If you find Aaron Mossadeg familiar, it’s 'cos you may have seen him in minor roles on Ch 5 dramas like Tanglin, Mata Mata and Whispers of the Dead. His latest project is Faculty. "I play a fat kid who discovered the gym and became very fit, but in real life I used to be very skinny. I only bulked up for Faculty and started working out three days a week, which I've never done before. My friends shared with me their workout tips when I first started training, and now I pay it forward by sharing my tips with friends when they ask me," shares Aaron, who has an English-Dutch mum and a Turkish-Arab dad.
Working out for Aaron means hitting the gym three days a week. The 1.76m-tall, 72kg chap breaks down his fitness regimen for us.
Aaron’s workout routine:
Day One
- Inclined Bench Press
- Flat Bench Press
- Dumbbell Flyes (a type of chest workout) and/or Dip
- Cable/Barbell Curl
- Preacher/Concentrated Curl
Day Two
- Barbell Row
- Pull-up (“I always try to do five sets of eight reps,” Aaron shares. “If I fail, I finish the remaining sets with a lat pulldown exercise for eight to 12 reps.”)
- Cable Row
- Overhead Tricep Extension
- Tricep Cable Pulldowns
Day Three
- Squat (five sets of five reps each)
- Leg Press
- Hamstring Curl
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Side Lateral Raises
As for his diet, Aaron reckons that as a Singaporean, it's practically his national duty to ingest fattening food. "We can't avoid carbs here. A lot of dishes like Hokkien mee are high in carbs,” he says. No dieting needed for this dude ― he eats whatever he wants. Aaron laughs sheepishly: “I don't really need to diet now 'cos my metabolism rate is still high. But I'm afraid this will change when I hit 30. I've seen it happen to my elder brother! But I do focus on having more protein in my meals. If I ate a lot of carbs for lunch, I’d have more protein, such as a chicken chop, for dinner. I also make sure I have a carb-dominant meal an hour or two before a workout. And a pure protein snack after that. Eggs and tuna are the easiest to prepare!”
Aaron reckons his pan-Asian features are both a blessing and a curse. "I don't dislike the way I look, but sometimes it's very difficult for me to get acting jobs 'cos I don't pass off as a true-blue Caucasian and I don't look really Asian either," he explains. As a full-time actor, Aaron has had his fair share of living the life of a struggling creative. "You're always looking for the next job, so you never know how much you'll earn every month. You don't know how much you can spend. I should really cut down on taking cabs and drinking. (Laughs) But I don't eat at expensive places."
Catch Aaron in Faculty, Mon-Thur, Ch 5, 10pm.
PHOTO CREDIT: Kelvin Chia