My Workout Diary: Jesse Vida

In the middle of Singapore is a monument to gin. Inside the art-deco Atlas, which was named Best International Cocktail Bar at the Tales of the Cocktail conference this past summer, are shelf after shelf after shelf of gins from around the world. There are 1,300 bottles in total rising four elegant stories all the way up to the establishment’s cavernous ceiling. This incredible stack of liquor doesn’t even look real, almost like a set from Blade Runner. One of the caretakers of this impressive collection is head bartender Jesse Vida, who came from New York’s acclaimed BlackTail.

Vida admits that it took some time to get used to Singapore’s tropical climate but he continues to run outside and works out almost daily. “If I eat healthy and workout I feel great,” he says. “If I eat like shit and workout I feel just OK.”

I asked him to keep a Workout Diary for me during one of his typical weeks.

To put it simply, I do not enjoy any form of distance running. I’ve started to take running on as a challenge. The heat here is brutal (think New Orleans in July all year round), but it also feels really good when you get to a point of acclimation and can handle running in it. Every time I run, the less challenging it gets. I’m interested in doing a half marathon at some point in the not too distant future.

First hour drilling and positional sparring. Second hour full sparring.

I started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) about nine months ago and can’t get enough of it. I would describe it as live action chess with sometimes extreme consequences. It is very physical and even more so a mental challenge. I love tapping into my competitive nature and the learning curve is vast. Among many things, humility and respect are the constant lessons of BJJ. The standard class and drilling will work up a sweat for sure, this varies by the technique being worked on that week. The second hour of sparring is real tough, six 10-minute rounds with six different opponents nonstop.  That is by far the hardest workout of the week.

Courtesy Benjamin Sim

4x 1K Run, 20 Bicep Curls, 60 Weighted Crunches, 20 Seated Rows

I stopped lifting heavy weights some time ago and all of my workouts are based around cardio. I have a small gym in my building that has everything I need. I’ll do a different series of circuit workouts that keep the heart rate up for the entire workout. Typically four sets of a run, a focus muscle group, and always some core as well.

First hour drilling and positional sparring. Second hour full sparring.

I can’t always make sparring twice a week. It depends on my schedule, meetings and all of that, but it is a treat and a challenge when I can.

45 Minutes Outdoor Circuits, 6x 5 Minutes Boxer Jump Rope, 25 Push-ups

Jump rope has been another fun cardio exercise I’ve picked up over the last nine months. It’s not too dissimilar to running although I find it less challenging to a certain extent. I’ll treat this similar to my gym circuits and do five minutes of jump rope followed by either push-ups, squats, or some other workout and simply alternate.

1 Hour Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, drilling, and positional sparring.

Same workout, just minus the full sparring.

My Workout Diary features the fitness regimens of bartenders, chefs, distillers, and brand ambassadors.

Interview has been condensed and edited.