What's Your FitnessAge?

"Age is just a number", this is what I usually DO hear when my parents and their friends talk regarding ageing. Well, not exactly in fact, it doesn't applies when it comes to your FitnessAge.


I had the opportunity getting my FitnessAge tested on Saturday at Get Fit Muscle Up workshop at FIT Innovation. The results of my test wasn't surprising to me, my FitnessAge is older than my chronological age, I've not been working out consistently since August 2007 after all.

What is FitnessAge?

FitnessAge (www.fitnessage.com) is a number, or ‘age’ assigned to an individual upon completion of a number of fitness tests, measuring one’s fitness level. It was developed using data compiled by more than 56,000 individual tests, and the software’s diagnostic and computational algorithms have been granted a U.S. patent.

The tests will be administered by a fitness professional, who will then use the individual’s results with the FitnessAge service/software to derive their FitnessAge. Basically, you get all the detailed results of your tests presented in a manner that we can ALL easily understand and relate to – AGE.

For example, an inactive 30 year old may have a FitnessAge of 50, which means that his/her fitness level is comparable to that of a 50 year old (And believe me… it sucks when that happens). Alternatively, a 50 year old may have a FitnessAge of 30 – which means they are in the same great physical condition as a 30 year old. Easy right?

What Are The Tests?
To determine our FitnessAge, we will be tested on:
Body - Body fat percentage, Weight, and Body Measurements
Cardio - Resting Pulse and Recovery Pulse (using a 3-minute step test)
Flexibility - Sit and Reach (touch your toes)
Strength - Sit-ups (1 min) and Push-ups (until fatigue)

Just in case you’re wondering… the tests used in FitnessAge are not chosen randomly or for fun, but are in fact industry standard tests that are also used by the American College of Sports Medicine and the YMCA, the two leading authorities on exercise physiology.

- Source: DailyMuscle.com


Being 20 this year, I have a FitnessAge of a 35 years old. Based on all the test mentioned above, I performed badly on my cardio and actually failed my Push-ups at 20 due to an old shoulder injury. The results of my FitnessAge would definitely motivate me to work harder to gain my ideal fitness level, and the best thing is I'm able to pin point on which areas I need to improve on.


P/s: Thank you to Dailymuscle.com for personally subsidizing me RM50 to attend Get Fit - Muscle Up.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

Attended CPR training/course at FIT Innovation to fulfill ISSA's requirement for their trainers to be CPR certified. After attending the course, I came to a conclusion that Ignorance is not bliss, but kills.

During emergency situation, it's rather important to make the correct move rather than move you think is correct. It determines the victim's survival rate.

I'm pretty glad that I did went through this course, although I hope I don't have to use it on any of my future clients. It's better knowing than not knowing, just in case.

Personally I also feel that such training/course should be included into our national curriculum syllabus, not just limited to St John Ambulance and Red Crescent members.

Love is in the air...

Related post : Meet a friend, or someone special ...

Tony decided to spend some time on Valentine's day with his broke back partner(s) in Malaysia. But due to the fact that I am walking the straight line, I ditched him and went for a blind date instead on V-Day.

Most people were surprised about my participation in Table For Two, and yeah, expect the unexpected. But some even sees that I'm desperate for a relationship, if that's how shallow they are seeing things, then be it :)

On a personal note, it was a nice getting to know new 9 friends from other institutions with various interesting traits. And I certainly had a wonderful time with my blind date, Josephine Chin. I won't be describing more than that, just lost for words :)
She prepared a Coffee Mug filled with chocolates for whoever her blind date was, and I'm actually happy to be the person receiving it as a coffee lover. Chocolates has been good friends with me, always comes in handy when I don't have time for a proper meal and it works as my pre-workout meal at times.

This article was published in The Star Education
(17 February 2008) so I thought I'd put a copy up here before its lost to the archives.

By TAN EE LOO and EE-LYN TAN
Photos by AZMAN GHAN

“Table for Two”

THE suspense of waiting finally ended when the five chosen couples for StarEducation's “Table for Two” met over a delightful candle-lit dinner on Valentine's Day.

The 10 guys and girls, selected from over 70 applicants, were treated to a sumptuous dinner hosted by Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur.

It was a feast fit for a king: the semi-buffet spread at Cafe Serena Brasserie had an enticing assortment of seafood, including oysters, mussels, scallops and crayfishes, topped with cheesecakes and pralines.

