Interview Series: Luciano
If you're in the health/wellness sphere in Singapore, you're more than likely to have heard about F45. This week, we talk to Luciano, founder of several of the F45 studios here in Singapore
Photo by Vickneswaran S/O Panneerselvam
If you're in the health/wellness sphere in Singapore, you're more than likely to have heard about F45. With studios popping up all over Singapore in the last few years, it is testament to the brands vision of being the "world's fastest growing functional training network" with clients from a diverse range of ages and backgrounds.
This week, we talk to Luciano, founder of several of the F45 studios here in Singapore. Unbeknown to many, he entered the fitness industry not having even tried an F45 class himself! Read on as we talk to him about his daily routines, health philosophy, and how fitness has played a big part in his life.
Tell us about what you do; what does your daily schedule look like?
A typical day for me starts at 5:20 with a cup of bulletproof coffee before heading to teach a class or get prepared for my day. Honestly, my life is orientated around classes with the “in betweens” focused on growing expanding the communities at each of our studios.
Thankfully, despite being the owner, I don’t have to do all the “patchwork” stuff anymore… in large due to a great team I have. I can focus more on the training and development aspect of the business as opposed to getting sidetracked by things like making sales or taking over a class when an instructor can’t make it.
How about your fitness schedule?
Given the job scope, I live a pretty active lifestyle - running between meetings, coaching classes, training other F45 coaches, etc. At the same time, I do make it a point to take at least 2-3 F45 classes weekly and couple those with some weight training sessions. When I don’t have time to get a session in, or when I see some time between classes, I do some rowing intervals.
Has fitness always been a big part of your life? When did you get started?
For the most part, yes. I was always into team sports and grew up in New Zealand which is very sport and outdoors oriented so I’ve given most sports a go.
In university, however, “socialising” took the front seat - everything aside from surfing went out the window. Team sports did not work as It was hard to commit to other people’s schedules, surfing was basically the only exercise I did.
How did the shift back to living the healthier lifestyle you live now come about?
Once I started working in a mining town; there was really nothing to do. To cut a long story short, the two choices to fill my time were to either train or get sit at the pub; It was not a difficult choice, and once I was back in the swing of things I realised how much I missed living an active lifestyle.
My first “goal” was to get up to 100kg; this was primarily driven by the number “100” and because I had unlimited access to free food. Despite the weight training and copious amounts of food I ate, I ended up only making it to 96kg before injuring my shoulder, which stopped me any training I was doing.
I lost the weight pretty quickly and after recovering from that injury, the appeal of hitting that 100kg number wasn’t great anymore.
What is your eating philosophy (clean, paleo, etc)
I don’t adhere to any form of diet - clean eating, paleo, vegan, etc. Rather, I take a basic approach - consume energy when you need it; refrain when you don’t.
Food is simply energy and recovery. If that food comes in the form of “junk”... it’s still food. It may not be the best thing in terms of nutritional value, but if it provides your body the fuel it needs, then I feel that’s okay. At the same time, if you’re going to eat the “junk” .. just enjoy it; don’t guilt trip yourself or fuss over the calories!
That said, when I am training for a goal, I become very focused become extremely stringent. Do what you need to do for you: when you are being relaxed, don’t have a care in the world; When you are focused, be laser focused.
How has a heightened awareness of nutrition helped you in your own lifestyle (being busy, coaching, etc)?
Given the lifestyle I live where I am often having to go from one thing to another, it has been beneficial to know what I need in short amounts of time. In other words, what provides the most amount of energy in a quick burst or what I can eat a small amount of that will give me the energy I need to go into another class. It also helps to know the “why” behind why you are doing what you are doing.
What is one misconception you feel many have about eating healthy/nutrition?
That carbohydrates are bad. So many times, I have clients who come in and tell me that they aren’t losing fat. When I take a look at their food intake, they’ve usually been following a zero carb diet that they got off the internet. Once they introduce carbs around their workouts, though, they usually see the fat fall off and muscle gains increase.
What is the best thing about your job?
It’s being able to be a “positive” in someone else’s day. It doesn’t really take much and sometimes it’s just being part of the experience at F45; where people come in to make time for their wellness and feel much better afterward.
I also love the many success/transformation stories that I’ve been able to see. One story that has stuck with me is of a member in one of my F45 studios in Australia. She definitely made strides in terms of her physical transformation (losing over 25kg in 6 months) but the real transformation was in her everyday life.
I remember when I initially met her; she was off to the side while everyone else was engaged in conversation. When I DID try to make conversation with her, it was clear she was a very isolated individual with very little day to day social interaction. I remember her telling me that she had “slept” the weekend away (and not because she was out partying!). Over time, and as she started attending more classes, her social circle and confidence grew. Soon, her facebook photos were filled with that of community rather than a solitary lifestyle.
What is one piece of advice you have for those looking to start leading a healthier lifestyle?
Don’t wait, invest in your health, the better your health, the longer and happier you will live.
What does health mean to you?
Health means balance and it encompasses more than just physical health.
What would your last meal be?
It’d have to be of my three favorite dishes - french fries, pizza, and puttanesca pasta along with a bottle of red wine.
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