It was boredom that began Mel P. Tiglao’s fitness journey.
“I had classes that started at 4 p.m. and there wasn’t much to do before that,” she said. “We had a gym at the university, so my friend and I joined. We really had no idea what to do back then.”
That started what the 43-year-old store manager calls her on-and-off relationship with the gym.
In 2011, she joined Fitness First and focused on learning proper swimming form. “My assigned trainer, Coach Ace, was a swimmer, and the branch in RCBC had an indoor pool. I wanted to keep up with my growing boys who I also enrolled in swimming classes in their school. I also didn’t want to be mistaken as a pregnant woman because of my tummy bulge.”
Then she joined group exercise classes, including dance and yoga. “My goals then were purely aesthetic. To look good in clothes that fit me,” she told Lifestyle.
She did that for two-and-a-half years.
In 2019, she joined another gym. “That’s where I met my current coach, Algreen Carlos or Coach Algie.”
Tiglao was still in her training program under Carlos when the pandemic hit. The lockdown put a stop to that. “It was a sleep-eat-sleep-repeat cycle. I didn’t get to work out from March to June 2020. My progress was halted.”
But she started again in July. “It was my birthday gift to myself. I was back in training under the new normal, via Zoom video conference with Coach Algie.” They train four times a week. “I started working out with only a yoga mat, a 15-pound kettlebell and an ab roller, and my workout space was inside my living room area. Little by little, I added some essentials to improve my workout routine. I also moved my working space outside, along the hallway, where there is good ventilation.”
Asymptomatic
In February 2021, Tiglao was infected by the coronavirus, thankfully asymptomatic. “I opted for home quarantine since I had the required space for isolation, my own bedroom and bathroom. Having COVID has a stigma even if you don’t have symptoms. That was the stressful part. Having COVID was more of a mental test for me than a physical one. I lost weight due to the stress and anxiety. Questions like, ‘Why me?’ and ‘Aren’t I supposed to be healthy and fit?’ bothered me.”
To cope, this persevering mom turned to fitness. “I continued my weight training sessions throughout my 14-day quarantine. It’s what kept me sane. It helped me look forward to the evenings. It was my therapy and my happy hour.”
Tiglao has recovered and is continuing her fitness journey. She’s on a three-month cutting-down period. “Coach Algie uses the macrocycle program. It’s a combination of hypertrophy and muscular endurance.”
Workout essentials: Rubber mats, yoga mat, water bottle, BCAA supplement drink (BPI Sports Best BCAA Fruit Punch Flavor), white board, white board marker, phone stand, Bluetooth speaker, separate phone for music and whatever gym equipment is required for that session
Fitness attire: Sports bra, shorts, top, workout gloves, rubber shoes, head wrap to keep sweat and hair away from my face, face towel and Apple iWatch to track my workout.
My diet: When I first started dieting, I overdid it and got dizzy because most calories went to my breakfast or lunch and I got dizzy by dinner. To help me learn how to eat without going over or under the required nutrients, I purchased a week’s worth of prepared calorie counted meals from The Sexy Chef.
I only ask for cheat days on occasions like a birthday. My weakness is more of the savory kind of food rather than the sweet.
Since I’m cutting, I have to lessen my carbs and increase my protein intake to develop my muscles. I consult an app called MyFitnessPal, a paid app that I purchased where I log in my meals, and it tells me how many servings of nutrients a dish has. It even has nutritional contents of Filipino food like sinigang, adobo or isaw. I synced it to my Apple iWatch so it can add the calories I burned or used during workout.
I stick to 1,200 calories/day, 45 percent carbs, 5 percent simple carbs, 35 percent protein, 12 percent to 15 percent or less fat and I drink 2 to 2.5 liters of distilled water. Recommended food for breakfast are oatmeal, egg whites, citrus fruits, peanut butter sandwich; lunch is chicken breast, salmon, brown rice; afternoon snack is eggs, nuts, banana, coffee; dinner is brown rice, chicken breast; and before bedtime, Greek yogurt.
What keeps me motivated: No one pushes you harder than your trainer. I have always gotten myself a fitness trainer whenever I wanted to reach a fitness goal. If you want to reach your fitness goals fast, hire a professional fitness trainer. It will lessen the guesswork and idle time searching for what program to do, what equipment to use and you’ll spend less time fiddling with your phone. They will teach you proper form in performing an exercise so you won’t injure yourself. You will also be disciplined to accomplish the program without distractions.
Music is also my motivation. I can’t work out without music.
My workout playlist: The year 2020 was all about K-pop music and bands. Their music during my workouts helped me cope with the stress of the enhanced community quarantine. While the rest are into BTS, I gravitated toward Big Bang. I enjoyed other groups like Blackpink, Super Junior, Twice, EXO, BTS, Rain, etc.
Songs I listen to when I’m doing deadlifts: “Crayon” by G-Dragon, “Gang” by Rain, “Cherry Bomb” by NCT 127, “Dumb Litty” by KARD, “Monster” by EXO, “MMM” by Treasure and “Goblin (Favorite Boys)” by A.C.E.
In 2021, I slowly moved away from K-pop and started to listen to more danceable tunes of the ’90s, specifically dance songs made popular by the Universal Motion Dancers, StreetBoys and Maneuvers. Sample songs are “Come Baby Come” by K7, “Here Comes the Hotstepper–Heartical Mix,” “Asi Me Gusta” by Chimo Bayo and “Rump Shaker” by Wreckx-N-Effect.
Fitness tips: Drink 2 to 2.5 liters of distilled water a day. Do a workout you will enjoy—Zumba, yoga, martial arts, sports, cycling, swimming, running, walking, etc. The more you spend energy, the more you will have it. When in doubt on how to start, hire a professional fitness trainer.
