Men\'s Health Malaysia - Jun 2017

26 JUNE 2017

Bird Dog

Get on your hands and knees, with your hips and knees bent 90 degrees.

Lift your right leg and left hand; keep your raised foot and heel pointing back

and away directly behind you, and your raised hand directly in front of you.

Both limbs should be perfectly parallel and aligned with your torso. Hold the

position for 10 seconds; then return to the starting position. Do all your reps,

and repeat with your left leg and right hand.

Squat

Stand tall with your arms outstretched. Push your

hips back, bend your knees, and lower your torso.

Keep your back straight throughout the descent.

Now relax and sink into the bottom of the squat for

a few seconds. Begin building tension in your back

to straighten it, and then push back up.

Side Plank

Lie on the floor on your left side. Prop yourself up on your left elbow and

feet. Your top foot should be on the floor directly forward of your bottom foot.

Place your right hand on your left shoulder, and make sure your hips are

pushed forward throughout. Hold the position for 10 seconds; then lower

your hips. That’s 1 rep. Do all your reps and repeat on your other side.

Curl-up

Lie on your back. Bend one knee so your foot is flat on the floor, and

place your hands (palms down) beneath your lower back. Raise your

elbows slightly, and brace your core. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders

simultaneously an inch or two off the floor. Hold the position for 10 seconds;

then lower. That’s 1 rep. Do half your reps, switch legs, and do the rest.

Y our Back Pain

Prescrip tion

If you don’t have back pain now, just wait – chances are you will. Unless, of course,

you learn to love these four moves. Stuart McGill, Ph.D., the author of Back Mechanic,

says they can boost core strength and endurance, reduce pain, and prevent injury.

DIRECTIONS Perform the four moves daily. For the bird dog, curl-up, and side plank:

do 6 reps (per side, if applicable), rest 30 seconds, then 4 reps, rest 30 seconds,

then 2 reps. Then move on to the next exercise. End by doing 1 squat with good form.

Trainer: Stuart

McGill, Ph.D.

Time: 15 minutes

Do It: Daily

Fitness

PHOTOGRAPHS

BEN GOLDSTEIN

GROOMING

NICOLE WOOLER/

TRUE BEAUTY MARKS

(WORKOUTS);

FINN O’HARA

(INSET)

26 JUNE 2017 http://www.mens-health.com.my 27

For The Love

of Clothes

WORDS

PATRICK LOH

PHOTOGRAPH

ELYNN HAH

After:

84.5kg

NAME: SIVATHANDAVARAYAN A/L MURUGESAN

AGE: 30

HEIGHT: 175CM

TIME TO REACH GOAL: 1 YEAR 10 MONTHS

BEFORE:

125.2kg

BELLY OFF CLUB

NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO, SIVA

Murugesan joined 48 percent of

Malaysians in the obesity club. At

125.2kg, even the slightest physical

exertion tired him out easily. “I

woke up one day and thought to

myself: what if I get so big that I don’t

recognise myself anymore? I could

tell that my weight was ballooning

with each passing day,” he exclaims.

“People always say that we should

love ourselves just the way we are,

but how about being honest with

ourselves too?” Siva questions. He

was deeply unhappy, yet was too

afraid to do something about it. “As

a dental surgeon, I always advise my

patients to be in the pink of health,”

he says. “But for my own health, it was

the complete opposite.”

What hurt the most was when a

sales assistant in a clothing store

uttered the words: “We don’t cater

for obese people.” “It’s very unfair

as we are still human,” Siva says.

“I used to wear a 3XL at the very

least, and clothes in those sizes

are usually lousy and unattractive.

It isn’t easy to find seasonal

collections even in XL. Unless

you visit Big & Tall, it’s almost

impossible to look fashionable.”

When he was finally ready to make

a change, he dreaded the thought of

stepping into a gym. “I was afraid that

I’d make a fool of myself in front of all

the fit people,” Siva says. Eventually,

he hired a personal trainer to learn

the proper way to lose weight.

The biggest challenge that Siva

had to overcome was sugar cravings.

“I felt miserable when I had to give

up desserts,” he says. Eating clean

and obtaining healthy meals proved

challenging too. “I didn’t know

anything about meal prepping nor

did I have a kitchen in my apartment.

“I then found a healthy food

delivery company that charged

reasonable prices,” Siva adds. “That

played a huge role in cutting down my

belly fat.” He also decided to start his

mornings with a hearty but healthy

breakfast, and slashed his portions

for lunch and dinner.

“Sometimes, I follow the

Intermittent Fasting programme

where I fast for 16 hours, including

sleeping hours, with an eight-hour

feasting after that,” Siva explains. Of

course, he only eats healthy carbs and

protein, in addition to working out.

To give himself a reprieve

from his strict diet, Siva usually

splurges on burgers and chicken

wings washed down with a bottle

of beer when there’s a Manchester

United weekend game on. “I also

love chicken briyani, milkshakes

and ice cream on my cheat days,”

he confesses, before stressing that

portion control is the key to avoid

going overboard.

In less than two years, Siva has

lost about 41kg, and now wears a size

L... even sometimes an M. “What

I’ve learnt these past two years is the

importance of setting new targets

every time I hit a goal. The challenge

keeps me motivated,” Siva advises. To

avoid slacking off, he weighs himself

every morning – it makes it easier

for him to get back on track when he

misses a workout, he says.

“Motivation comes in many forms.

For me, it all began with a shirt,” Siva

says. Although it was one size too

small at the time, he still purchased

it. “Looking at it every day made me

want to lose more weight to be able to

fit into it. Ten months later, I was able

to,” he explains, proving the adage

true: nothing is impossible. You just

have to find the right motivation.

Workout Routine

Siva keeps his exercises balanced

throughout the week.

MONDAY

Abs (or core) workout

TUESDAY

Upper body weight training

WEDNESDAY

Piloxing

THURSDAY

Lower body weight training

FRIDAY

Zumba

SATURDAY

Rest day

SUNDAY

Jogging or futsal

Diet Regime

Sometimes, Siva fasts for 16 hours

before feasting on healthy food for the

next eight hours.

BREAKFAST:

Protein shake or omelette and

sausages

MID-MORNING SNACK:

Fruit

LUNCH:

Steamed chicken or fish with basmati

rice and mixed vegetables

AFTERNOON SNACK:

Two squares of dark chocolate

(60-70% cocoa content)

DINNER:

Grilled chicken breast or a granola bar

ANY ADDITIONAL SNACKS:

Almonds and cashews

When he realised that his ideal wardrobe didn’t come in his

size, Siva Murugesan knew it was time to torch his extra bulk