snapathon?

Fans of photography with mobile devices had a chance to pit their photographic and image editing skills against each other in SAFRA’s inaugural Mobile Snapathon where participants were given 5 locations and 5 themes to shoot. Sounds like great fun so Siow Har and I joined this event that’s held in conjunction with the Shine Youth Festival. Initially, I thought the Snapathon was open only to youths. 

But apparently, so long as you can walk and snap a photo with your phone camera, you are a youth!

Getting into the right frame with SAFRA Mobile Snapathon at The Central mall.

Participants of the Snapathon can sign up under 2 categories – Individual or Group of 4. It’s free play for all when it comes to interpreting the theme at the designated location but the photos of Group participants must include a group member/s or body part of member/s.

Only one shot is to be submitted for each thematic challenge and the two best photos (one for Individual, one for Group) from each theme win a prize. Are my photos good enough to win something? Here are the shots I framed and the submitted pick for each location and theme in this Amazing Race-type photography challenge…

Location 1 : Asian Civilisation Museum

Theme 1 : Devotion and Desire

ACM has curated an exhibition of Asian iconographies and religious artefacts currently ongoing at its gallery titled Devotion and Desire. And that’s the theme at our first Sanpathon checkpoint.

It was the first time I stepped in ACM and I was more interested to check out the place than the photographic task at hand. But no time to play tourist as we only had 45 minutes to go from one location to another, snap our shots and upload onto the Snapathon dedicated QR coded mobile app.

A centerpiece at the Devotion and Desire exhibition was this hanging pyramid made up of abstract knitted cloth Buddhas.

One of the shots I considered submitting was this. I liked how the spotlights threw a starburst next to the Buddha… 佛光普照.

This is another shot I considered. Playing with depth of field, I wanted to show the beauty and desirability of these Indian women carved into a bas relief.

But I finally submitted this shot for the theme of Devotion and Desire. The naked bosoms of the women evoke a sense of eroticism that stirs desire and the hand of one woman on the other hinted subtly of devotion. Well, that’s my interpretation. I shot this first before the above photo but thought it may be too risqué to submit for the Snapathon but decided to keep abreast with the theme and uploaded it. Hahaha… I’m devoted to my desires!

Location 2 : Peranakan Museum

Theme 2 : Getting Married Over 12 Days!

Our second location was the Peranakan Museum, which again, I’ve not visited before (and I call myself a Singaporean!). The museum has dressed up its second floor gallery in the splendour and richness of traditional Peranakan weddings in the olden days, presenting a photography banquet for shutterbugs.

But with so many people crawling around the exhibition space for shots, I felt kinda lost and stumped for a subject matter. Thankfully, Siow Har came to my rescue. I’m amazed by her eye for interpretative storytelling.

A shot that Siow Har ‘saw’. Marriage is probably something that every girl hopes for. Here is Siow Har’s impression of her longing for that day to come.

I liked her idea so much, I decided to get a shot done too. Being single, I’m not interested about Getting Married Over 12 Days, but getting a lifetime of romance with the compatible one! Still waiting…

This is the shot I submitted which Siow Har ‘saw’ and shared the angle with me. I liked how the beams framed the two photos of a couple in the background and seem to say that marriage has two sides… a side that cages, and a side that frees. Which side are you on?

Location 3 : Singapore National Museum

Theme 3 : Life in Singapore

Location three is the grand dame of our museum circuit. I’m familiar with the place, but the theme is so open, it was difficult to pick a message to convey pictorially.

Me attempting to find the meaning of Life in Singapore. Photo by Siow Har,

Not one of the shots I considered for submission but I thought the scene presented an interesting study of contrast… left side is sitting still, right side is on the move. Life in Singapore offers the freedom of both sides. The left also signify the born-and-bred Singaporeans who stayed while the right represented the coming and going of foreign talents.

A shot I considered submitting. Singaporeans are like eggs… hard on the outside, soft on the inside and could easily break. The government forms a strong and protective net over the people, but a chick that hatched inside the cage won’t become a chicken. But I think the times are changing judging from the people’s voices at the recent elections.

I submitted this. Singaporeans are relatively wealthy, well-fed and well-clothed. But our comfort in affluence may blind us to surrounding dangers. And that is Life in Singapore for me. If we don’t hunger, we won’t prosper.

Location 4 : Fish & Co. (313@Somerset)

Theme 4 : Reeling in the Catch

This was the toughest amongst all the locations and themes. We were supposed to compose a shot that shows Reeling in the Catch at the premises of Fish & Co. dining outlet at 313@Somerset. But I’ve seen some of the most creative interpretations at this challenge which showed that creativity is not limited by a small space but a small mind.

I discovered I have a small mind.

One of the Group participants Reeling in the Catch with this ensemble of air fishing with an umbrella! LOL.

Had a hard time thinking about what to shoot and finally decided to bring the ‘ocean’ to the fish…

… my submitted shot of the swordfish ‘leaping’ out of the water as it is being caught and reeled in. I know, it’s lame and a sinker.

Location 5 : The Central

Theme 5 : Riverfront Shopping, Riverfront Dining

The last checkpoint was back at The Central shopping mall where the event had its flag off in the morning. Super brain-dead by this time and hungry, I just wanted to get the shot over and be done with.

But as I started conversing with the scenery for a shot, I began to appreciate the waterfront area. Well, the waterfront is narrow, more like a longkang, but it is still pretty scenic and vibrant with the trail of bumboats and rows of colourful shophouses converted into restaurants by the Singapore River.

New faces, old souls.

Love these huge outdoor shelters that spread out all along Clarke Quay like the undercaps of giant mushrooms.

Submitted this ultra uninspired and straightforward shot to try and encapsulate the meaning of Waterfront Dining… but Waterfront Shopping was missing.

A Good Body and Mind Workout

Well, my five submitted shots didn’t win any prize. They didn’t even make it into the shortlisted photos of the Individual category which I find undistinguishable from the Group category.

But well, photography is always a matter of personal perception and satisfaction. I enjoyed the process and learnt a lot from Siow Har as well as the other participants in the things we can do with photographic angles and human subjects within such a short amount of time. Some of the photos were really funny and amazing!

