Quick Stats

Name: Kiran Singh
Age: 28
Height: 1,75 m
Competition weight: 66 Kgs
Current weight: 69 Kgs
Current city: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Occupation: FireFighter / Part time Personal Trainer

How long have you been training for and how did you get started?

I have always been into sport, so from my schooling days. I was always very active when it came to physical activities. My parents always pushed me to do sports. So I started really enjoying tagging along with them when they used to go to the gym.

I used to swim a lot and wasn’t into weight training as I was young and didn’t know much about weight lifting but enjoyed being in the swimming pool. After swimming and messing around in the pool I used to wait for my parents while they used to do the circuits at gym and so on.

I eventually started copying them and before I knew it I was weight training. Only after I started going to college and wanted to start picking up some muscle mass did I start reading all these bodybuilding books and magazines.

I eventually purchased the well known encyclopaedia known as the Arnold Encylcopaedia and that’s when my knowledge of weight training and eating correctly started to broaden.. Since then I have never looked back.

What do you love about it and how do you stay motivated?

I love the feeling of the “burn” when working out and when the body is being pushed to its ultimate limits and beyond.

When one starts seeing results it becomes so addictive and you just want more and more results. I am constantly reading and always broadening my knowledge when it comes to fitness. I also watch Bodybuilding DVDS and staying motivated is easy when you expand your knowledge as there are always new ways to train and diet.

What tips would you give someone struggling to stay consistent?

Always keep a diary if you are just starting out. Log down what you have done, especially with training days.

Try to keep on pushing beyond what you have currently done.

Its a mind over matter mindset. It’s easy just to go to the gym and sit on a bicycle for 20minutes but to actually get to some real work you have to constantly remind yourself it’s for a better healthier life and there are always benefits with staying fit and healthy.

Tell us a bit about your accident and what you went through:

I used to ride a lot of breakfast runs. Its a bikers morning when we all meet and cruise somewhere to have breakfast. This particular Sunday ride was like no other. I used to speak to my friends and family and encourage them to also do these runs. We all met at a local garage, filled our tanks and did the necessary checks and headed off. Well thats basically all I remember.

Next thing I was awake on a hospital bed with my dad looking at me and said I was in an accident and that my leg was badly injured. Later on In hospital I was then told I lost my leg on impact and that it was a Hit and run accident. The person who knocked into me had pushed me into the barrier and drove off leaving me for dead on the free way.

There was a guy who stopped and tied what was left of my leg up with cable tie to help stop me from losing too much blood. That saved my life. I was in a medically endused coma and was put on a ventilator for approximately 3 days.

How did you manage to get your life moving forward and back into training and to ultimately compete after that?

Through the Grace of God, the Almighty, the support from my girlfriend, my sister, my parents, family and very close friends. They have always been there for me and have helped keep me focused. Doctors explained that if it wasn’t through my physical fitness and body mass I would have never managed to pull through.

Fitness saved my life and I will never give up.

I used to compete before but wasn’t so serious until I was approached by IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Marius Dohne, who offered to coach and prep me and I haven’t looked back since.

How important is having a positive and strong mind-set in life to get you through such obstacles?

Its extremely important to have a strong mindset and a positive one too. These are definitely key in achieving goals. Once you set your mind right on the correct path nothing or nobody is going to stand in your way.

Your tips to remain positive when the going gets tough and to keep moving forward?

Its always difficult for me as I have my prosthesis to deal with but one has to always look ahead and envision greatness.

Once that vision is set stay with it whether it be to write it down and or constantly say it to yourself and hear it in your own mind.

What are your future plans?

To definitely make it and feature in a well known fitness magazine. To become a Pro bodybuilder. I am chosen to represent South Africa to compete in the biggest Natural Olympia this November 2014 in the USA in California, San Diego. That to me is a huge achievement thus far and I am hoping to bring home Gold.

Take us through an average day of yours:

• Wake up: have black coffee and head off to gym for weight training and cardio. I feel working out in the morning is best. I feel energized throughout the day which enables me to get all my meals in.
• Every 2 – 3 hours: I have my meals. When I am at work I also ensure that I have a meal.
• Finish work: I head back to gym for a cardio session and finish around 9pm.
• Get home: I prep my meals for the next day.

What would your tips be for someone who is overweight and wants to get in shape and be healthy?

Get it in your mind that this is a long term lifestyle and Rome wasn’t built in a day. Stay focused and keep a food diary to record all meals eaten for the day.

Don’t just drastically change your eating plan. Make small changes and healthy changes. Include smaller meals more frequently. Cut down all sugar and high fat and high carb meals. Include more wholegrain and protein enriched foods. Drink plenty of water. Try sticking to your new way of eating.

• It will definitely be very hard in the beginning but once you start seeing results you will be pleased you started sooner than later.
• Never only think cardio will help you drop all your unwanted weight so start of slow with weight training and add in cardio at least 3 to 4 times a week.
• Take time to broaden your own knowledge of different types of foods and weight training.
• Remember not all carbs are bad for you so never completely cut out carbs. Incorperate low GI carbs to keep you fuller for longer which allows you not to start binge eating.
• Give yourself a reward of 1 solid high fat high carb meal at least once a week; preferably at the end of a week.
• You are only human, so if you feel for a piece of chocolate and have a sweet tooth, have it once and only once at the end of the week to help that craving.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet, pre contest and during the off season:

I believe being consistent is key. The only way you start to see results is if you stick to your eating plan and actually going to gym and putting in the effort.