The romantic evening kicked off with a speed-dating session lasting five minutes each, which enabled the guys and girls to say hello to each other, before learning whom their blind dates were. After being paired, dates, they sat down to dinner.

Most of the participants had made an effort to dress for the occasion. Everyone also brought along gifts, to be exchanged with their dates.

The couples had all read about the “Table for Two” candidates, who were featured in StarEducation on Feb 10.

However, many of them said that meeting each other in person was an incredible experience.

To add a little spice to the evening, the StarEducation team asked the participants to vote for the Best Dressed and Best Smile awards. For the Best Chemistry prize, the team picked a couple that it felt got on best during the night. The winners received bags of goodies, courtesy of L'Oréal Paris.

Contrary to stories about disastrous blind dates, the evening ended with everyone adding new names to her/his address book. Who knows, the dinner could be the start of some beautiful friendships, or, even romance?

Well, want to know what happened at the “Table for Two”? Here are what the participants have to say.

Eknaswaran and Esther

Eknaswaran Matandor, 19, chose to give his date a large pink box of colourful marshmallows.

“I wanted something that was sweet, soft and colourful,” said the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) software engineering student, fondly called Vickey by friends.

Then, when it came time for dessert at the chocolate fountain, Vickey noticed that his date, Esther Wong Shuey Wye, 22, had scooped everything except the marshmallows.

“When I asked her why she didn't take any, she said she hated them!” said the Kuantan native.

Apart from the 'wrong' gift, he also found it a challenge to break the ice with his blind date.

“I think I drank more than six glasses of water just to fill the time,” Vickey revealed. “But I learnt not to judge a person by how she looks. Esther was quieter than I expected.”

Marshmallows aside, Vickey and Esther share a love for sports, especially Formula 1 racing, and a love for food.

“We had some common interests, but there were slight differences as well,” said Esther, an applied science student at Deakin University. “I like to bake instead of cook, but he likes to cook instead of bake.”

Esther gave Vickey a tin of Famous Amos cookies.

“With boys, it's always safe to buy food, especially since I didn't know who my date was going to be. I was lucky that Vickey likes food!” she said.

Both agreed that they had fun, nonetheless, and it was exciting to meet so many new people at the table.

John and Sue Yee

John Chang Shang Hao, 24, said many of the participants recognised him as “the guy who travels”!

“I was surprised that they knew who I am. Since last week, when it was announced that I was one of the finalists, I have been bombarded with messages and calls from family and friends!” said the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman journalism student.

John made a present for his date, Tang Sue Yee, 20, by shaping a yellow ribbon into a rose. He wrapped, folded and glued the flower, then gave it a stem made of paper clips.

It took him five days to make the rose, which was then carefully placed inside a beer bottle – the first beer bottle he ever bought in Tasmania, Australia, where he used to live.

Sue Yee loved the gift and reciprocated with a box of Japanese chocolates – which turned out to be John's favourite!

“I told John if he really loved me, he would have made 99 of those roses for me!” said the Taylor's College mass communications student, with a laugh.

John remarked that Sue Yee talked a lot and asked him lots of questions.

“Because of that, she knows more about me than I do about her!”

Sue Yee added that as John was older, she learnt a lot from his stories about his experiences.

“He was very talkative and friendly, and he made me feel comfortable as the night progressed.”

Chuin Keat and Amanda

To make the Valentine’s Day dinner truly special, International Islamic University Malaysia law student Pang Chuin Keat had asked his brother to buy him a small bag and key chain during the latter’s recent trip to Barcelona, Spain.

“Barcelona is my favourite football team and I thought it would be nice for my date to have something that showed my interest,” said the 22-year-old from Penang.

Chuin Keat's date was Kasturi School of Accounting student Amanda Wong Shan Ming, 20.

Amanda had also wanted to make the occasion special; she made a bracelet and necklace using wooden beads for her date.

“It was the first time I’d made jewellery for a guy, so I researched ideas on the Internet before getting down to it. It took a couple of tries before I finally got it right.”

She added that she admired Chuin Keat for his ability to handle culture diversity.

“The fact that he is the only Chinese student in his batch shows that he adapts well to change,” she said.

On his part, Chuin Keat found Amanda very funny.

