Former TV hunk Vincent Ng on still keeping fit and ripped at 42

His days as a TV hunk may be over but local ex-actor and martial artist Vincent Ng remains as ripped as before.

But those washboard abs do not come easy - especially now that he is 42.

Targeting his body fat content at the 10 per cent level usually requires him to hit the gym four times a week, jog two to three times weekly and cycle on park connectors on weekends.

The main difference for the three-time South-east Asian Games gold medallist is that he now sets his sights on maintaining his body, rather than pushing it to its limits.

Ng, who was famous in the late 90s and early 2000s for his sculpted physique, told The New Paper: "When I was involved in wushu competitively in the 1990s, I would be training 12 times a week, with each training session lasting about two hours.

"I exercise but my routine now depends also on my family's schedule and commitment to Wufang Singapore," he added, referring to the martial arts academy he opened in 2005, which has about 1,000 students.

Eating healthy has never been more important to Ng, who eats five small meals daily.

"I try to cut down on sugar and make sure I get enough protein. I also cut down on carbs but we can't live without them," he said. "I take a lot of 'cheat days'- I do not even believe in calling it a cheat day. I am not a fitness freak who never eats prata or chocolate. At family gatherings or events, I will just enjoy the food."

He added: "How can I miss my own birthday cake just to watch my carbs?"

On Aug 25, Ng will be a judge for inaugural fitness competition Fitness Super Star 2018, a collaboration between fashion producer-choreographer Hideki Akiyoshi and Resorts World Sentosa.

For Ng, fitness is a lifestyle one cultivates and setting personal targets is more important than aspiring towards a common standard.

"For some, fitness is a competition. Others want to look good or be fit.

"Make sure you have an objective before choosing the right regime and workout," he said. "I hope to change the perception that you should work out just to look good."

He does not buy into the idea of a perfect body either.

"In different historical periods, we see different ideas of the perfect body and beauty standards."

His personal take, however, is that this entails having a proportionate body with well-defined muscles.

"Fitness can be aligned with your long-term personal development," he added.

Having an active lifestyle is something that he shares with his wife, who wants to be known only as Mei Ling and is pregnant with their first child.

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A love for hiking brought the couple together and they got married last July.

Before her pregnancy, they would climb Bukit Timah Hill almost every weekend for a workout and have fried carrot cake for breakfast.

Ng said: "Mei Ling and I enjoy working out and we like to spend time together, so working out together comes naturally to us."

Even though she is in her third trimester, the couple continue to hit the gym.

"She will do a bit of indoor cycling, yoga and light weight-lifting, as long as these are exercises that pregnant women are allowed to do," Ng said.

"At night, we go for a 3km walk sometimes, but I don't allow her to run."

This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.