Bryan Tan - Coach

I hope I’ve matured and grown over my experiences and mistakes because being in the game longer doesn’t make me a more qualified person, so here’s 10 things I’ve learned about being in the fitness industry working with clients, ‘colleagues’ and multiple gyms over the last 5 years:

1. This job is all about Customer Service, mostly results driven that is bonded by how strong the relationship, communication between both parties , and in some way transactional but ultimately HELPING someone all into one. Your body being a business card is subjective but also useful to show that you’ve put in the work and know what it takes - time and hardwork.

2. It’s never about me, it’s about the person across me. Everyone enjoys talking about themselves but the goal is to understand and dig deeper.

3. IMO, I low key hate the fact that I’m actually part of Singapore’s fitness industry because of the sheer amount of crap I’ve seen. I can safely count and conclude that I only have less than 10 people that I can wholeheartedly trust.

4. I’ve started pulling back from making much comments on anything and learn to be humble as best as possible. Some way or another it’s gonna bite you back in the ass.

5. My clients have taught me so many valuable lessons, and the most important of it all is that they never fail to answer my questions and sharing what they know. Thank you for addressing my curiosity.

6. The little things compound, stay the course and put the next step forward.

7. Science and research papers are informative, but application is the important bit and with that comes experience along with psychology and personality types of the person to ‘manipulate’ them.

8. Finding your ‘WHY’ is the most important thing. You can be vain, insecure, clueless and goal oriented but it still ties back to that one word.

9. ‘You shouldn’t judge someone, but you can always have an opinion.’ - Harry

10. Your past probably defines you, but if you keep talking about it, you’ve probably lived a very regretful life. Live in the moment but plan ahead (back to 6)

Thank you for the shot

“I found an island in your arms
Country in your eyes
Arms that chained us, eyes that lined”

A lot of things that happened in my life are of coincidence and serendipitous, which I didn’t necessarily plan on.

I’ve taken aim at my sea of troubles, and like the hidden reefs, I find peace in the ebb and flow when I drift away.

The thought of going out to buy everything I WANT to satisfy my ‘unhealthy’ habits is compelling to me. I spend within my means that gives me a great deal of satisfaction and experiences.

And one could argue about doing the same for their meals and calories.

Got a 2000 calorie to work with? Keep it tight and do what you need to stay within your budget.

MyFitnessPal? It’s just a really awesome tool to help you understand how to manage your finances when you get started.

Well, if you’re not keen on wanting to count your calories but still want to improve your nutritional habits? Here’s some big rocks to consider;

1. Hydrate more than you already are 🥛
2. Prioritise lean proteins- 1 palm size worth of protein rich foods/meal 🥩
3. Get your 🌈 of vegetables and fruits
4. Be consistent with meal times & mindful when chewing your food in a distraction free environment😁

Looking to change your life in a sustainable way? I’d like to help you remotely via .app with programming and lifestyle guidance.

Drop me a DM and let’s get to work!🫡

Why you need a Professional Fitness Coach?

The fitness industry is a mess - the plethora of different modalities to have you break a sweat and get a ‘good quality’ workout has been so obscured.

The start of the millennium had everyone diving into Zumba and pivoting towards Yoga before shifting onto group fitness classes with the environment and notion of adrenaline fuelled programmes to get you sprawling on the floor and leaving you smashed.

But, only one ‘business model’ has and will always stay to get you to where you want to be in your fitness journey.

Individualised Personal Training.

Customised workout programmes that accounts for the individual’s history and goals.

Wouldn’t you want to have your needs and wants heard and aligned to your training programme, while taking into consideration your medical history, current fitness levels and most importantly holding you accountable?

A Professional Coach would ask the right questions; finding your why(s) through regular check-ins to ensure long term success. Speaking and sharing with you what you need to know even if it means having that uncomfortable conversation.

If you’re going to your doctor and walking out with professional and personalised medical advice, why aren’t you doing the same for your fitness journey?

Well, I hope I have made some sense and got you thinking.

Drop me a DM and let’s get into the details when we speak to work towards your measurable goals and living a larger life.

I’ve been on the receiving end of being a ‘client’ for the longest time and I’ve got to owe it to the 2 coaches whom I’ve learned extensively from (amongst others).

Great teachers and coaches have always left an impact on me. Apart from imparting their knowledge of what’s necessary to learn, I could rely on them in any possible way.

However, in all my years of partaking in a sport, it was always a little too late for me to understand the nuances of whatever it required of me.

I’ve always struggled to comprehend what was necessary to excel, and race day came along leaving me ‘unprepared’.