“She talked a lot and she also encouraged me to talk. Whenever I didn't say anything, she'd ask, “’Why are you silent?’” he said,

Both swapped phone numbers and e-mail addresses and said they would continue to keep in touch.

Darren and Jasmine

The Feb14 dinner turned out better than Jasmine Ong Kim Li expected. “The ambience was romantic and the food was good. And my date, Darren, makes a good friend to begin with,” said the Brickfields Asia College law student.

Jasmine, 20, gave Darren Dinesh Navaretnam, also from LUCT, a bottle of “round rubbers” that multiply when watered, and received a bracelet in return.

“My wrist is quite thick ... I'm just glad that the bracelet fits me nicely,” she said with a laugh.

Not knowing what to expect during the evening was part of the deal. Even so, Darren, 22, could not help but have the jitters.

“I was very nervous when I arrived at the hotel. It was only after my blind date and I started to open up and chat that I felt more relaxed,” he admitted.

The creative multimedia graduate was paired with Jasmine for the evening. In fact, he said he had a feeling that she would be his date as soon as he saw her picture in the paper one week ago.

“I did my own 'calculation' and thought it could be her,” he quipped.

Jasmine and Darren both won the Best Smile awards.

Kang Xian and Josephine

Lee Kang Xian, 20, had a tough time picking a gift for his date.

“As I didn’t know whom I would be paired with, I chose something neutral,” said the social sciences student, who showed up with a set of Adidas toiletries.

His date, Josephine Chin Fong Leng, got him a mug and chocolates.

Although there were a few awkward moments at the start of the evening, they became more comfortable with each other as the dinner progressed.

Josephine Chin and Lee Kang Xian dipping skewers of fruit at the chocolate fountain.

In fact, Kang Xian confessed that he had plans to meet Josephine again. “I will make the first move, but whether or not we see each other again depends on her.”

Josephine, 23, wore a strapless white dress accentuated with lilac beads. She completed her look with a pretty evening bag and peep-toe pumps – and took home the Best Dressed award.

On her outfit, she said she wanted to look simple and not too fancy.

Although she was getting calls and SMSes throughout the night wishing her good luck on her first blind date, Josephine said she chose to pay attention to Kang Xian.

“I also didn't get to eat much because we were too busy chatting. I thought I should focus on the person rather than the food because it's a date after all,” she added.

It's Confirmed a Herniated Disc on L5/S1

After 6 months, my lower back is still giving me problem. Based on my read ups, I suspected myself that I'm having herniated disc and sciatica, which I really hope it's not.



But my MRI scan this morning confirmed it's herniated disc on L5 and S1.

First thing that came to my mind, Shit!
Am I going to perform Kama Sutra roll on the mat again? weights lifting? Running? 101 questions starts flowing into my mind.

Doctor told me for now( and I wonder how long would be the now), no jumping, running and whatever is mentioned earlier. My only exercise would be swimming and cycling.

Next appointment in 2 weeks time, meanwhile, will be on Mecobalamin, Arcoxia(etoricoxib) and Norgesic. I welcome any suggestions from people in regards to this issue.

WTF ler . . . . . Just when i thought I found things I like to do to replace basketball and taekwondo.

Meet a friend, or someone special ...

Before proceeding to read the article below, I'll have my say.

I was quite surprised when Ee-Lyn called up to inform me that I was one of the 5 chosen guys for this event. Honestly, It took me a while to recall "Table For Two" while on the phone with her, exams just finished the day before when she called, I call it post-exams effects.

I have to make things clear here, I'm just a certified fitness trainer by my college, yet to be ISSA certified, But will be one within this 4 months for sure.

It's an ankle surgery due to ligament tear and chipped bone to be precise. I didn't really gave it up, but just lost interest during my recovery period and started to play basketball after that. My ankle wasn't much of a problem compared to my knee that ended my career prematurely.

This article was published in The Star Education today
(10 February 2008) so I thought I'd put a copy up here before its lost to the archives.

StarEducation will play matchmaker to 10 lucky guys and gals in “Table for Two” this Valentine's Day.

By EE-LYN TAN and SARAH CHEW

ON FEB 14 candy, cards, flowers and gifts are exchanged every year in the name of St Valentine. But who was St Valentine?

According to legend, Valentine was a priest in Rome under the rule of Emperor Claudius II. The latter decreed that single men made better soldiers than married men so he outlawed marriage.

Valentine realised the injustice in this and secretly married young lovers. When the emperor discovered this, he sentenced the saint to death.