Plus it was a really great workout speed walking from location to location and holding weird postures while framing a shot. The photos were not developed through soaking in lab chemicals but sweat.

No prizes but still two thumbs up to this very stimulating photo competition by SAFRA in partnership with SAFRA Photographic Club and various sponsors. Will definitely join again next year if it’s going to be held again! And oh my, I didn’t know my tongue is so long! Maybe I’ll win in a lickathon?

Dumbbells are the clever man’s workout partner as they activate more muscle groups during training than fixed machine weights. Free weights such as dumbbells are great for building overall strength and mass. (To the man in the photo) But sitting there and staring at them dumbfounded is not going to get you pumped! LOL.

One of my favourite places to spend a weekend is pumping iron and chilling at SAFRA Mount Faber EnergyOne gym.

Nesting not far from Singapore’s green corridor known as the Southern Ridges, SAFRA Mount Faber enjoys a serenity that’s brought on by being close to nature. After a good sweat session at the club’s EnergyOne gym, I would usually follow with a leisurely swim and relaxing dip at the eye-candy of a swimming pool.

But my favourite part after all that exercise is settling into a hot outdoor jacuzzi and let the bubbles work their magic. It takes me about an hour to get to SAFRA Mount Faber, but the bliss is worth the journey!

The concise SAFRA EnergyOne gym has all its cardio and weight machines laid out on one level. As with all SAFRA gyms, the equipments are not closely packed together and there is plenty of space to roam.

The swimming pool adjourning SAFRA Mount Faber EnergyOne rivals any beautifully landscaped hotel pool in aesthetics but has the added advantage of being a functioning pool for some serious laps while offering a chillaxing atmosphere to laze by.

But my favourite part of coming to SAFRA Mount Faber is enjoying a soak at the outdoor jacuzzi. Instead of brunch, I caught up with my good friend Eugene (pictured here) for crunch time at the gym before soaking in the bubbling hot jacuzzi. It’s a great way to recharge for the new week!

While some guys seem to fruit a half-opened durian on their torso effortlessly, I’ve been trying to hatch a tray of eggs for abs for God knows how long. I did sit-ups until sacral rug burns make me yelp in the showers, tried ridiculously expensive treatments that were unsustainable, and did time with dieting. Nothing got me where I wanted to be with my abs.

Now that the middle-age bulge has set in, it’s even harder to chase that washboard dream. Since starting my personal training (PT) with Roy from SAFRA EnergyOne gym, my fire to sear off the belly fat for a lean torso has been reignited. He assured me that with the right exercises, a low-carb (no yellow noodles at all cost!) high protein diet and consistent training, I can get abs that will be my own envy.

To tease those abs muscles out from my stubborn blubber, we start every PT session with a set of core exercises and I’ll be sharing them in a series of 3 posts. Each post will feature 3 exercises that target a specific abs area  – overall abs, lower abs, and obliques.

The exercises can be combined and mixed to keep each routine fresh and prevent the muscles from getting used to one exercise that’s been repeated all the time. That is, in each session, you can do an overall abs exercise followed by a lower abs exercise, then exercises for the obliques. That’s considered 1 set. Do 3 sets per session.

In this first part of the 3-posts series on abs exercises, we’ll start with 3 moves to work the whole abdominal area. They are not the only exercises to give the general abs a good workout but they are alternatives to the usual sit-up and crunches.

1. Stability Ball Transfer (10 reps)

To make it simpler to understand how an exercise is done, I’ve animated the sequence of movements.

Of all the abs exercises, the Stability Ball Transfer is possible the most ‘showy’ because it involves transferring a huge ball between the feet and the hands.

The animation shows how the Stability Ball Transfer is done. Start with the ball sandwiched between your feet, pull your lower and upper abs upwards to form a ‘V’ and transfer the ball to the hands and then pass the ball back to your feet. That’s considered 1 rep. Do 10 reps.

When doing this exercise, don’t let your feet and hands touch the ground throughout the 10 reps and suck in your gut while doing the exercise for more oomph!

2. Plank (hold for 40 seconds)

The plank looks deceivingly simple but when done correctly, it is no walk in the park. And there are great benefits for turning your body into a bench. This exercise helps to strengthen overall core muscles, trim the tummy and helps in developing a better standing and sitting posture.

When doing the plank, note that your shoulders should be directly above your elbows. My alignment is slightly off in the photo above to show you the incorrect way it is done. Try to maintain a straight line with your back and do not hunch your butt up or sink your pelvis down. Look slightly ahead.

To really get the most out of doing the Plank, HOLD IN YOUR CHOCOLATE STARFISH (ANUS) AND SQUEEZE YOUR BUTT! Hold the position for 40 – 60 seconds.

3. Leg Raise and Crunch

Talk about killing two birds with one stone. This offspring from the marriage of the crunch and leg raise packs double the punch to build core muscles was well as balancing muscles.

The exercise is done by lying on the floor with the feet slightly off the ground and hands behind the ears. Using the abs muscles, pull in the legs and pull up the upper body to form a ‘V’. In the ‘V’ position, straighten the legs, then lower the body. That’s considered 1 rep. Do 10 reps and progressively increase to 20 reps.

After doing one of the 3 overall abs exercises to warm up the core muscles, follow with a lower abs exercise and an obliques exercise. Will share more about those exercises in upcoming posts. So stay tuned!

Oktoberfest came to SAFRA with a series of parties and good cheer at the various clubhouses for NSmen to enjoy a night of great music, movie screenings, games, and of course, beer!

I attended the Beer Party at the SAFRA Toa Payoh clubhouse and delighted in the discovery of a rooftop patio to knock back a couple of pints away from crowded clubs and bars on a weekend night. It felt like coming to the doorstep of my neighbourhood and having a reasonably good time…

Whenever I come to the SAFRA Toa Payoh clubhouse, it is usually for a swim or personal training sessions at EnergyOne gym. I never thought that there would be life at the clubhouse after dark. But surprise, surprise! The rooftop patio is open till 1am on weekdays and 3am on weekends with Beer Alley serving snacks, full meals and booze at affordable prices during the operating hours.