After learning numerous painful lessons years ago, I’ve sat down and reflected on how I can improve on perhaps my delivery and communication for my clients.

I take it upon myself to have my clients before me to understand what’s the goal of what we’re doing during our sessions, learning the ‘sciencey’ bits and my ‘principles’ behind the programme.

Autonomy for my clients is my highest priority. Every client deserves to know how they can be using the information that they’ve learned and when it’s time for them to spread their wings, they’ll be ready to transit and succeed.

I came into the world of coaching, thinking that it would all be about sets and reps, prescribing pretty cool movements that I performed in the gym for my clients to achieve their goals. I was a lost child and I knew I would’ve failed miserably if I wasn’t guided by the OPEX way.

I was so curious with all that was unfolding before me in the gym, listening to rather ‘ridiculous’ questions about someone’s sleep and stress levels, like it ever mattered to me back when I was competing as a kid.

Everything was foreign to me, and I was never comfortable putting myself in that position to ask those questions for my clients before me.

I had a lot of learning to do, needing to be better and improving myself if I wanted to ‘make it’ in this industry.

It’s been a trying COVID phase, and I’ve yet to come to terms with how I have grown so much after being on board for the OPEX CCP course which I signed up for.

OPEX Fitness has taught me how to craft an individualised programme, work with an in-depth assessment to provide a holistic experience and support for my clients. Along with guiding them with nutrition and behavioural prescriptions, I have learned to break down what it actually means for my clients when they speak about their priorities and goals in life.

As an OPEX Coach and Ambassador here in Singapore, I hope to inspire fellow coaches in the fitness industry to always be curious and carry on the torch to help those around them.

If you’re looking for a bespoke programme that’s catered to your individual goals, slide into my DMs for a complimentary session to discuss your goals with me!

Here’s why you should stop using Barbells for most of your lifts

Bench press, Bent Over Rows, Shoulder Press, to name a few, is probably a staple exercise commonly done in the gym with a Barbell, however, I believe there is not a definite need for you to perform them with a Barbell.

Why?

Simply because it’s pretty unnatural for you to have your arms tracking in that particular direction, further leading to unnecessary stress on your joints.

For example - Barbell Bench Press VS Dumbbell Bench Press (Swipe left)

The Barbell Bench Press puts you in a position where your arms are pronated (palms facing down), and elbows flaring out relatively perpendicular to your body. Probably a little awkward for some given restrictions in your mobility or structure.

The Dumbbell Bench Press, however, allows you to alter your arm path and position with internal rotation of the shoulder joint. You would also notice that your elbows would be dropping a little further back, roughly at a 45 degree angle. A little more comfortable and natural isn’t it?

Well, it’s probably gonna be the case for the rest of the BB vs DB movements I mentioned above. But here’s the catch, the BB provides more stability, and it would be wise to use them if you’re planning on loading the bar greatly (just because it isn’t very convenient with DBs) or training for a sport (Powerlifting/Strongman) that requires it.

With more range of motion, safety for your joints and ability to move them freely as opposed to being stuck in a ‘fixed position’, I would take the DBs any day of the week.

Share with me your thoughts based on your experience in the gym below!

Looking to get a pull up? Or achieve tree trunk legs? Perhaps a new personal best for a 5km run?

Each of us have different goals in the gym and we should be looking at each training cycle from a macro perspective to work out the finer details.

Training programmes should be INDIVIDUALISED with a PLAN even before we consider variables such as exercise selection or intensity level.

I’ve come to learn that there is a need for clarity regardless of individual looking to progress in any way.

Having a goal in mind on what to achieve in the next 8 weeks, 6 months or even 2 years provides a starting point on how we should dissect each training cycle and approach each workout/training.

That’s the beauty of individualised programming that I can provide for you.

It’s an approach where a consultation and assessment is done before drafting a program up for you, not just some cookie cutter programme off google or copying and pasting the same programme from another client over.

I’m here to help, I’m here to produce more content that may benefit you in some way, maybe even nerd out and put yourself in a better position to make better choices.

If you are looking for someone who can provide you Personal Training or Remote Coaching services, look no further.

Of course, feel free to share my page with anyone who might benefit!

We've been told since young to eat our fruits and vegetables and it should be ingrained in us to eat them but sometimes we simply don't. It may come as a struggle for some to incorporate a bunch of fresh vegetables or fruits into a diet because certain taste and textures may be distasteful.

Is that an issue?

Gym bros would probably say no due to the nature of energy balance if you are looking to lose weight.

Would a bunch of bananas and tomatoes add additional calories on your plate? It definitely would.

