Burning Passion, Chasing Dreams - The Fitness Couple, Lin Guan-Lun & Hsieh Kai-Hsuan

The Planned Path to Fitness

If you love watching bodybuilders, powerlifters, or are curious about the power of bodybuilding, then you're familiar with Taiwan's fitness couple: Lin Guan-Lun and Hsieh Kai-Huen. The couple has crossed over into the three disciplines of bodybuilding, strength training, and Hercules, realizing their athletic potential to the fullest.

Lin recalls his high school days when he was not only passionate aboutbasketballThe first taste of muscle growth was a thrill that took him deeper into thework outIt seemed destined to enter the National Taiwan Sports University, and although he initially landed there because of his test scores, he laughed and said that it was perhaps "destiny".

This path is where he met his wife, Kai-Hsuan, and they began their fitness journey together. Lin admits that he has wanted to study in athletic class since he was a child, but due to his parents' objections, he couldn't do it, and it wasn't until he went back to NTSU that he realized that this was the field he really belonged in.

"There is an arrangement in the underworld, after a roundabout way, I still go back to the path of physical education." He said with a smile.

Returning to the love of their life has become an opportunity for them to launch their fitness career, and this arrangement has brought a series of miracles for the future. Now, let's explore the exciting story of Lin and Hseih in the fitness industry!

"Hey, wanna get moving? Just for your health."

Every top athlete has their own inspirational story, Kobe
woke up at 4:00 a.m. to train. Shohei Otani's
success comes with the Mandala program. Every great athlete has gone through hard training and self-discipline since childhood. How do you think Hsieh broke the Asian women's 57kg squat record with 157.5kg at the 2023 World Classic Powerlifting Championships, the first place in the squat at the 2022 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships, and took third place at Taiwan's first Hercules event?

(Photo credits:TUMAZ STRONG)

In fact, Hsieh's journey to fitness didn't start with a lot of hard work, but rather with a seemingly lighthearted comment: "Hey, want to get moving? Just for the health?" These were the first words that Lin said to Hsieh when he saw her sleeping on the gym chair during training. It was this remark that led to Hsieh's outstanding performance in fitness competitions.

When she was in college, Hsieh did not have the habit of working out, and even fell asleep on the gym equipment during PE class. She describes herself as a happy-go-lucky person who is not easily influenced by the outside world and does not push herself too hard. This personality has enabled her to achieve more than the average person in the fitness field.

Unlike top athletes who usually go through hard work, Hsieh's training philosophy favors rest and listening to the body's needs. She trains at 80% exhaustion level and gives her body enough time to rest. This emphasis on rest and recovery allows her to push her limits.

Husband and Wife Motivation, Growing Through Frustration

Speaking of frustration, Lin says with a serious expression, "I am frustrated every day because my wife is the source of my frustration". Lin is Kai-Xuan's fitness inspiration, and Kai-Xuan is Guan-Lun's constant idol. Although they complement and motivate each other, it also means that Guan-Lun is often under pressure from his wife's super-improvement.

He recalled,

"Sometimes I feel frustration is like a muddy mess that I can't get out of. But when I look at my wife, it's as easy as crossing a puddle."

Faced with limited feedback from his hard work, while his wife enjoys the limelight, such a feeling of discrepancy often makes Lin deeply frustrated. However, Hsieh adds that although the couple works hard in the fitness field, they both have their niche. Lin is a listener and has the qualities to be a blessing to others. He uses his talent to excel in various fitness competitions under the guidance of his coach.

Exploring the Challenges and Expectations of CrossFit Fitness and Bodybuilding

Lin mentioned that bodybuilding and fitness are only the names of two kinds of competitive sports. In essence, they are all about making the retraining movements solid and the training precise, and these two kinds of competitive activities are just extensions of fitness sports.

(Photo credits:@alan_19961227)

For example, can a bodybuilder participate in a bodybuilding competition? The answer is yes. The reason is that bodybuilders are very familiar with the nature and structure of the sport. Athletes only need to have a deep understanding of the skills of bodybuilding, such as whether or not the movements are in place, and the rules of the competition, in order to be able to participate in the sport of bodybuilding. Both bodybuilding and powerlifting require solid basic training before an athlete can cross over into the two fields at once.

So, is there a huge difference between these two competitive sports? Conventional wisdom suggests that the training contents of bodybuilding and bodybuilding are not the same; however, according to Lin's own experience, the strength stack of bodybuilding has become a breakthrough in body shape and muscle mass. While practicing strength exercises, bodybuilding also naturally accumulates, and the two are complementary to each other. Whether or not these two sports can be smoothly converted, in fact, only needs to understand the rules of the two sports.

As multidisciplinary athletes in the fitness industry, they are pleased with the growing popularity of fitness in Taiwan. At the same time, they have also noticed that the "exclusivity" among the disciplines is extremely strong, with different systems often rejecting each other's training methods and sometimes even turning into a state of mutual aggression! Observing this phenomenon, Lin expressed his expectation, "Fitness systems should integrate and grow together, and learn from each other's strengths, so that students, trainers, and even the industry as a whole can grow more vigorously.

There is no one method that can rule the roost. Every trainer and student has their way of exercising that is best suited to them. The common vision of the fitness industry is to help students find a way to achieve their goals, and each student is suited to a different method, so each system has its necessity to exist, which is precisely the fundamental reason why the fitness industry has to overcome its exclusivity.

In addition to the need for industry solidarity and cooperation, they also hope that the government will pay more attention to the sports industry. For example, Kuo Hsing-Chun won $20 million for winning the gold medal at the Olympics, but a lot of the training expenses came from the athletes' own expenditures before they became famous.

In fact, all forms of training for fitness athletes are quite costly. Diet must emphasize the quantity and quality of food, training must take a lot of time to formulate a schedule and make corrections and adjustments after training, and finally, professional coaches must be called in to instruct the athletes to present perfect sports performance under strict requirements; it is only under such conditions that athletes have the slightest possibility of becoming professional athletes from amateur enthusiasts, let alone becoming top international athletes. It is only under such conditions that athletes have the slightest chance of evolving from amateur hobbyists to professional athletes, not to mention becoming top international athletes. All of Taiwan's famous athletes have made their way independently without any resources to subsidize them, so if the government is willing to give athletes appropriate help in their growth process, will it not be able to inspire more potential new stars?

Starting a Fitness Studio and Embarking on a New Journey

In 2024, Lin and Hsieh decided to follow through with their philosophy and set up their fitness studio in Banqiao. In addition to being able to show their teaching style more flexibly, the studio will also provide a more friendly space for senior citizens to exercise. Why did he consider the needs of the elderly? Lin emphasizes, "Taiwan is a country with a very advanced medical environment, but the concept of using fitness to prevent diseases is still lacking.

All reforms start with passionate people who are committed to leading the way. They will use their expertise and experience to help more people benefit from fitness. Young adults will be able to pursue their ideal selves through fitness, and senior citizens will no longer be bound by the notion that fitness is only for the young. On the contrary, through the guidance of professional trainers, they can keep their body functions healthy and truly help the elderly achieve the benefit of "prevention is better than cure". This is also the reason why they started their personal studio: "I want to utilize my knowledge and influence 100% to bring the best benefits to my students."

The story of Lin and Hsieh in the fitness industry is just beginning. From the initial vision of the couple for sports and the love of fitness, to the actual implementation and reflection on the practical experience of influencing others, and finally joining hands with their other halves to venture into the fitness industry to support a piece of sky of their own, all of this comes from a passionate heart. May the passion never die, and where can this passionate heart lead us? Let's join the next chapter with Lin and Hsieh.

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