Beer and bowling… that’s bound to be a strike. Something of an indoor ‘beer garden’ next to bowling lanes, Beer Alley offers bowlers thirst quenchers and an extensive menu of savouries such as fried chicken wings, fish and chips, pizza and even Laksa Hotpot!

The bowling lanes were all taken up and the place was pretty busy on a Saturday night.

A side exit from the bowling alley leads to the rooftop patio where the Beer Party was held. This was the first ever rooftop party held at SAFRA Toa Payoh.

Caught up with food blogger Melissa (melicacy.com), her dad, and fashionista Juliana (spunktitud3.wordpress.com) with a bevy of beauts in little black numbers. Yeah… “Let’s Party” the house upside down!

I think the rooftop patio is a nice place to host a private gathering or birthday party.

About 200 NSmen and their guests attended the ticketed Beer Party.

I didn’t expect such a disco ambience from a SAFRA clubhouse.

Sitting area at the rooftop patio turned open-air club for one night.

What’s an Oktoberfest without succulent sausages?!

For just S$21.40 (SAFRA members) and S$26.75 (guests), each partygoer gets 2 beers, a Turkish wrap and sausage to assimilate the German festivities. Oktoberfest originated from Bavaria (Germany) in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of King Ludwig 1 and Princess Therese. The festival is the world’s largest fair with a 16-day celebration spanning late September to the first weekend of October. If the photo looked kinda blur, it’s intentional. After a few drinks, blur is the new clear!

DJ Maverick and his team spun the feet-thumping grooves of the night as well as getting Singaporeans to pull off their veil of embarrassment.

Games of the night included this beer drinking (with straws) contest…

… and an impersonation of your favourite Member of Parliament competition! *Joking* It was a dancing contest where the guys had to follow a prescribed sequence of moves to win. It’s a pity I was there to cover the event. Else I would’ve showed off my years of training sucking beer from a straw and shaking my booty for a prize!

Beer Party goers also stand to win a Deutsche Master timepiece worth around S$680! Beers at the event also went for only S$4.50 per cup after the 2 complimentary drinks that came with the ticket. With or without the Beer Party, the rooftop patio is still a nice spot to chill. Now, that’s reason for a toast! Bottoms up and have a great October! And remember, if you drink, don’t drive.

Do you feel that the value of money is getting smaller? With inflation and the rising cost of living, our financial longevity hinge on prudent spending and honing our sniff for great bargains. And SAFRA has made it easier to stretch the dollar for its member with a tie-up with Deal.com.sg. The partnership promises exclusive deals and premium products at up to 80% savings ONLY for SAFRA members!

From holiday packages to specialty dining, electronics, wellness accessories, lifestyle services and just about anything wholesome under the sun, the SAFRA members-only discounts are hand-picked to reward SAFRA members and their families.

Blessed with S$100 to spend, I decided to see how much that could buy me. I’m missing the shopping gene in my DNA so I hardly succumb to retail therapy but the attractive discounts offered by the SAFRA Deals had my fingers walking all over the digital shop.

I eventually settled on the Power2Roam Media Device which is a mobile power bank for my phone and camera as well as a Wifi router cum media broadcaster (original price : S$96.90, SAFRA Deal price : S$44.90); a pair of stylish KingTime Zipper Earphones (original price : S$69.90, SAFRA Deal price : S$19.90); and a Malaysian Lok Lok buffet dinner for 2 at Lim Kee Lou Shu Fan (original price : S$72, SAFRA Deal price : S$33.60).

If I were to purchase these items off-the-shelf without discounts, I would need to pay S$238.80 but I only paid S$98.40. That’s a whopping S$140.40 saved!

Of all the SAFRA Deals items, I chose these 3 because I need them although I wanted everything on the list! LOL. I needed the mobile charger as my current one takes a long time to store enough juice to charge my mobile phone for only 2.5 times. The Power2 Roam charger can power my phone for up to 22 hours.

I also needed the KingTime Zipper Earphones because I don’t own any earphones at the moment and the zipper phonics would really channel the adrenalin during my gym workouts. Or help me listen in to the Thai, Korean and Japanese language apps I have on my phone. As for the Lok Lok buffet dinner, I intend to enjoy it with my mum for some quality time over good food.

So that’s how S$100, though not much in today’s times, can still do a lot because of good deals. The SAFRA-Deal.com.sg deals are available to members only and you need a SAFRA membership to redeem them. That’s why it pays to be a SAFRA member!

SAFRA Deal items change frequently so it’s exciting to check back to see what’s available. I had wanted to book a Desaru hotel stay and insoles 3 days ago but when I log on again, those deals were gone. The moral of this story? Don’t wait or the deal may be gone!

Check out the SAFRA Deals at : http://www.deal.com.sg/specials/singapore?category=safra

It’s time to join the dark side when it comes to eating clean with Unicurd‘s newly launched Black Soybean Silken Tofu and Black Soybean Tau Kwa. Made with Non-Genetically Modified (Non-GMO) black soybeans that are packed with anthocyanin (a plant-based phytonutrient), the homegrown brand is poised to be the transformer of Singaporeans’ health with these revolutionary soy products!

I got a chance to sample the tofu and tau kwa at an introductory event helmed by Chef John See who signatured six unique recipes using the black soybean products that are the first-of-their-kind in Singapore. With a hand in delighting the palates of celebrities, dignitaries and even the Presidents of State, John also don the toque as chef, contributor and consultant to various publications, non-profit organisations (eg. Red Cross, Cancer Foundation) and the Health Promotion Board to promote healthy diets amongst schoolchildren.

Kitchen God… Chef John See spends most of his time nowadays at The Food Dot (70, Race Course Road), a café cum cooking studio where he conducts classes for busy working adults. With his knack for culinary innovation, Unicurd sussed out Chef John to create dishes using the Black Soybean Silken Tofu and Black Soybean Tau Kwa.

I expected the tau kwa to be all black but they aren’t. Reason? The flesh of black beans are actually yellow and only the outer skin is black. So when the whole bean is used to make Unicurd’s soy products, instead of looking like coal bricks, the tofu and tau kwa appear purplish-grey. The products are all natural with no added colourings and preservatives.