And that's a problem for many given the fact that we often overlook the importance of micronutrients as a necessity to achieve a goal (weight loss/gain) and promote recovery.

Do you find yourself having trouble sleeping at night? Or do you experience poor bowel movement? Or are you looking to improve performance as an athlete or in the gym?

Many individuals would find themselves struggling to hit these numbers of micronutrient needs especially in a caloric deficit due to the nature of consuming lesser amount of food.

While micronutrients are not required in large quantities like macronutrients, they are vital for health.

Highlighting a couple of micronutrients which aids health are:
1. Minerals such as Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper etc.
2. Vitamins that are either Fat soluble (A,D,E,K) or Water soluble (B & C)
3. Fibre - Aid in bowel movement and increase feelings of satiety.
4. Phytochemicals - Found in plants which have numerous health benefits.


When looking through your food dairy for food composition, we must always incorporate a reasonable amount of fruits and vegetables for optimal health benefits.

How much you may ask?

Well it depends. Seek help by reaching out so I can help you understand your needs and wants. My recommendation would be to have a variety of brightly colored vegetables to allow an array of phytochemical nutrients and necessary Vitamins & Minerals needed on a daily basis.

If you are struggling to wolf down even a bag of spinach and some tomatoes that's perfectly fine, a solution might include consuming multi-vitamin tabs as an insurance policy although that may not be the most ideal solution in many cases.

A well balanced diet will not necessarily guarantee ticks in all boxes of the different types of vitamins and minerals on a daily basis but you should always look at it across a week just like your calorie/macronutrient intake depending on your goals.

With that said, start noticing how you feel on a daily basis in terms of your lifestyle, mood, stress levels and ability to perform/recovery in and out of the gym.

Needless to say, there are many factors contributing to whatever issue you may be facing but I strongly believe in making the right food choices and especially micronutrients and its ability to impact our health.

I probably ran about 8 sets of 50m for to get this shot but that’s not the point.

I’m here to talk about the need for Cardiovascular training and why it’s not supposed to be the key to fat loss or burning a ton of calories.

While many may argue that doing a huge amount of cardio will kill your gains in the gym or burn a fair amount of calories for your weight loss journey, I look at doing Cardio training as a form of improving my Cardiovascular health. I am definitely reaping the benefits of burning calories and sweating a bunch of water weight but it is not my priority when going for my daily walks or spending some time on the Airdyne & Rowing machine.

There are numerous benefits of doing cardio aside from burning calories and sweating a bunch of water weight out which includes:

- Allowing shorter rest time between sets in the gym, which means doing more work in a shorter period of time.
- Reducing recovery time between sessions, which leads to more productive work over a long period of a training cycle/programme.
- Managing Stress, body has the capacity and capability to deliver nutrients and remove waste products in the body instead of relying on high circulation of blood (higher heart rate & stiffer blood vessels)
- Eccentric hypertrophy in blood vessels (Increase in chamber size), which means body is capable of going at a lower heart rate to manage high volume of blood needed.
- Improve in Mitochondrial function (Cell's capability and efficiency)
- YES BURNING CALORIES AS WELL

So when shall we factor in cardio training then?

Well, IT DEPENDS on what kind of cardio training you're looking at. Many like to break it up into both HIIT and LISS which refers to 'High Intensity Interval Training' and 'Low Intensity Steady State' respectively. While there are numerous benefits in doing both individually, I PERSONALLY prefer to stick to LISS just because I hate putting myself through long durations of discomfort during my training and not being able to recover for my next workout in the gym. Aside from affecting my recovery while doing HIIT, there are lots of stress chemicals placed on my body mainly due to the fact that I have to perform at a higher work capacity which is not ideal for my daily lifestyle. With that said, I would recommend LISS due to the nature of it being sustainable and not hindering your performance in the gym with muscle fatigue as well.

Examples of LISS would be:
-20mins on the Airdyne @ a sustainable pace
-15mins on the Rower @ a sustainable pace
-'Circuit' of some sort for a couple of rounds while moving @ a sustainable pace

Notice the trend here? SUSTAINABLILITY. Yes, it may seem boring both on paper and while you're doing it but it allows you to move comfortably without putting a ton of stress on your body due to the nature of lower exertion of energy.

Remember when I spoke about Stress and 'Smashing your Workout'? If you have not read that, it's a 2-part series where I touch on how to manage stress and if working out despite feeling run-down would be a good thing.

