AIDIL ZEFFRI AZMAN
1 WHAT IS YOUR WEEKLY EXERCISE ROUTINE?
I do strength training three times a week,blending powerlifting and bodybuilding (powerbuilding) focusing on both upper and lower body.In between those strength days, I also do cardio based training such as trail running, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and swimming.
2 WHAT IS YOUR FITNESS AIM?
I am training for both today and tomorrow. Functional strength is useful today and even more useful as we get older when our bones and muscles begin to lose mass and density. From an aesthetic standpoint, if we eat, rest and train right, we should be able to maintain a physical look that’s sustainable in the long term.
3 HOW DO YOU GET OVER BEING TOO LAZY TO EXERCISE?
Feeling too lazy to exercise is common and when I feel it, I usually just proceed with the workout. The more positive results you see daily, weekly and yearly, the easier it is to motivate yourself to keep going.
4 WHAT IS THE MOST DRASTIC THING YOU’VE DONE WHEN IT COMES TO EXERCISE?
I once had a routine that involved 10 HIIT sessions per week. So from Monday to Friday I would do two back to back HIIT classes. This was obviously not sustainable and it lasted for a year. It improved my cardio but I soon began to focus on strength development.
5 WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL BREAKFAST?
Every day I will consume at least four eggs, two tablespoon of oats, two toasted slices of wholemeal bread, a banana and peanut butter. It can be prepared in any way or form, just as long as I consume these ingredients.
6 WHAT IS THE ONE JUNK FOOD YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?
I love ice cream. I really love ice cream.
7 HOW DO YOU RECOVER FROM A HARD WORKOUT?
Drink lots of water, coconut water and also branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) in powder form. These are the best combinations for rehydration. Then consume a sufficient amount of protein, either whole foods and/or whey protein shakes or smoothies.
8 HOW DO YOU PREVENT INJURY?
Proper technique and form for all your exercises as well as ample time to warm up your body prior and post workout. Overall, an understanding of your body’s limitations and threshold should help in injury prevention.
9 WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO GET PEOPLE TO EXERCISE?
The body is a beautiful creation, with immense potential to do amazing physical transformations and movements. We should explore its full potential and get exposed to various types of workouts. Life is short, let’s optimise the short window we have while we are physically able.
10 WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SOURCE OF PROTEIN AND WHY?
I love fish, chicken and beef, whole foods are the way to go and to supplement them, I consume whey protein as well.
11 WHAT’S THE ONE THING THAT EXERCISE HAS TAUGHT YOU?
It has taught me discipline and that if you really want to achieve specific goals, you just have to trust the process and let time and commitment get you there. I have witnessed first-hand, my body transformation. There’ are no shortcuts. Trust the process.