Having a fit body is 20% workout, 80% diet: Filipino actor Derrick Monasterio

The Star

30-04-2025

If you ever hope to get ripped — or at least achieve a toned physique — you'd be better off being more mindful of what you eat than what you lift, said actor Derrick Monasterio.
'For me, having a fit body is 20% workout and 80% diet. Even if I don't lift weights for two months, as long as I eat well, and do stretching, cardio, and other activities to go with it, I would still feel good—batak,' the Filipino actor said.
Healthy food need not be austere in flavour. But curiously enough, Monasterio actually prefers his meals flavourless. But he doesn't see this inclination as a form of sacrifice, and it's in no way meant to punish himself.
It's just that his body has gotten so used to his minimalist approach to eating, he said, that the mere sight of fatty and indulgent dishes already makes him feel full.
What's on his plate then? We hazarded a guess: boiled chicken?
'Correct! I also eat cauliflower rice and quinoa, which I think taste like bird feed,' Monasterio said, laughing. 'They're not delicious … they don't have much flavour. But I enjoy them" CrossFit and weightlifting
Four years ago, he got so engrossed in CrossFit and weightlifting — rigorous training, three coaches tending to him, the whole works — that he entertained thoughts of becoming a professional weightlifter and, at one point, even dreamed of representing the Philippines in the Olympic Games.
Thing was, he grew so big and muscular that it made finding suitable roles for television tricky. Monasterio is packaged as a hunky matinee idol who typically plays leading man roles. And for production, that meant casting villains who are of similar — if not bigger — build as the 29-year-old celebrity.
Derrick Monasterio used be into CrossFit and weightlifting, until he got too bulky onscreen. Photo: Derrick Monasterio/Instagram
It's not always as easy as it seems. "It wouldn't look convincing onscreen if I got picked on by a villain smaller than me. So I was the one who made the adjustment," he said. "My managers thought I looked too bulky for television."
The goal is to shed some muscle mass for a leaner look. Monasterio went easy on CrossFit training, and now mostly focuses on cardio exercises and swapping heavy lifts for more controlled strength work.
'I wake up in the morning and take my pre​workout drink. Bodybuilding is still part of my routine, but I use lighter weights, more on dumbbells. And then at night, I run,' he shared.
He works out daily, preferably in the morning, to start​ his day right.
'When you prioritise your fitness, it will reflect on your mood and the activities you do after. You feel more energised. That's why (I get annoyed) when I don't get to exercise,' he said.
On busy taping days with an early call time, say 7am, he wakes up at 4 or 5am, so he can squeeze in at least some minutes of exercise. After late shoot pack-ups, meanwhile, he tries to lift weights before going to bed. 'I make sure I exercise even after taping. But of course, I'm mindful not to overexert myself when my energy is low, or when I haven't had much sleep,' he said.
Good thing he has all the equipment he needs at home. 'It's more convenient that way. You wake up and you're ready to go. After working out, I can just take a shower right after and then set off for work. It saves me a lot of time.'
In the murder-mystery series 'Slay', Derrick Monasterio plays his first villain role, the manipulative fitness influencer Zach. Photo: Handout
He still enjoys going to public gyms every so often, though, because it unwittingly rouses his competitive spirit. 'I'm a hard worker. And when I see someone lifting heavy weights, it inspires me to go for something heavier … and test how much pain I can endure,' he said.
In a way, Monasterio's physique has been the boon and bane of his career: Fans get excited whenever he shows some skin; critics say that's all he's ever good for.
But in the Filipino murder-mystery series Slay — where he plays his first villain role, the manipulative fitness influencer Zach — he finally gets to flex his acting muscles.
And for the first time in his 15 years in showbiz, the compliments he gets are no longer limited to his good looks.
'I always get told that I can't act, that I'm a ham actor. So it feels good — and I get emotional sometimes — when people take notice of my growth as an actor.' – Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network