From Hardworker to Heartthrob: The Double Lives of 5 Men in Singapore

Even when you have all the energy in the world, managing a corporate day-job and a fitness regime at the same time is a daunting prospect. So for the men who are actually able to manage both – they leave us in awe.

Meet five professionals who are based in Singapore. These men work hard everyday with full-time day jobs which take 8 – 10 hours of their day but somehow they still manage to dedicate time to their fitness regime.

Polished and suave in suits, or sweaty and sexy in their training gear, these men are sharing with us their secrets to fitness.

Aditya Dhar

Together with being the Regional Head of Business Development APAC for partner markets at American Express Global Business Travel, Aditya Dhar is also an InterNations Ambassador and is in the process of becoming a certified circuit training coach.

Vanilla Luxury: What is a typical day like in Aditya Dhar’s life?

Aditya Dhar: I basically live two lives, one on the weekdays and the other on weekends. 

On weekdays, I usually do not have the time to even look at my own shadow. I am out of my house by 6:30 a.m. and I get back by 10 p.m. No matter what time I get to bed, I am awake the next day at 6 a.m. and proceed to the gym by 6:30 a.m. or 7 a.m. – this sets my day. Otherwise, I get grumpy when I have to miss my morning workout.

I am really strict with my diet too; it is usually salad, soup and lean protein for my meals. No sugar in drinks and no dessert. I try to stay away from carbohydrates but bread is my ultimate weakness. 

Needless to say I usually have a terribly busy day at work. In the evenings, I usually have running, circuit training-boot camps or ‘Parkour’ – one of my new hobbies that I have fallen in love with. It is all really addictive. I am usually home by 10 p.m., where after strumming my guitar or watching some Netflix and chilling “by myself,” I call it a night.

On weekends, the flip is switched and I transform into a different person. I need my glass of red wine or scotch in my hand while I am out socializing. I still manage to squeeze in some time for a run and a workout session.

Vanilla Luxury: How do you balance your corporate and social life with your fitness routine?

Aditya Dhar: Fitness is part of my lifestyle. Just like I eat, drink, sleep and breathe, I also need to run, exercise and go to the gym. It is like oxygen for me.

For me, fitness is broken into 2 parts – one is your physical fitness which is attained by exercising and the other one, which is even more important, is having a healthy and balanced diet.

Working with American Express in a Regional role and being the Ambassador of InterNations (an expat community) in Singapore with over 42,000 members, it gets really tough to find time for myself. But I believe if I there is time to eat then there should be time to exercise as well and the rest are nothing but excuses. Honestly, sometimes I sit and think whether there are enough hours in the day...

So I am not really sure how I am managing to juggle my corporate social life and get those hours in the gym or running around this city in my running shoes. But I guess for now it is working so I will leave it to that. All I can say is Rome was not built in one day so be patient and the results will follow.

Vanilla Luxury: What is your favourite body part on yourself and on the opposite sex?

Aditya Dhar: It is hard to pick only one part of my body as I always see perfection in every part of my body (haha!) But If I had to pick only one, it would be my chest.

On women, it is definitely sexy, toned legs and a flat tummy – that catches my attention any day.

George Ho

Growing up, George always relied on his “high metabolism” and never had to work out, but as age caught up with him, the narrative changed. Recently, George has been spending much of his time as a spin instructor at CruCycle.

Vanilla Luxury: Apart from CruCycle, you also hold a corporate job. What is your day-to-day routine like?

George Ho: There are only four things that are constant throughout my day, if I teach in the morning that is. This happens about 2 – 3 times in a week.

0530: Rolling out of bed and a quick shower
0700: Sexy pulses with my 7AM class
0830: In the office and ready to go
2200: Finger’s crossed I am in bed by then

If it’s not that then, I spend the 10 hours of my day at work, with some sick tunes in my ear – it is the only way I know how to get through a long day.

Vanilla Luxury: What are the contents of your refrigerator?

George Ho: 3 things –  (1) Yakult with less sugar (2) Iced tea (3) A variety of fruits.

