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Shaun discovered Starting Strength while searching for a safe, methodical and effective training program to become stronger. He started training utilising the Starting Strength methodology and became the strongest he’s ever been – Shaun was hooked on barbell training. Apart from the vast increase in strength, he also observed a positive impact on his quality of life.

Convinced by his results, Shaun started coaching his clients using the same method and found that everyone had favourable outcomes. This further cemented his belief that strength is the most important physical attribute one can acquire and that barbell strength training is the optimal way to get strong.

Since then, he set out to get others under the barbell so that they too, can enjoy the benefits of being strong. He enjoys coaching individuals that stand to benefit the most from being stronger – people in their 40s, 50s, and above.

Shaun obtained his Starting Strength Coach Certification in September of 2016 and was the first person in Southeast Asia with the accreditation. In February of 2017, he opened Hygieia Strength & Conditioning – the first Starting Strength Affiliate Gym outside of the US.

Marvin is Southeast Asia’s second Starting Strength coach. His passion for barbell training stemmed from his pursuit to get stronger and bigger. Being skinny for most of his life, he started weight training in 2009 when he moved to Singapore.

He spent several years trying out various programs with little success until he discovered Starting Strength. It was through following the Starting Strength program that Marvin fulfilled his goal of getting stronger and putting on muscle.

Having experienced the program’s efficacy firsthand, he is convinced that it could help many others achieve the same goal and dedicates himself to coaching barbell training. Marvin is also an instructor of the Starting Strength Coaching Development Course.

Ellie’s first exposure to Starting Strength began in 2021 as a curious journey into the method that helped her friends get stronger and sprightlier. After a short few months of training, the increased physical ability made her long shift hours working in the restaurant notably easier.

Beyond the physical improvements, she saw herself surrounded by lifters of all ages and abilities at Hygieia and how the coaches were directly bettering their quality of life. Witnessing this affirmed her decision for a career change to being a coach.

Her commitment is to make barbell training accessible and approachable, empowering everyone to realise their potential for a stronger and healthier self.

 

 

 

Dr Naras completed his PhD in molecular genetics in 1995 and his career began as a research scientist investigating obesity and diabetes at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

After 10 years of academia, Dr Naras returned to university and obtained a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics before starting his own nutrition consultancy clinic.

As both an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Accredited Practicing Sports Dietitian, his clients span a vast range of health and performance issues. From chronic disease management and gastrointestinal health to weight management and sports performance.

As his career developed, Dr Naras became very interested in longevity and the profound role that nutrition and lifestyle can play in disease prevention and healthy ageing. He undertook additional formal education and is now board certified in both Australia and USA in regenerative and anti-ageing medicine.

Combining years of research, experience gained from consulting with thousands of clients and continued education, Dr Naras enjoys working with people so that they can live healthier and longer lives.

Bio

My interest in fitness started when I was around 19 years old. Being overweight for most of my growing up years, I decided to do something about it. After months of not being able to achieve the desired results, I began poring through books and articles about training and nutrition. The more I read, the more interested I became in this field, and got better results when the the newly discovered knowledge was applied. After 1 year of persistence and hard work, I lost 24kg and felt fantastic. The sense of achievement motivated me to pursue a career in working with people to help them achieve their own fitness goals.

After achieving my weight loss goal, I tried a variety of training programs for a few years, looking for a new goal to train towards. After aimlessly moving around from program to program, I chanced upon a book called Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, written by renowned strength and conditioning expert, Mark Rippetoe. Little did I know that this book was about to change my life and coaching career.

At that point, I had experience training with barbells and was relatively familiar with it but never have I come across any material that gave such explicitly detailed explanations of how to perform the barbell lifts. I devoured the book and modified my lifting technique and program. In just a few months, I was pleasantly surprised by how much stronger he had become. I now had a new goal to work towards – getting strong.

With full confidence in the efficacy of the Starting Strength methodology, I began coaching my clients using this program and got them stronger than they ever thought was possible. The consistent success my clients achieved through the program cemented my confidence in Mark Rippetoe’s teachings. I then decided to pursue the credential of being a Starting Strength Coach and I’m currently the first and only certified coach in Singapore and South-East Asia

In my 9 years of experience, I have given talks and ran programs at numerous companies and worked with a diverse group clientele of all ages with a variety of goals. Today, I specialise in coaching people in their 40s, 50s and beyond because it brings me a great sense of satisfaction to be part of the process of improving this demographics’ health and quality of life by getting them stronger.

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