Being a weight-watcher and someone who is perpetually attempting to build more muscles while using less animal protein, my diet include a lot of soy milk, tofu, bean sticks, bean sheets and beancurds. But what got me REALLY excited about he black soybean variety is the anthocyanin content.

Benefits of Anthocyanin :

I first learnt about anthocyanin while researching on supplements made with mangosteen pericarp (rind) extracts some years back. Anthocyanin is a plant nutrient (phytonutrient) known as a flavonoid found mainly in dark red, purple or blue fruits and vegetables. It is a very powerful antioxidant and as the body of in-vitro and in-vivo clinical studies on anthocyanin grew, mainly in favour of the flavonoid’s health benefits, I have been finding ways to get more of it into my body.

However, it is expensive to increase intake of anthocyanin as potent sources such as blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and purple cabbage cost quite a bit. The mangosteen rind supplement wasn’t budget-friendly either. With Unicurd’s Black Soybean Silken Tofu and Black Soybean Tau Kwa, I finally have a cheaper alternative to add more anthocyanin into my diet. Health benefits of anthocyanin include :

- the potential to protect against age-related vision loss

- may have anti-cancer and anti-tumour properties through cancer cell apoptosis (ie. triggering cancer cell death)

- could help prevent cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and clogging of arteries

- potentially have skin beautification effects by acting as a sunscreen (the deep pigments of leaves and fruits are actually anthocyanin at work as a plant’s defence system against constant sun exposure during photosynthesis)

There are many more health benefits of anthocyanin where ongoing animal and human studies are being conducted which I hope can verify its efficacies soon.

A disclaimer though, the information on anthocyanin’s benefits do not constitute medical advice or treatment and does not represent Unicurd’s position on the health benefits of its products. Those purported benefits of anthocyanin are gathered from research I read online, Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch and James F. Balch, and other leading experts on nutritional therapy.

Tofu Need Not Be Boring

I’m one of those who’ve acquired the taste and appreciation for the bland flavour of beancurd eaten without dressing and seasoning but once in a while, I do like to experiment. And thanks to Chef John, my repertoire of ways to serve tofu at home has been expanded with his Unicurd Black Soybean Silken Tofu and Black Soybean Tau Kwa dishes…

Cold Unicurd Black Soybean Tau Kwa Soba Noodle with Black-Sesame Broth. A nutritious low-fat complete meal with carbs and protein that’s perfect for our eternal summer.

Unicurd Black Soybean Tau Kwa slices with Smoked Duck Salad. As tau kwa is unobtrusive in flavour, it can be added to just about any salad and dish to add volume and nutritional value. The tau kwa has been fried in olive oil till bits of the skin are crispy for this dish. Really fragrant with every bite and a medley of textures from the tau kwa, duck meat, greens, and fried onions.

My personal favourite was this duo of Unicurd Black Soybean Tofu dressed with a paste of salted egg and the other topped with crispy fish skin. Both are sprinkled with chicken floss and spring onions that made my tastebuds sing.

Unicurd Black Soybean Silken Tofu can also be blended with 1 cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1 cup of UHT milk, and 1 cup of water to create a creamy soup. Sprinkle some salt, a tablespoon of oyster sauce and a dash of sugar to taste and add in vegetables, meat or seafood to enjoy hearty bowl of soup…

… or use it as a broth for steamboat! Surprise friends and family with this healthy soup base at your next dinner party!

Rounding up the tasting session, Chef John balled up tiny scoops of Unicurd Black Soybean Silken Tofu to complement a mango-sago dessert given a Peranakan hint with the addition of Gula Melaka. The sweet dessert went really well with my cuppa of neat black Espresso. Sugar rush met caffeine high… Awesome!

From ice cold to hotpot, savoury to sweet, the dishes demonstrated the versatility of this very humble and traditional Asian culinary canvas for one to express creativity in the kitchen. The good news is that Unicurd‘s Black Soybean Silken Tofu (S$1.50) and Black Soybean Tau Kwa (S$2.20) are now available at all leading supermarkets in Singapore.

I went to a NTUC Fairprice supermarket near my house after the session with Chef John to buy the products but only the tofu was available. I was planning to make Black Soybean Tau Kwa salad for dinner. As the products have just been launched, perhaps it will take some time before both are available on the refrigerated shelves. I shall patiently wait.

Because now that I’ve gone black, I will never go back! *burp*

Apart from a third nipple, the other pointless body part to grow is love handles. They made me buy larger pants and made it harder for me to find someone who would want to handle them.

So I sought help from Roy, my SAFRA EnergyOne fitness trainer, to obliterate those stubborn side body fats by incorporating oblique exercises into my core workout routine. Roy taught me a whole bunch of moves, some involving dumbbells and cable systems, but I found that the following 3 exercises work really well and they can be done at home!

1. Russian Twist

Believed to have originated from Russia during the Cold War, the Russian Twist involves twisting the body side-to-side in a seated position either with the legs up or on the floor.

Roy doing the twist with a Medicine Ball. If a Medicine Ball is not available, hold a dumbbell or sack of rice could also work. Else, just reach your hands side to side without any weight but do more reps.

The Russian Twist is executed by twisting the abdomen and tapping the Medicine Ball (or fingers if no weight is available) in a controlled manner on the each side of the floor.

For beginners, place the feet on the floor while twisting (it’s easier) and slowly work towards lifting the feet up when the core gets stronger. Do 3 sets of as many reps as possible in 40 seconds. Do not hunch the back or curve the spine while doing this exercise.

2. Side Plank

This exercise looks like it requires no effort but when done correctly, it’s no sleeping Buddha. I’ve done the Side Plank before and felt that it has got no kick. But after Roy pointed out my mistakes, I felt my obliques burn for the first time!

When doing the side plank, ensure that the elbow is directly below the shoulder and the feet are on top of each other (not one in front of the other on the floor). Maintain a straight line of the body, that is, don’t the hip sink down, and clench your buttocks.

Holding the Side Plank pose can cause a strain on the shoulder so it very important to align the shoulder and elbow to avoid injury. Hold the plank position for 40 seconds on each side of the oblique and do 3 sets.

According to Roy, the Side Plank works the transverse abdominis (a deep layer of muscles beneath the obliques) which contributes significantly to a hourglass or V-waist figure. So for those who love planking photos, try this instead of the face down flat plank and work your obliques at the same time!

