SINGAPORE – When 76-year-old Ling Lee Yong first stepped into a gym for strength training in 2020, he was met with scepticism from his friends.

Ling recounted: “Everyone said, ‘How are you not afraid to pick this up? It’s so difficult.”

A business owner in the electronics component and automation industry, he first picked up strength training after being encouraged by his family members to do so, before transitioning to powerlifting.