But while imprisoned, Valentine fell in love with a young girl who visited him. Before his death, he wrote her a letter and signed it “From your Valentine”, which is an expression still used today.

In conjunction with Valentine's Day on Thursday, StarEducation has chosen 10 finalists for its “Table for Two” competition.

They will meet for the first time over a sumptuous and romantic candle-lit dinner at Cafe Serena Brasserie at Hotel Nikko, Kuala Lumpur on Jalan Ampang at 7.30pm.

They are the lucky ones from over 70 entries we received. Other than going over their entries, we took the time to meet those in the shortlist personally.

However, they will not know who their blind date will be until they actually meet their respective partners on the night.

Dress to impress, dress to kill, or just dress smart casual if that's your cup of tea.

Who knows, you might meet that special someone. If not, there will be nine more friends to add to your network.

Do bring along a little something for your date, if you can – it is Valentine's Day, after all.

Tang Sue Yee, 20,Taylor's College, School of Communication

I have a passion for photography and I previously worked for an advertising agency and a talent agency, taking shots of models. I want to be a photojournalist, as I love travelling.

Sometimes I travel alone when I need time to think or go for trips with friends to look for good food in places like Klang, Malacca and Penang.

I also like to cook, but from the can! My idea of 'whipping up a meal' usually means adding in mushrooms and tomatoes and I often burn my food. The worst dish I've ever made was Coca-Cola chicken, as it came out burnt and sticky!

I'm on a four-month break from studies now, and am gardening and working.

I've just finished my third job working at a hardware shop.

One of the reasons I joined “Table for Two” is to prove to my mom that I like guys She is glad that I'm going to have a date with a guy.

Pang Chuin Keat, 22, International Islamic University Malaysia

I am a third-year law student studying both civil and syariah law.

What's unusual about me is that I'm the only Chinese and non-Muslim student in my entire batch of 300 students.

In my free time I enjoy swimming, which I do almost every day at the pool on campus.

Otherwise, I spend a lot of time reading. I'm a very big fan of motivational books especially the works of Dale Carnegie.

I also love to travel and my favourite destinations are Pangkor and Redang, in fact my grandfather lives near Pangkor.

I'm very interested in meeting new people so I can make more friends.

Eknaswaran Matandor, 19,Limkokwing University of Creative Technology

I've never been on a blind date before and I am nervous and scared but decided to take a chance.

I think what's unusual about myself is that I can speak Cantonese fluently - even better than Tamil. (laughs!) My friends, who call me “Vickey” or “Eky”, are mostly Chinese so that's where I picked up the language.

I also love to watch Hong Kong television series, which helped me improve my Cantonese.

I also love to cook, especially Chinese food. The dish that I cook best is baby kailan with oyster sauce.

In my spare time, I am learning to dance, both break dance and hip hop.

I've been doing it for four years now.

Jasmine Ong Kim Li, 20, Brickfields Asia College

I'm a very outgoing person so I don't mind doing crazy things.

Once, when I was 14, I jumped on stage during a Disney Channel programme without being asked.

I also stalked a guy my friend liked and asked him for his phone number, but hey, I was young!

I have two acoustic guitars and a five-piece drum set that I play by ear.

I play netball, shot putt as well as attend dance classes and kickboxing.

I like watching lots of DVDs, mostly chick flicks or horror movies, but not the gory ones as I can't take too much blood.

I like intellectual arguments or discussions and I'm not a 'mushy' kind of girl.

Lee Kang Xian, 20, Tunku Abdul Rahman College

I'M crazy about sports and fitness. I can't explain it but it's something I'm very passionate about.

I'm currently pursuing my diploma in social sciences though I will be transferring to another institution soon to pursue my degree in psychology.

Once I've completed my degree, I'd like to move on to pursue my masters in sports psychology as it combines both my interests.

I'm also a certified personal trainer having completed my qualification from The International Sports Sciences Association.

In my free time, I'm still honing my skills in photography and recently purchased my first professional camera, a Canon 400D.

I'm a former district basketball and taekwondo representative but I had to give it up when I ruptured my knee ligament and have had to undergo two surgeries to have it fixed.

When I was younger, I was also a district football player in the under-12 category but had to abandon that as well when I injured my ankle.

I'm nervous about what to expect, as this is my first blind date so we'll see what happens that night!