3. Lying Hip Rotation with Exercise Ball

Think of yourself as a human pendulum when doing this exercise that swings an Exercise Ball side-to-side.

If you are doing this exercise at the gym, find a spot with lots of space, face your ass towards the wall, and don’t wear loose shorts… unless there’s someone in the gym you want entice with your salty dim sum.

This exercise can be done with or without an Exercise Ball although having something between the feet will activate the inner thigh muscles as well. When holding the ball between the feet, try to straighten the legs as much as possible while rotating side to side.

Like the previous 2 exercises, do 3 sets of the Lying Hip Rotation with as many reps as possible in 40 seconds. Spread your hands out to the side for better balance.

For better results, the oblique exercises should be done with the overall abs workouts I shared earlier. There’s a third part to a total abs blasting workout which I will post later so check back for the complete trinity of abdominal exercises to carve your 6 or 8 packs!

Related Post :

3 Moves for Great Overall Abs

When it comes to the engineering of eye-popping abs, top marks go to those who aim low. For anyone who’s paid due diligence with sit-ups and crunches, attaining that 4 packs on the upper abdominal region is just a matter of time.

But for those lower 6th - 8th pecs to show, it takes more than just simple leg raises. According to my personal trainer Roy Chan, who’s an Exercise Specialist with SAFRA EnergyOne, getting the lower abs to show requires eating a high-protein-low-carb diet of natural foods, doing regular cardio exercises, and incorporating a dynamic series of lower abs exercises to keep the muscles from the navel down constantly challenged.

Here are 3 lower abs exercises that can be worked into any fitness routine to activate those deep underbelly muscles.

1. Knee Tuck

The exercise is done by sitting on the ball of your butt and pulling your torso and legs in and then extending them out again. Do as many reps as possible in 40 seconds. Perform 3 sets of this exercise.

When doing the knee tuck, don’t place your hands too far back but on the floor just below the thighs.

2. Scissor Kick

This exercise is the simplest of the 3 but it’s one of those things that has escaped hell. The Scissor Kick, also known as Reverse Flutter Kick, is performed by lying flat on the floor and placing the hands just under your butt (to protect your tail bone). Next, raise your legs and alternate your feet up and down.

Do as many kicks as possible in 40 seconds and perform 3 sets.

Keep the toes pointed when doing the exercise and raise your head slightly to look towards your feet.

3. Cross Mountain Climbers

As the name suggests, this is no walk in the park. The exercise turns my sweat ducts on quicker than my credit card statements.

Here’s how to do this killer workout… assume the push up position. Next, pull the right knee towards the left elbow, return to starting position, and then pull the left knee towards the right elbow.

Again, do as many cross knee-to-elbow reps as possible in 40 seconds and repeat 3 sets.

To get better results, contract and hold in your lower abs while doing the climbers. And keep your butt level with your back. That is, don’t hunch or sink your pelvis too low.

For a complete abs workout, the 3 lower abs exercises here should be combined with exercises to work the obliques and overall abs in the posts listed at the end of the post.

Here’s an example in combining the exercises into an abs workout sequence :

Stability Ball Transfer (40 secs) > Side Plank (40 secs each side) > Knee Tuck (40 secs) > Lying Hip Rotation with Stability Ball (40 secs).

Do 3 sets of this sequence with a minute’s rest in between sets.

I hope this series of posts on abs workouts would help you achieve an awesome mid-section to grate cheese on. All the best!

Related Posts :

Obliterate Your Obliques in 3 Moves

3 Moves for Great Overall Abs

My fitness journey with SAFRA brought me to its Tampines Clubhouse recently for a Muay Thai trial session and I’m instantly hooked on the raw power of this combative martial art. Unlike boxing or kickboxing which uses just two (fists) or four (fists and feet) body parts, Muay Thai packs a whooping eight points of contact (fists, elbows, knees and shins) which makes it an incredibly effective fat shredder!

Also called the ‘Art of Eight Limbs’ (because of the eight points of contact), Muay Thai engages the whole body in the execution of its five basic moves (punch, elbow, knee, shin kick, and foot kick). It’s not only a great form of aerobic workout but a good bone strengthening exercise as Muay Thai practitioners benefit from cortical remodeling (bone regeneration as a result of coping with constant physical impact). If you don’t believe me, just take look at the Muay Thai fighters. Their body frames are usually very lean yet they have python forearms, calves and shins.

But going beyond the sport as a mere workout routine, Muay Thai is a useful life skill to learn that may one day come in handy during self-defence. It’s an exercise that could literally save your life!

My Muay Thai trial was conducted by Richmond Leong, a veteran at the sport with 11 years of competitive and training experience. The 27-year-old trainer looks like a kid but his punches and kicks are no child’s play.

Representing Singapore at the Muay Thai World Cup in 2004, Richmond placed 4th and went on to win more fights such as the Muay Thai Against Drugs belt (2006) and the prestigious 1 Song Chai S1 championship (2008). The Certified World Kickboxing Federation (Muay Thai) instructor believes that the martial art is not just a sport or weight loss exercise but a lifestyle as the combative nature of Muay Thai inspires practitioners to constantly train and improve their techniques as well as mental agility in their daily lives.

Richmond demonstrating a knee jab that is aimed at driving the kneecap deep into an opponent’s abdominals for some serious damage. Whether it is the knee kick or shin kick, Muay Thai emphasizes the throwing of one’s weight into the motion to deliver maximum impact. As such, the foot of the balancing leg is tip-toed rather than placed flat on the floor and that gives the calves a really good blast. So if you have chicken calves like me, Muay Thai may just be the exercise to fatten them up!

The roundhouse shin kick is an explosive switchblade swing of the leg to an opponent’s trunk to send him keeling. While there are only five basic moves, there are many variations within each move (eg. for kicking, there is the roundhouse kick, straight kick, jump kick, etc). To win a fight, boxers need to combine all these moves with strength and speed into a deadly human weapon.

After watching Tony Jaa take Muay Thai out of the ring and into real combat application (abet staged for Hollywood), I was deeply intrigued by the martial art form and had always wanted to try it because the moves look so cool!

