Actor, fitness enthusiast, model; Kit Mah seems like the man of our dreams!
We got up close with the jack of all trades and got some fitness tips too. Check him out 🙂
Hello Kit! Tell us more about yourself.
Hi there! I’m an established commercial model and actor who has graced numerous TV & Print Ad campaigns for international brands such as Carlsberg, 100 Plus, McDonald’s, Nescafe, Toyota, Citibank, Bosch, ING, Brands, Marigold, Watsons, Abbott, Digi, mike morse, and more. With my masculine and healthy image, I’ve appeared in numerous cover stories and interviews which revolves around his insights on health fitness, positive outlook in life and fitness oriented lifestyle. Being a fitness enthusiast, I try to maintain a consistent workout regime despite a hectic and busy lifestyle. I’ve acted in local TV shows and also have hosted a healthy living show. Today, I am one of Malaysia’s top fitness personality and also an Optimum Nutrition Ambassador and Under Armour brand ambassador.
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I enjoy me time and I need my me time. I love spending time with myself being alone reflecting on things and meditate. I believe that if I can’t take care of myself I can’t take care of others.
How did you get into act?
I actually had the opportunity to act in commercial modelling. After doing a few commercials, I was approached by my then-agent to try out for a small role in a Malay drama. I didn’t think I did really well though because mainly my Malay wasn’t very good as I was only used to speaking English all the time with my family and friends. Plus it was my first time acting and it is very different than doing commercial where most of the time commercials you are acting just by using expressions and body language which I find easier and faster to film.
Anyway I slowly developed the passion for acting as I wanted to challenge myself and widen my experience in the entertainment industry. I slowly started to be more involved in local telemovies and the more I acted in them the more I enjoyed myself. Among the shows I acted includes What Men Wants (Ntv7), Sesuci Cintamu, Mata-Mata, Abangku Patriot! And more. began then when a friend at the gym brought me to castings agencies for commercial advertisements.
Do you have any online videos of you to share with us?
I find it difficult keeping track on things I did. I do have a YouTube Channel where I use to try to find and keep some of the things I have done. I promise to start uploading more things once I have the time :p
Anyway I am more active on my IG story and there are more videos there so check it out.
You are incredibly buff! How did you first discover you love for fitness?
When I was young I was very skinny. I was made fun of at school and bullied, even by girls. I was the smallest guy in class and for some reason, I can’t gain any weight despite eating a lot. I thought to myself when I was young that I even don’t mind being fat because there were actually more fat people than skinny people in my school and I just wanted to fit in badly. When I reached 15 years old, it was then that I decided I wanted to be bigger and perhaps I could do so by packing on muscles for size so I started exercising. I bought dumbbells from the hypermarket and also did lots of bodyweight workouts. Ever since then it has been an amazing journey of discovering my passion in fitness and one of my achievements which I am proud of was being able to transform my weak and frail physique into a healthy and fit one and in the process of doing so I have also inspired my family and friends to be as passionate about fitness too.
Give us some tips on how to build a more muscular and toned body.
Looking back at my past and thinking that I had a shortcoming where I wasn’t able to put on fat despite eating a lot actually turn out to be an amazing gift which benefited me today. This is because I get to enjoy and indulge in tasty food and still find it possible to maintain my leanness. My tip for anyone is to know your body well and learn all you can about being healthy first. I mix around a lot with people who are really passionate in fitness and they were able to guide me and I studied by myself too. I think anyone can achieve their ideal state with the right application of the correct knowledge. There will always be certain diets which are more suited for us and all of us are unique in our own way. For me a high carb and high protein diet works well. Also I do not allow my cheat meals to accumulate for long period of time. I have 2 cheat days which are the weekends where I enjoy eating delicious food and desserts. Monday to Friday I try to maintain the discipline to eat as strictly as possible.
What about your diet? What do you eat daily?
