PUBLISHED ONMay 29, 2019 9:57 AMByJoey Lee
When celebrity trainer Jordan Yeoh first rose to fame as a 'durian hottie' (a term we coined for him), he was so overwhelmed by the attention that he didn't leave his house for three days.
The stunt he pulled?
Being a roadside durian seller for a day -- all while leaving his ripped upper torso bare, much to the delight of passing customers and the Malaysian internet.
His offer to help out at his friend's durian store made him an instant online star alongside other attractive people such as Taiwanese BBQ goddess Ruo Yan and hunky Brazilian subway security guard Guilherme Leao.
This viral Facebook post garnered more than 18,000 shares in four days from the time his photos were uploaded, and bagged Jordan much more attention than he bargained for.
"One hour (after the post was uploaded), the Chinese papers called me and I had no idea how they even got my phone number! This was the scary part," the 32-year-old recounted in an interview with AsiaOne.
Back in 2015, a younger him was overwhelmed by his sudden shot to fame, causing him to cancel training sessions with clients and hide at home for the next three days.
"The next day, I couldn't even go out to train my client. I was driving and was recognised by people (while waiting for a parking lot).
"I then cancelled on my client and said 'I can't do this'," he recalled with a chuckle.
With over 1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel which has over 80 million views, Jordan is easily one of the most influential fitness personalities in Southeast Asia.
WANT A BODY LIKE HIS? HERE'S HOW THE MAN DOES IT
If you're looking to get ripped like Jordan, prepare to work your butt off… literally.
Here's how he schedules his bodybuilding-style workout:
Day one: Chest and Back
Day two: Small muscle groups - Eg. (Biceps, triceps, shoulders, abs)
Day three: Lower body (#Neverskiplegday)
Rest and repeat.
A full-time dad to two-year-old daughter Tiffany, Jordan "destroys fat for a living" (according to his Instagram bio) and works out at least five times a week, dedicating 90 minutes to two hours to each session.
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For all those asking where he even finds the time, working out is the first thing on Jordan's agenda once he wakes up, as he prefers to get it out of the way.
"You're tired by the end of the day and you tend to give yourself a lot of excuses," he explained.
His secret to perking up? A triple-shot espresso he downs as a pre-workout drink which he justifies as being rich in antioxidants.
FROM FLAB TO FAB - HE ONCE SUFFERED FROM LOW SELF-ESTEEM
It is almost unimaginable that the Jordan today once suffered from low confidence and had self-esteem issues.
Everyone's fitness journey begins somewhere, and the self-professed gym rat once felt intimidated by the gym when he was introduced to working out by a friend in 2008.
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"I want to show people how fitness can change lives. A lot of people tell me that durians changed my life. They did not (laughs).
"If I sell durian with a body [that's not fit], I wouldn't have become famous. Fitness changed my life and gave me the energy to inspire people. I didn't know that fitness could bring me this far and even support my family," he continued.
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What a way to turn passion into livelihood and inspire millions at the same time.
Jordan Yeoh was in Singapore for an interview with AsiaOne during his recent appearance at Fitness Fest by AIA, a fitness festival held on April 27 at Marina Bay Sands.
joeylee@asiaone.com