You’ll most likely know Richard Herrera as ½ of the Philippine team that won first place in “Amazing Race Asia” Season 4. Now based in Singapore, this hardworking half-Filipino, half-American hunk has once again been heating up TV screens all over Asia.
His stint with AXN garnered him instant fame which snowballed into a winning audition for MTV SEA. Today, he is co-hosting “The MTV Show” every Saturday at 1 p.m. alongside Holly Grabarek.
On his days off, he stays active in community outreach projects as a supporter of NBA Fit, an Asian youth development program, and Habitat for Humanity.
Packed with muscles and wry humor, VJ Rich is not one to shy away from challenges, silly or serious. So I asked this Journalism major from the University of Ohio to flex his writing muscles and tell us about his amazing life, adventures and secrets to staying fit.
“I’ve done too many stupid and ridiculous things…but back in the day, my friend and I were being chased by security personnel for a questionable violation. We decided to ditch our car then split up. I ran and hid on top of a fire truck and my friend found unlikely refuge in a police station. When security ran past, I jumped the four meters off the top of the truck and ran the other way. They never thought to check the police station because no one would be stupid enough to hide in there so we managed to slip the noose that night at least.
“When it comes to girls I like to date… I think Pinays are flat-out gorgeous in every way, but in the end my type is a personality-plus girl, so looks are not really important.
“The country that I keep going back to is…the Philippines, of course, because that’s where home is right now. I’m a nature-tripper and there are many destinations I haven’t explored just yet. Plus, I end up missing the flavorful chaos of Manila if I’m gone for too long.
“Being a celeb has lots of perks, the one that I love the most is…getting invites or just getting wind of all the parties and events. It’s fun to run into and chat with people that you’ve worked with or those who you haven’t seen in a long time. There are many creative people hovering around so it helps your inspiration to share ideas (and a few drinks) with them.
“For winning ‘Amazing Race Asia,’ Rich Hardin and I took home a cash prize total of $100,000. What I did with my half was…bury it beneath the kitchen floorboards for a rainy day.
“I burn a lot of cash on…sunglasses because the moonlight is relentless here in Asia!
“Sports, sun, sand and sweat can beat you up badly, to maintain my skin…my kind friends at Facial Care Center for Men rescue me from further harm with an occasional cleaning session. My mother is big on moisturizers, so she tells me it’s ‘not girly’ and I better use them. Consequently, I started using L’Oreal Hydra Energetic and Kiehl’s Facial Fuel with SPF 15.
“When grooming myself, I am most particular about…squeezing any blackheads out of the skin of my nose. A past girlfriend was fanatical about it and it rubbed off on me.
“To keep fit I…stay forever active and try new sports. I’m playing ultimate Frisbee now and it’s given me a new appreciation for running and cardio-conditioning.
“My abs diet includes…egg whites, chicken and water. Swimming will get you in shape much faster and it works out the muscles that we tend to forget about.
“I hit the gym…three to four times per week for a one-hour session and I make sure my training includes Bikram yoga and Plyometrics so I can stay limber and keep fast feet. I also enjoy the suffering that sprinting in a weighted training vest dishes out. Try it!
“If I had to count the shirtless photo shoots I’ve done, it would round up to… No more than 10 since 2003.”
Like Rich, blackheads have plagued a number of Filipino men and women. It’s been a number two concern, second only to pimples. So let’s all kick the medieval habit of squeezing blackheads because Neutrogena has created a deep-clean Blackhead Eliminating line, to help us effectively remove blackheads and prevent new ones from forming.
Choose from the Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub, which is a gentle scrub that helps remove dead skin cells and aids in the unclogging of pores. Or the Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment, which is a treatment (applied with water) that will open up your pores for easier blackhead removal as you scrub out those blackheads. As you wash off the treatment, you are also washing off some of the blackheads.
Follow Rich on Twitter @RichRampage or catch more of him on “The MTV Show” every Saturday at 1 p.m. on MTV SEA.