So what is this NEAT that everyone talks about all the time? NEAT refers to Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which includes 'activities' like walking from home to the train station or getting your meal from your favourite food joint which is 10mins away from work. To sum it up, it refers to the amount of movement that you perform on a daily basis which is not a form of workout in the gym or cardio training like going for a run.
Increase in NEAT on a daily basis will help in burning calories which is what most individuals want and can do instead of starving themselves and consuming lesser food just to help them in their weight loss journey. I personally go for long walks in the day while looking to hit a daily count of about 12k steps. However, it should not be the prime factor in your weight loss journey because nutrition still takes priority in this context.

Share with me what sort of cardio training you perform and click on that arrow icon to share it with someone who might find this beneficial. Stay tuned for my next post on Supplements for Health and if you actually need to consume them!

KEY PRINCIPLES AND HOW TO SUCCEED IN A DIET

As you can see, I really love my fries and burgers here🍔🍟

Firstly, comment below where’s your fav burger joint, mine’s probably shake shack but PS cafe comes close.

For the first time, I’m sharing a little more about nutrition and I’ll follow up with some other relevant topics with regards to weight loss and supplements.

Head over to my blog in my bio and check it out. Click on that arrow icon to share this with anyone who might find this beneficial, see you in the next post😎

@ East Coast Park

Here’s the 2nd part of the series on stress and ‘smashing your workout’.

Head over to the link in my bio and have a read where I dive a little deeper on how stress affects your body.

Click the arrow icon and share this post with your friends and family if you find this beneficial for them! 👊🏻

@ Marina Bay Singapore

“As you are sipping on your coffee, trying to stay awake and finishing up that last report, have you ever wondered why you might not be able to fall asleep at bed time? And even if you did, was the quality of sleep exceptionally well considering you were exhausted the moment you lay on your bed?”

Now, Caffeine has always been a pretty sensitive subject that individuals shy away from when questioned.

Head over to my blog where I share about the effects of having high doses of caffeine/coffee on a daily basis and how it impacts your lifestyle.

Share this post or send the link in my bio to your friends and family or anyone that may find this useful. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions!🤟🏼

No guesses for where my hands were placed, but I definitely enjoyed it.

Stay tuned for some great content with 🤟🏻

📸:

Gyms are finally opened tomorrow but let’s not forget that recovery is important as we improve our fitness.

Sleep is probably the most overlooked component when it comes to recovery, and I would like to share a little more about how you can improve your quality and quantity of sleep.

Click on the link in my bio to have a read, I’ll see you back in the gym soon!

Ever since circuit breaker was implemented, I’ve been spending my time exercising outdoors and educating myself more, thus reducing my time spent on social media. I will be sharing more content on different topics I believe will be beneficial for everyone including lifestyle and things to note when gyms are finally open again! Head over to my bio and click on the link to understand more about the circadian rhythm and why it is important to adhere to a sleep schedule.

Topic on the difference between Myofascial Release and Dry Cupping along with tips on stretching can be found in the link in my bio! Just head over to the blog section of my website and have a look 😎
Interested to know more or have any questions? Feel free to DM me or comment below!

𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. ⁣
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The topic of training intensity and muscle soreness is indeed a controversial one. Individuals who are new to kickstarting their fitness journey would typically chase the feeling of being 'smashed'. However, we should understand that with each workout, we are placing stress on our Central Nervous System (CNS) and muscle fibres. ⁣
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Let me discuss 2 forms of training intensity in my book: ⁣
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1st: Higher demand on Cardiovascular system & CNS > Recruitment of muscle fibres (HIIT/Tabata/Crossfit)⁣
2nd: Higher demand on Recruiment of muscle fibres > Cardiovascular system & CNS (Weight-lifting/ Bodybuilding/ Powerlifting)⁣
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Note that there is a difference when it comes to the 2 'training models' and if you're interested, I'd be happy to share. For now, we must understand that we can never be exceptionally good in both strength and aerobic profile concurrently, hence the need for periodisation. ⁣
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If you performed a relatively low intensity workout and experience muscle soreness, it could be due to numerous factors including poor sleep, nutrition, stress levels or whatever that contributes to Homeostasis (natural state of equilibrium). ⁣
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An option to track stress responses in determining our recovery and ability to workout is Heart Rate Variability (HRV). HRV is a good indicator of how well our parasympathetic system is functioning by measuring the variation in time between each heartbeat. If you own a smart watch, these readings are readily available to you. ⁣
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Ask yourself what your intention or goal is with each workout. Are you looking to perform and live better? Or are you living in the present, chasing this feeling and realizing that you should slow down to yield better results? ⁣
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Find yourself a coach who provides individualized programming and considers your lifestyle - looking into factors that might hinder your performance inside and outside the gym. Contact me for Virtual PT & Remote Coaching today!