My diet consists mainly of high protein food, moderate carbs and fats. I tend to take more carbs on days which I train at the gym and for those days which I do not train I eat less. I have about 6 main meals throughout the days. Not all of my meals are heavy meals. I rely on real food for my protein such as chicken breast, tenderloin steak, salmon, dory, and lamb. I practice the meat rotation concept where I would always try to rotate my meat and try not to eat the same meat for few days in a row. I know some people can eat chicken breast daily but I believe in giving your body some time off from the same food. Also I have lots of vegetables and to cope with being tired from all the chewing I usually blend all my veges together and drink it. Of course I do eat some veges too with my meals. For carbs, I take mash potatoes, sweet potatoes, and rice. For fats I source it from nuts or avocados. Supplements also play a role in my diet, I have my whey protein from Optimum nutrition after my workout and before I sleep. I also take multivitamins and fish oil. Most importantly I drink lots of water (non cold), avoid soft drinks and try not to eat any processed food (meat patties, sausages, canned food etc) I believe in being healthy on the inside.
What is a typical day in your life?
I have 2 jobs. I have a permanent job as a Project Manager and also need to juggle my work with my shootings, event appearances and training in the gym. Sometimes during my rest days, I may choose to stay at the office to work until very late (2 am) if there are work which needs to be complete.
The nature of permanent job involves me to be involved in a lot of conference calls and also present to senior management. Most of the time I deal with suppliers overseas. I interact with various parties through emails and con calls all over the global continent.
During my working times at the office, I tend to minimize social time, concentrate and aim to complete my work in as fast manner as possible. I tend to take minimal rest time. If I am in the office, I will only allocate about 30 minutes to finish my lunch and sometimes I also eat my lunch in the car while driving to my meetings etc. Also I tend to have a snack after lunch (before workout) which I only allocate a maximum time of 20 minutes to complete.
My second job is my part time job in entertainment. I have been involved with modelling, acting, TV hosting and started this since when I was in university part time. The nature of my second job involves meeting clients face to face, going for castings, wardrobe fittings, shoots, attending events and also correspondence to clients or media interview responses.
The timing for all of those activities for my second job is not fixed and usually can be adjusted accordingly however for certain shoot dates and important events which I am required to attend, I will adjust my schedules to accommodate it. Example, sometimes my workout timing may change and I may workout early in the morning (7 am or so) in order for me to make it to that important event happening at night. Or if I have a shoot for 3 days, then I may have to skip my workout and also take off. Also I will choose the jobs depending on the budget and availability as well.
Overall despite having 2 jobs which are demanding, I still enjoy working in a very fast paced manner and have been practicing efficient time management and planning skills in order I can excel in both fields. I also incorporate healthy living into my lifestyle as much as possible. So far I have been quite successful in doing that however I do not have much time with regards to other relationship matters (5 years plus unattached)
What are your favourite type of exercise?
Any exercises which have functional movements such as squats, deadlifts, pullups and pushups.
Do you have any fitness idols?
I admire many fitness idols out there mainly because I know it takes a great deal of discipline and determination in order for them to achieve the physique they have today. I wouldn’t want to name them here but currently my most notable ones are my gym buddies whom I workout with. They are not as famous as those fitness idols we see today, but they inspire me at a personal level and I look up to them. We are actually all members of a group of closely bonded friends as we called ourselves the “Alist Beast”. Watch this space because I will share more details about it soon 🙂
Any life mottos?
Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.
I do not believe in luck in order to become successful. Luck is where opportunity meets preparation. Therefore, we should always be prepared – Always aim to be better at what we do so that when the opportunity arise we are able to seize it and shine through.
Who is your all-time inspiration in life?
Oprah Winfrey!
What is the ideal weekend for you?
A weekend where I can get enough sleep, get up energized and have a healthy breakfast, able to workout, hang out with my friends, enjoy delicious food, party but not getting drunk and coming home to see my mum happy.
Which healthy eating café/restaurant do you always go to?
I enjoy places which serves good quality meat when I am alone. I am into grass fed beef so a few places which I frequent go on my own for those are Las Vacas, Meat Point or Ben Independent Grocer where we can choose the meat and have them cook. I enjoy going to fine dining places too. For good food I enjoy places like Sage or Iketeru. For ambiance probably Nobu or Troika sky dining. For desserts, Leonardo’s!
Tell us what makes you smile the most?
Unexpected surprises, sweet compliments and knowing that I am important to someone 🙂
Where do you see yourself in 2 years’ time?
I do see myself becoming more influential as a fitness icon and local personality. I also start to see myself transitioning to an entrepreneur and being part of an awesome and successful group called the AList Beast.