However, having gone through a training session (which consisted of a high intensity circuit of punches, jabs, kicks, push-ups, sit-ups and leg raises) with Richmond, I realised that Muay Thai is not for posers. While the boot-camp like training is fantastic for anyone who wants to lose weight and tone up, trainees can also look forward to turning competitive one day. There are a couple of monthly and quarterly Muay Thai fights in Singapore where practitioners can spar with each other.

Coming from a gymming background where I’m used to having loud music that drowned out all thoughts and over-crowded studios during body combat classes, I found the Muay Thai session at SAFRA Tampines with no music and lots of space to punch and kick really cathartic. There were no distractions so the burn of my muscles spoke louder and felt deeper while not having to worry about hitting another person (unless it is a sparring session) was a relief. The Muay Thai course at SAFRA has a limit of no more than 20 students per class so there is definitely lots of space for everyone to let out the fighter within! And be prepared to sweat. A lot.

To find out when is the next intake for SAFRA’s Muay Thai course, check out safra.sg (Events & Activities).

The 80s lives on… After the oldest SAFRA clubhouse at Toa Payoh (which was opened in 1975) got rebuilt and reopened in February 2013 and the second oldest at Bukit Merah (built in 1982) was replaced in 2004 by the Mount Faber clubhouse, SAFRA Tampines is the only of five clubhouses that originated from the 80s.

Opened in 1988, SAFRA Tampines is a sports and recreation hub for NSmen living in the eastern estates of Singapore. Today, it continues to be a hive for the active and sporty with upgraded facilities, amenities and a slew of fitness courses.

I used to visit SAFRA Tampines rather often some years back as my office was nearby so it felt familiar coming back again.

The clubhouse hasn’t aged.

A suite of sporting facilities provide NSmen and their families numerous choices to build a healthy lifestyle.

Tampines SAFRA has many nooks and crannies to discover. There’s an activity space or sporting room at every corner. This pathway in the photo leads to a hall where exercise courses such as Muay Thai is held.

Tried a session of Muay Thai with trainer Richmond Leong and it was totally kickass! Look out for fitness courses at really affordable rates at safra.sg.

There are 3 squash courts available for booking at prices ranging from S$3.20 to S$5.25 per hour (inclusive of GST).

Indoor badminton courts can be booked by SAFRA members from S$3.20 – S$5.90 per hour (inclusive of GST).

This used to be my playground… SAFRA Tampines EnergyOne gym. With ample treadmills, stationary bikes and steppers, the gym’s cardio zone is a fat furnace.

Window to a more muscular body and better health.

A comprehensive range of free weights stations at the gym let users work every muscle part in the body.

Having worked out with various gym operators, I find that SAFRA gyms have the most number of serious male gymmers that serve as inspiration to train harder once you can get over being intimidated by their bulging biceps and physique.

The pool at every SAFRA clubhouse is an oasis. SAFRA Tampines has an Olympic-sized pool for laps and a smaller pool for kids to splash-play.

Despite not having visited for years, SAFRA Tampines remains to be one of the best sporting centre this side of Singapore to raise the adrenalin or spend a leisurely time to unwind.

As the yuletide season rolls in, so begins the hunt for a restaurant to feast with family and friends. This year, there is a new addition to the Christmas table in the form of GRUB, a contempo-bistro at the heart of Bishan Park.

Curious what a diner within a neighbourhood park looks like, I accepted an invitation to sample GRUB’s Christmas menu and stumbled upon an oasis to chill and unwind!

Sitting next to a shallow stream surrounded by lush greens, GRUB brings garden dining right into our HDB heartland.

“At GRUB, we believe in eating responsibly. This means cooking with as natural ingredients as possible, without the addition of MSG, artificial preservatives, additives or flavourings. We also believe that responsible eating starts with good practices by the farmers, fishermen and artisanal producers that we work with.” – GRUB’s declaration of guilt-free eating.

There’s a choice of open-air seating on a patio or dine in air-conditioned comfort at the bistro that’s just been opened in May 2013.

Hip and uncluttered, GRUB’s layout and design maximises the view of the natural surrounding both indoor and outdoor, creating a great ambience for grazing and gazing.

A selection of exotic hand-crafted beers, ciders and stouts demands just as much finger pointing as the food menu. Taste pleasers are the Brit Thatchers Gold and Pear ciders and the Scottish Crabbies series of fruity beers that taste deceptively like sweet sodas. Booze prices range from S$10 – S$13 per bottle.

My palate’s curiousity was drawn to this bottle of American brew, Magic Hat #9. It’s sweet citrus flavour is no illusion.

#9 was a little lonely so I laid lips on the Belgian Rochefort 6 as well. I think they make a nice coupling… practicing those numbers under the sheets after a few bottles is optional.

GRUB’s Christmas menu (S$30++) is a 3-course affair with 2 choices each for :

Appetisers -  Soup of the Day OR Smoked Salmon Salad

Mains - Slow-Roasted Turkey with Gravy OR Honey Baked Ham with Apple Sauce

Desserts - Banoffee OR Sticky Date Cake

I got a taste of everything Santa would be envious of and one of GRUB’s hot favourites from the daily menu. Here are what the dishes look like…

Appetiser – Smoked Salmon Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette. The addition of almond flakes brought life to the taste and the salmon slices were generous.

Appetiser – Soup of the Day (potato leek soup with light gorgonzola cream and bacon bits). Love the creamy texture that’s done just right and my personal favourite.

Main – Honey Baked Ham on Mash with Apple Sauce and French Beans. The salty ham was nicely balanced by the neutral potato mash and sweet-sour apple sauce.

Main – Slow-Roasted Juicy Turkey Breast with Gravy on Sweet Potato Mash and pea tendrils shoots. The moist turkey medallions were tender and tasty but the raw pea sprouts somehow subtracted the taste for me. I would’ve preferred it with wild rockets but this would still be my choice for a main course. The sweet potato mash was pretty unusual too.

Desserts – Sticky Date Cake with Burnt Caramel, Vanilla Ice-Creamand Toasted Almonds and Banoffee (banana and toffee trifle with freshly whipped vanilla cream).

The winner is the Sticky Date Cake to end the whole dinner on a sweet note.