Esther Wong Shuey Wye, 22, Deakin University, Melbourne

I'm currently doing a Bachelor in Applied Science majoring in Food Science and Nutrition in Melbourne.

I will probably work in my mum's cake shop after I graduate because I like to bake.

Last year, my course had a project in which I had to invent something, so I made a savoury Swiss roll with spinach and cheese.

I also like Formula One racing, I've watched it since I was 12.

My dad and I root for Kimi Raikkonen.

During my free time, I go shopping mostly for bags and shoes – I have probably more than 20 bags and 30 pairs of shoes now!

I've done some travelling and went on an exchange programme to China last year for my Chinese language elective.

Whenever I meet guys, I'm usually always the one asking questions so hopefully my date won't be too shy!

John Chang Shang Hao , 24, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

As a journalism student, I've got aspirations of writing for a travel magazine one day.

Just last year, I spent five months backpacking through the United States.

I worked at Cedars Point theme park in Cleveland, Ohio, as a lifeguard and later became a ride operator for a water coaster.

After my working stint, I took time off to travel and visited Niagara Falls, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles and San Diego.

I also paid a visit to Disneyland and Universal Studios in Los Angeles and also the San Diego Zoo.

Before returning to Kuala Lumpur, I also made a nine-day stop in Japan and Mount Fuji, visited Sijuku to see the Harajuku girls, and stopped by Tokyo Disneyland.

I stumbled upon “Table for Two” by chance when I was flipping through the newspaper. I can't wait to meet the others as I enjoy making new friends.

I'm planning to make my date's gift as I feel it should be something from the heart.

Darren Dinesh Navaretnam, 22, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology graduate

AS a big fan of 1980's rock music, I started taking lessons to play the electric guitar, a year ago.

I'm a huge fan of music acts such as Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Deep Purple, just to name a few.

They've all got great guitarists and I'm working towards being able to play Bon Jovi's “Halfway There”.

I'm a recent creative multimedia graduate who is currently looking for a job.

A month ago, I completed my six-week internship at Codemasters, which is a British video game developer.

While there, I worked on video games development where I helped with several upcoming games.

In my free time, I'm an all rounder and love to indulge in photography and video games consoles.

I also enjoy playing football a couple times a month with my neighbourhood friends.

With this being my first blind date, I'm going in with no expectations, and plan to just go with the flow!

Josephine Chin Fong Leng, 23, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

I study law and I'm the type that likes debating, so I join moot competitions.

I discuss human rights, politics and current news with my classmates but I usually talk about music and movies with strangers.

I like the outdoors and a group of friends and I do things like jungle trekking and rock climbing but I don't have time for it anymore!

I'm quite active in the Asian Law Student Association. I just came back from a conference in Bangkok, Thailand, and I've been to others in Singapore and Hong Kong under the association.

I hope to be surprised at “Table for Two” this Thursday and meet someone compatible.

I can't possibly describe the ideal guy until I meet him, because I believe it boils down to the chemistry between two people.

Amanda Wong Shan Ming, 20, Kasturi School of Accountancy

During my free time, I do arts and crafts such as making bracelets, cross-stitching and drawing on T-shirts.

I'm doing an accountancy course because crunching numbers is like a hobby to me, so my sister thinks I'm weird.

I just became president of my college Student Council and I'm also the external vice-president of the ACCA Student Ambassador Network.

I like my independence and running around, so I guess my ideal guy would have to be understanding because I wouldn’t want him to breathe down my neck!

I've never had a boyfriend because my parents believe I should only start dating at 21.

But I joined “Table for Two” to meet more friends and if something happens, I'll take it from there.

Random Thoughts

I hope I don't have to be opening any of these books for revision anymore, not until my Diploma end.

5th semester ended yesterday and I am praying hard that examiners will be lenient to let me pass all my paper. Especially Family Counselling and Basic Management Principles. *Prays*

1 month holiday begins. Will be a very busy holiday rather. 1 examination to complete, 2 courses to attend, a trip down to Singapore, meetings with supervisor in HUKM and yada-yada a few other more stuffs to be confirmed later.

One very important thing is getting back my physique shape as well, I've not been working out consistently since August last year due to my back injury. Chinese New Year will be very challenging for me to control my junk food intake.

These books will be accompanying me for the 1 month holiday. Call me no life for spending time with books, I guess I am anyway. ;-)