Diet is 80 percent and gym training is another 20 percent. 100 percent at all times to see results.

Pre contest prep is the same as off season prep. I just start slacking off on the cardio a bit in the off season. My diet is simple, moderate protein intake, high carb intake and low fats.

Playing around with my carbs is what works for me for example I will have 2 high carb days, 1 low carb day and 1 no carb day. On the no carb days I up my fat intake slightly. Everyone is different when it comes to carbs so you have to see what works best for you and actually stick with it.

Do you believe in using supplementation? If so what are your top tips to using supplements?

I do believe in simple supplementation but most of the nutrients come from whole foods at the end of the day. For a beginner starting out one shouldn’t really stress about taking too much supplementation. Just a simple Whey protein shake is sufficient in the beginning for after your workout.

My supplementation intake is as follows:

• Whey protein.
• Vitamin C for the immune system.
• Glutamine is great for helping the body recover.
• Branch Chain Aminos for protein synthesis and also recovery from muscle soreness.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training and on average how long do you workout for?

Being in gym is only half of what is needed to see the results you need. I believe the other half is at home in the kitchen with preparation of eating correctly for the entire day.

Once you have your diet correct the training aids in helping that fat burning and muscle development along.

I train for under an hour with weight training and my cardio is done afterwards. I do interval training with cardio as it helps shock the body and ups the heart rate so that the body is constantly in that fat burning zone. My weight training is always different. Always try new methods to get the “burn” going. For example I superset, triset and do lots of drops sets. There are many methods to get your muscles working to the fullest.

I always keep it intense and that is my key to getting lean.

What are your top training tips?

• Keep your workouts between 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Always include a warm up before getting to the weights; for example cycle on a bike for minimum of 10 minutes to get the blood flowing and it helps get the mind focused for what is needed to be done for the session on that specific day.
• Never talk too much in between sets because the body cools down and the focus is lost. Keep socialising for when you doing your cardio or after you have finished working out.

What are your three favourite exercises?

My favourite exercise is when is comes to leg day. I only have one good leg so I have to really concentrate to get it to were I want it to be.

1. Smith machine squats

I cannot perform a free weight barbell squat so the Smith Machine aids me in keeping in strict form and balance. I can really overload my leg on that machine when it comes to adding on the weights.

I feel it works my entire leg and I can easily manoeuvre around the machine adding or removing weights to complete my sets. If I squat to failure the machine has a safety pin on it so if I cannot go any more it protects me from injuring myself.

2. Leg extension machine

This exercise is to really burn the quad up by targeting only the quad muscles in my 1 leg. I perform lots of drop sets with this exercise.

3. Body weight squats

I stand on a bench and perform body weight squats. Because I only have the 1 leg to work on I hold onto the Smith machine to balance myself and do alot of repitions with that exercise to get my quad really working.

How do you manage to train your one leg now? Do you train it in isolation?

Well I can do almost all leg exercises except for free weighted squats where I either use the hack squat machine or Smith machine for assistance.All the exercises I perform are for isolation on my 1 good leg so there is no time I am not isolating my leg.

What is the most common question you get asked?

The most common question I get asked is “How are you coping with the prosthetic.”

I cope to an extent but when I’m home I take off my prosthesis and move around in my crutches. I can explain it as having a shoe on all day. You definitely cannot wear a shoe 24 hours 7days a week. Same goes for using a prosthesis you need to give the body a break because my lower back takes a lot of strain when I have my prosthesis on, and I also on a daily basis have to deal with nerve pain.

What are some of the weirdest/annoying things you have seen people do in the gym?

The most annoying thing that I’ve seen at gym is when people are too lazy to re rack their weights and are inconsiderate to others when doing such a thing.

The weights were taken from the rack why is it so hard to go replace it and help keep the gym tidy. Especially moving around in my prosthesis I have to constantly keep an eye out for not tripping over a dumbbell or barbell laying randomly on the floor.

Favorite Influential bodybuilders:

Definitely Arnold Schwarzenegger he was the one who got me into getting fit, by reading his encyclopaedia really broadened my knowledge of fitness eating and training. Also the new era bodybuilders such as Kai Greene and Ronnie Coleman. Most of all Jay Cutler who I got to actually meet a few years back when he visited South Africa.

Favorite Quote:

 “Never let negativity bring you down use it as a drive to go beyond your limits.”

Advice for someone wanting to get in shape?

Do research for yourself as well as ask people for advice. People who you know that you can see that are successful at what they are doing at gym. Get a food diary and a training diary. Research and keep a log of what you have been doing so you can monitor your progress. Remain consistent at gym and make eating correctly part of your lifestyle.

What competitions have you competed in and your placings?

2014

• INBA Natural Bodybuilding show | 1st
• Rossi Classic | 1st

Where can people get hold of you?

• Facebook: Kiran Singh
• Instagram: KIRAN_FITNESS
• Email: kirans.rsingh86[at]gmail.com
• Tumblr: sa-firefighter