Mikael Daez: Fit for primetime TV

Mikael Daez is the latest Hanford celebrity hunk endorser to be featured in several prominently located billboards. A GMA Network Kapuso star, he is back on primetime television with Dennis Trillo and Jennylyn Mercado in the drama series My Faithful Husband. Together with fellow Kapuso-star Andrea Torres, they finished shooting a successful mini-series in Cambodia, Blood In Dispute. Both started airing only a few weeks ago.

Friendly, charming, and eloquent, Mikael ran an occasional column in The Philippine STAR called “Fully Loaded.” But due to a fully loaded schedule, Daez has yet to submit a story this year so we tracked him down for a few quick questions. We also grabbed a paragraph from his column archive in STAR about how he got started in fitness.

“My first love is easy for me to recall: It was basketball! It took a while before I got good at it, but I eventually developed a passion for the sport when I started back when I was in grade school. One of the things I loved about the sport was its fast pace. It’s all about being explosive and most of our workouts would be tailored towards developing that. Plyometrics, sprints, and scrimmages were my favorite parts of training. Because of that, I never enjoyed endurance workouts. I despised long-distance running because I would have to hold back. Nowadays, however, it seems much has changed.”

PHILIPPINE STAR: How did you and your family get fit?

MIKAEL DAEZ: Well, I come from a very sporty family. Both sides — my mom’s and my dad’s. So we’ve always been into a lot of active stuff. Mainly basketball, obviously. So before going to the gym, I had a lot of activities going on. Physical activities. But it was in the gym where I actually got to build some bulk.

Did working out make you stronger?

Tons of metal in the gym, so that helped! Well, prior to graduating, ’cause I pretty much started after I graduated, I pretty much had no interest. I didn’t think it would help me that much. It’s only when I decided to try it out that I was like, oh wow, this helps a lot.

What changes did you notice physically, mentally, emotionally when you started working out?

Well, physically, it was pretty basic. I got bigger. I was trying to bulk up because I come from a very lean — actually, closer to skinny, body frame — family. So it’s only now that I’ve actually added some muscle and some meat to my body. But mentally, I think people underestimate the mental toughness that you gain through working out. Because it takes a while. It takes a lot of patience. It takes a lot of determination. And all that adds to your mental toughness ’cause it’s not easy. So, working out helped me out mentally, physically, and I guess it’s shown in the body of work that I’ve been able to do in the past few years. 

Can you explain how you transitioned from not being a gym goer to becoming a regular?

The gym has been great in the sense that I’ve made a lot of friends who have helped me out.  You’re in the gym, you’re kinda trying to figure out what to do — especially during the early days. I met the community that helped me figure things out as a beginner. And even now, there are new things popping up in the fitness industry. My gym is pretty much on pace with what is new. I’ve tried some of their classes. I think I started out last year, with the classes, and it’s been good. It’s been fun.

Being a person of influence, how do you help promote fitness?

A legacy of strength, I believe that’s also something that I live by. I believe in being fit. I believe in having a very active and healthy life. My gym helps me achieve whatever fitness I set for myself. And in that way, being in a position of influence to other people, I wanna show them, and at least be a role model as much as I can be, share with them my experiences and how having a healthy lifestyle helps me. So, I can just hope that influences them to do the same.

In what ways are you stronger from regular workouts?

The obvious changes would be physically ’cause I’m physically, literally stronger but like I said, a while ago, I think people underestimate how much mental toughness you actually gain through trying to stay fit through lifting weights. It takes a lot of determination and focus even just finishing your routine itself —that short hour or two that you put in, that’s a lot of focused work. It isn’t easy. And you have a lot of obstacles to face and for you to be able to surpass that each and every day, for how many years, that builds you up mentally also.

You’re a big fan of basketball. So, when you went to the gym, what specific regimen did you follow?

Uh, well unfortunately, I’m not a professional basketball player. I would love to be a pro basketball player, but I’m not. So, I basically work out, and I train towards what I need for work. So, if they need me to bulk up a bit, then that’s what I do. If they need me to lean out a bit, then that’s what I’ll do. Basically, it’s project-based. Depends on what my project is.

Do you follow any special diet?

Well, I don’t know if I follow any of the trendy ones. Right now, I don’t actually. But I try to be aware of what would be good for my body and what would be not as good. So, at least, if there are choices, I could try to pick the best choice.

Does being fit play a role in your career?

Oh, it’s huge. I mean, my work is a very visual kind, obviously. We come out on TV, we come out in print. It’s important to be able to use your body to show whatever you need to show on the media. So, it’s important because going to the gym helps you control how you look visually.

Some think being an actor is an easy job. Is it? How do you handle failure?

Oh, I think not just in acting. I think in any job — anything, whatsoever. It doesn’t matter how long that job is. I think it’s very important to have respect for what people do. Whatever people do, there is a certain kind of discipline, responsibility and work ethic they put into that, then there’s really nothing to be said. I mean, it’s not fair to say that something is easier than the others. Because we all have our own choices. So, basically, it’s just about respecting and not judging what others have on their plate. In my case, I try to show respect for my own work by making sure that I always do my best because if I don’t, then I’m just disrespecting myself — which is quite possibly what others want to do as well. 

Looking forward to 20 years from now, how do you want to be remembered by people?

Oh, just someone who gave it his all. I mean, recognition that’s all just bonus. Gravy. Whatever happens, happens. But as long as people know that I completed what I started, I gave it my all, and I tried my best to improve what I learned. Then I’m good with that.

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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.