Vanilla Luxury: What is your fitness sin?

George Ho: Fried chicken!

Lai Wee Kiat

Growing up, Lai Wee Kiat was not exactly as buff as he is today. Through dedication and hardwork, he is not only a competitive bodybuilder, but also the founder of social media marketing company - Instalogy.

Vanilla Luxury: How did you get into competitive bodybuilding?

Lai Wee Kiat: Back when I was 11 years old, I used to be skinny and always wanted to be bigger and stronger. That is when a relative of mine introduced me to basic exercising and the gym - I immediately got hooked. I also came across an old bodybuilding book by Arnold Schwarzenegger and treated it like my Bible. I must have read it at least 6 times!

At the age of 16, I competed in my first bodybuilding contest. It was not exactly the best, but I got much better with time. Eventually my efforts paid off and I won the title of Mr. Kuala Lumpur back in 2013. I was the youngest person to win that title.

Vanilla Luxury: We've heard that you've built a huge following in 1 just year, share with us a little bit more about your day job?

Lai Wee Kiat: I am a social media marketer focusing on Instagram marketing and events. I own several popular Instagram pages such as SGInstaBabes, SGFitnessHotties, SGRestaurants and SGFashionistas. The total reach of all these pages is 300,000 people.

Vanilla Luxury: With 40,700 fans on Instagram, what’s the best pick up line you’ve received - both from men and women?

Lai Wee Kiat: I am not sure if these are the best, but these are definitely what caught my attention.

From a man – “Can we train together? And after that have dinner? We can be good friends!”

From a woman – “Wow, your abs are so hard. Are you hard everywhere?”

Rhyce Lein

After spending five years in marketing and sales, Rhyce Lein, general manager of GuavaPass, now indulges in his passion for fitness every day.

Vanilla Luxury: From working in corporate marketing, to being General Manager of GuavaPass, what made you make the switch? 

Rhyce Lein: I left the agency when GuavaPass first launched, I was employee no. 4 in the company.  I wanted to move into an industry that I saw massive potential in. Agency life was fun at times, however, working for a start-up in the health and fitness industry has been one of the most rewarding experiences to date. The growth we have experienced over the past 12 months has been phenomenal.

Vanilla Luxury: What is a typical day like for you?

Rhyce Lein: I am a morning person; I start my day around 6:00 am. Watching the sunrise is one of my favourite things to do. Once I have had my morning coffee I am off to a class of some sort. I break my week into Yoga, Strength and HIIT classes. The rest of my day is a mixture of meetings with either studio owners or our other lifestyle partners - brainstorming ways we can add some fun and buzz within the fitness industry. Understanding the importance of sleep, I tend to be in bed by around 10:00 pm during the weekdays.

Vanilla Luxury: What keeps you motivated to stay fit?

Rhyce Lein: You know that feeling you get after a great workout session? The adrenalin rush, the feeling of endorphins filling your body, the natural high – that is my motivation; I want that feeling every day.

Subaish Rajamanickam

Despite his active social life, Subaish Rajamanickam, former national running champion and current director of Creative Insurgence, manages to keep his passion for fitness alive.

Vanilla Luxury: Apart from being former national running champion, you also hold a corporate job. What is your day-to-day routine like?

Subaish Rajamanickam: Being an entrepreneur can be quite hectic, I try my best to squeeze in at least four sessions per week. The sessions can be futsal with my buddies, gym and/or a run.

Vanilla Luxury:  What is your secret to staying this fit?

Subaish Rajamanickam: 3 reasons – my genes, previous routine and healthy eating habits. First, I will have to thank for my parents for giving me good genes – I got lucky with that! The next one is the gruelling training regime I used to follow. I used to train up to 10 sessions in a week. The last reason would have to be my strong aversion to fast food. I am hoping to be able to cut down on my alcohol intake soon – but let us keep that as a goal for now.

Vanilla Luxury: Tell us about your best performance on the treadmill, board room, and in your bedroom?

Subaish Rajamanickam: 12 hours nonstop ;)