The hot dessert (literally) at GRUB is their Churros with Dark Chocolate and Tangy Crème Anglaise dips. We were told that the churros were made 100% by hand as the chef wasn’t satisfied with the machine-blended texture. Because this gets so many orders, the chef is getting sore in his elbows and finger joints and makes only a fixed amount daily. So go early for the churros before they get sold out for the day.

GRUB’s Christmas menu jingled my taste bells and the dining experience was made more sublime by awesome wait-staff and the kitchen’s commitment to use no MSG and additives. For a cozy Christmas get-together away from the holiday crowd, GRUB is a must-grab this season. Merry Christmas!

Some of this year’s happy lights along Orchard Road shot entirely with my aging Samsung Galaxy S3…

Plaza Singapura’s outdoor decoration looked anorexic this year.

One of the oldest shopping icon in Singapore, Plaza Singapura used to have such elaborate dress up that turned its main entrance into a playground. Now it’s just a small tree behind its acrylic version of the United Colours of Benetton. Money no enough?

Orchard Central usually have some statement pieces in its Christmas décor and this year, it puts the green into the yuletide season with decorations made by recycling the bottom of plastic bottles. Quite a neat idea.

Saw a narcissistic tree outside Orchard Central. The saying about narcissists is that they seldom have a good ending. Point proven with this photo? LOL.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree. Here’s the partridge. But where’s my true love? :(

Louis Vuitton’s Christmas window display took a light-hearted ride on the wild side with geese pulling a sleigh of LV gift-things. But I suddenly have the craving to eat Lou (卤) 鸭.

It’s an unusual sight… Malays singing Christian hymns and Christmas carols. Singapore is so progressive!

ION Orchard erects a giant Christmas tree (yet again) to herald the festivities. Combined with huge screens flashing advertisements and a massive LED skin wrapped around its outer visage, the décor gave the illusion that there is a lot going on when there’s really not much. It has what I call the ‘Chinese Ghost Story effect’… a pretty maiden by night and a grave during the day.

Bring on the bling and celebratION!

The HIGHlight (no pun intended) is staring high up at the tower of lights inside ION Orchard’s gigantic tree. It makes the eyes dizzy.

When seen in focus, the inside looks like a Star Wars set.

Another spin shot of the lights created by simply turning the mobile phone while shooting. The lights change colours so each ‘vortex’ photo can look different.

Wheelock Place had Christmas decals in the shape of gingerbread men, snowflakes and poinsettias on its glass doors. We decided to turn gingerbread dude into a lass. Hahaha…

A peep into Wheelock Place’s Christmas decorations.

It’s an astrological Christmas with a constellation of lights.

Turning the Christmas cones into planets.

Forum Galleria had a novel idea to bring in the safari for Christmas with birds and beasts of the topics and savannah.

The concept was unusual but the zoo theme felt salah.

Let it snow, let it snow! Tanglin Mall always draw the crowd with its faux snow.

Better have fun and enjoy it as this could very well be the last year that Tanglin Mall brings ‘winter’ to Singapore.

Didn’t get to cover all the mall decors as I started shooting the lights this year pretty late.

But with this shots, I wish you and your love ones a Christmas filled with affection, happiness and good health!

Rice has the effect of garlic to vampires for any gym bunny trying to carve a 6-pack or those on a low-carb high protein diet to lose weight. I know, because I’m one of those carb adverse even though I love rice and the floury taste of banmian (板面).

So instead of giving up rice altogether, I’ve found an alternative to make the calories count with every mouthful by carbing on not white rice, but a mixture of grains and herbs to increase the nutritional value of my bowl.

Here’s an herbal rice blend I’ve experimented with that’s packed with more fibre, vitamins, minerals and higher protein content than regular white rice. And the added Chinese herbs have health promoting efficacies as well!

Ingredients for herbal rice : (left to right) Green Lentils (绿扁豆), Wolfberries (枸杞子), Brown Rice (糙米), Red Cargo Rice (红糙米), Black Rice (黑紫米), Dioscorea Opposita (淮山), and Angelica Sinensis (当归). Angelica Sinensis is not pictured here.

The ingredients sound exotic but they can all be found at local supermarkets in Singapore such as NTUC, Cold Storage, Giant and Sheng Siong with the exception of Black Rice which I bought from Mustafa Centre. If you can’t find the herbs at the supermarts, Chinese medicinal halls are bound to have them. The non-white rice varieties cost more than regular white grains with black rice being the most expensive (depending on brand, a 1kg pack of black rice costs around S$8 while white rice of the same weight costs between S$4 to S$6).

How to Cook : Simply wash all the grains and herbs and cook them together in a rice cooker. Cooking duration is approximately 30 minutes.

In terms of quantity, brown rice should form the bulk with red rice at half the amount used for brown and black rice at a quarter that used for brown. That is, if you used 40g of brown, then use 20g of red and 10g of black (use the same amount of lentils as black rice). But this is not cast in stone and you can vary the rice and lentils ratios according to preference.

For the herbs, use about a handful of wolfberries, 4 to 5 medium slices of dioscorea and 3 – 4 slices of angelica. Angelica has a very strong flavor so refrain from using too much or the resulting rice may taste bitter. Cut the dioscorea and angelica slices into tiny pieces to mix in better with the grains.

Once all the ingredients are in the rice cooker, add water. The water level should go slightly above the knuckles when you place your palm on the layer of rice and herbs. The more water you put, the softer the rice when cooked but too much and you will end up with a sticky rice mud.

Delicious and Healthy

The combination of nutty flavours from unpolished rice (brown and red) with the beany musk of lentils and aromatic fragrances of Chinese herbs gives the herbal rice a complex taste with a hint of bittersweetness.

You can Google each of the ingredients to read up on their health benefits but I would like to specially highlight the value of consuming black rice as more clinical research are uncovering the powerful antioxidant activity of this dark grain. Due to its scarcity, black rice was reserved and eaten only by emperors in ancient China, hence it is also known as the “Forbidden Rice”.

My first encounter with black rice was during a trip to the Yaeyama Islands, a group of islets off Okinawa, Japan. Residents on the Okinawan islands consume black rice and small bittergourd on a daily basis and the area has the highest number of centurions in the world. Many other factors definitely contribute to longevity but the Okinawans’ unique diet of black rice may be one of the key contributing ingredients.

Already, some health sites are calling black rice the new super food as it contains more vitamin E than brown rice and has higher anthocyanin content than blueberries, bestowing it with super antioxidant prowess that could potentially guard against a myriad of cardiovascular diseases, cancers and age-related conditions.

So the next time you have a carb crave, go black and don’t go back!

I’ve always held on to my primitive definition of art as something beautiful; an intentional creation for the purpose of delighting and entertaining the senses. But I’m not so sure after visiting Art Stage Singapore 2014.

Having about as much art education as Homer Simpson can do math, I’m never the arty-farty sort. I can neither call out artists by name (except those very famous dead ang moh ones like Leonardo Da Vinci, Monet, Manet, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Shakespeare… you get the drift) nor identify their works. If I’m found at an art event, it’s usually for the free champagne.

No free booze at Art Stage 2014 but I did get a complimentary ticket (which costs S$30) from a friend who knew I’d have fun photographing the installations and works of art.

Entrance to Art Stage 2014 held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre from 17 – 19 Jan 14.

I wasn’t so sure I would enjoy the exhibition initially as I know nothing about art and don’t want to look stupid by not knowing why that name on a label is such a big deal, but I actually had fun.

The 4th edition of the annual art event attracted more than 40,500 visitors, 600 artists and 130 galleries from 28 countries.

In terms of photo opportunities, I didn’t find that many as taking photos of paintings felt like rip-offs while snapping pics of installations and sculptures required thick skin to saunter into the space of a participating art gallery, take the photos and walk off without making eye contact with the dealers in case they think I have a fat wallet.

Art above as it is below.

Art Stage is Asia’s global art gathering where artists and collectors are brought together.

My aging Samsung Galaxy S3 also ran out of juice quickly so I missed capturing some of the impressive pieces later into my visit. So here’s a glimpse of Art Stage 2014 and some of the pieces that had me amused or allowed me to create photographic ‘art’ out of art…

This huge goldfish sculpture with bulging eyes by Yan Ma-Lin greeted visitors entering the exhibition hall. To me, the goldfish looks like a wide-eyed idealist who has swam out of its painted pond (the painting behind) from this angle.

This scene with a huge seashell in front of a photo of a crowd gave me an epiphany about people who came out of their shells to join the world.

Nightmares can be beautiful… Artist Damien Hirst painted with insects in this visually extravagant piece that is one of my favourites.

Close up of the ingenious bugs mandala featuring jewel beetles, scorpions, atlas moths, leaf insects, Goliath beetles, and many specimens from the forests of South America as well as Asia. It’s a masterpiece from the masterpieces of nature!

Boomz! Deepavali just got kinky?

Bat you love to get some S&M action.

My, what a big mouth you have.

Yue Minjun’s Contemporary Terracotta Warrior No. 10′s laugh is infectious. I can’t help but smile looking at him.

Freedom is letting it all hang out.

她真的看得很开。。。Absolutely hilarious comment by one of my Facebook friends!

Two eras of China.

Consumerism is the new communism?

This oil on canvas by Akiko Kinugawa is Untitled but I think a fitting name would be Sourpuss. LOL.

A slice of eroticart… an interesting piece composed by many layers of print on plastic sheets laid in sequence to achieve a fantasy effect of the nude torso. The effect doesn’t quite show in photo and best seen in person.

Looks like a simple installation but getting each piece of acrylic sheet to be at the same precise height must be backbreaking work.

Hello, Kitty… We decided to create art of our own.

Sometimes in life, we just have to bend over and take it from behind.

人与人的杂乱关系。

Show your true colours.

Life imitating art.

Toshio’s sister found! Toshio is the ghost child from Jap horror movie, The Grudge.

This lonely and cold painting sure could use some fire to keep warm.

Is this art?

Many of the art pieces had been eye-opening in their creative techniques and executions. While the definition of art is subjective, some of the pieces were rather trashy to my commoner eye. Yet, their unartistry provoked a response as much as the stunning works made the heart gasp.

Transcending beauty, my Art Stage foray reminded me that art and the appreciation of it should go beyond the realm of sensory pleasure and embrace the provocative emotional dialogue brought on by art that makes one uneasy.

If I have to explain what is art to someone now, I would say it is the language of the soul.

SAFRA Singapore rocked *SCAPE with its inaugural Dance-a-thon where participants get to shake their bon bons for a good cause. With a slew of grooves ranging from Zumba Fitness to Hip Hop to Jazz and more, the 8-hour dance mania is cure for two-left-feeters and all in the spirit of charity… to raise funds for Society for the Physically Disabled.

Enticed by the opportunity to burn off Chinese New Year calories and do good, I signed up for the Dance-a-thon. Never mind that my eyes-to-limbs coordination is as present as Aston Casey’s ability to be humble.

From 10am – 6pm on 15 Feb 2014, The Ground Theatre at *SCAPE throbbed with hot beats and nimble footwork. Dance-a-thon is a lead up to the annual SAFRA Dance Fiesta where dance enthusiasts pit their moves against each other in a celebration of showmanship, creativity and stamina.

RFID anklets were issued to monitor the dance duration of each participant in a bid to clock a total of 4,000 dance hours.

Fitness and dance instructors from various gyms and studios led the adrenaline sets to raise heart rates and improve cardiovascular health. And memory to string the steps and movements together.

The event reminded me of the very popular afternoon tea dances during the late 1980s where teenagers can club without alcohol. I felt like a daddy figure to all the youngsters on the dancefloor!

So you think you can dance? Or couldn’t. It doesn’t matter. Dance-a-thon was all about having a good time and burning fat the fun way!

My right knee made itself felt after about 2 hours into the dance segments and decided to make room for more dancers as they streamed in throughout the 8-hour session.

Any participant who has clocked at least 1 hour of dancing received one of these commemorative medals. It’s a nice keepsake to complement the pounds sweated out!
To keep in step with SAFRA’s latest happenings and exciting events such as the Dance-a-thon (which will happen again next year), visit safra.sg to find out the latest activities and promotions for NSmen and your family!