How David Licauco got hooked on Hyrox
When his sister introduced him to Hyrox last January, David Licauco thought he would take it up just for conditioning. And then he got his first taste of racing. “I realized na masaya palang mag-compete. Naadik ako,” the actor says of his experience with Hyrox, a global fitness race that follows a standardized format combining running and functional workouts.
As it turned out, he was pretty good at it, too—and has the results to show for it. Since making his Hyrox debut in Taipei in February, where he emerged as the fastest Filipino participant in the Men’s Open Division in Asia, Licauco kept the momentum going.
He joined his first doubles race in Hong Kong with fellow actor Vince Maristela. In Jakarta, he set a personal best of 1:07:38—the fastest time recorded by a Filipino participant across all age groups at the event. Most recently, he clocked 1:08:11 in Bangkok.
“I think this is the strongest I have ever been,” he tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
Flow state
Licauco, who trains under strength and conditioning coach Miguel Aytona, takes the sport “super seriously.” He works out twice a day, keeps his nutrition “on point,” and has adopted a more scientific approach to training.
The goal, he says, is to qualify for the Hyrox World Championships—and, fingers crossed, maybe one day compete at the SEA Games, should the sport ever become part of the event.
“I hope I get the chance to represent the Philippines someday,” says the 32-year-old, who once dreamed of doing the same in basketball. Before entering showbiz, he played for De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde from 2012 to 2013.
What makes Licauco’s results particularly impressive is that he needs to juggle intensive training with his acting career and entrepreneurial commitments. While professional hybrid athletes may dedicate entire days to training and recovery, he must fit his regimen within a hectic and unpredictable schedule.
He works out twice a day. And if he needs to haul himself out of bed at 5 a.m. to make it to a 7 a.m. call time, then so be it. “Upon waking up in the morning, I exercise, go in the sauna, go for an ice bath, and then meditate,” he relates. “Whether I have taping or not, I have to do those things for me to be in a flow state. That’s my fuel for the rest of the day.”
Time management
And when he says “the rest of his day,” he means a long to-do list on his phone that maps out what he needs to accomplish each hour so nothing gets lost amid the bustle. “Kung meron kang naisip gawin, gawin mo agad para ‘di mo makalimutan. It all boils down to time management,” he says.
Licauco has also learned to delegate, particularly in his businesses. “Dati, halos ako lahat ang gumagawa,” he says. “But I realized that you can’t do everything alone—you need other people’s help.”
But as dedicated as he is to fitness, Licauco isn’t so consumed by it that he deprives himself or pushes himself to the limit. He would like to believe that he now leads a pretty balanced lifestyle. “At night, I make sure to relax. I drink some wine, watch films or hang out with friends,” he says. “I talk to my family and play hide and seek with my niece.”
And the older he grows, the more he realizes the importance of rest. “When you’re young, you can get caught up with work and not prioritize wellness as much. But you can’t perform well if you don’t allow yourself to recover,” he says.
While he has never felt stronger physically, Licauco feels he’s not at his best “aesthetically” because “with Hyrox, you really need to eat a lot.” You wouldn’t know that, though, by looking at him.
Maximizing his youth
Licauco was still every bit the leading man fans fell in love with when the actor—in partnership with Sparkle GMA Artist Center and ALV Talent Circuit—recently signed a contract with Viva Films for an upcoming digital series. While he’s keeping his projects under wraps, he did let on that he’s interested in doing a Korean drama adaptation.
“Since I’m getting older, I want to maximize my sense of youth and energy. Perhaps romantic dramas or K-dramas would be nice,” he says. “Baka puwedeng gumawa ako ng mga gano’ng genre habang puwede pa naman ‘yong looks ko!”
As a fan of Korean star Park Seo-joon, Licauco says doing a series similar to “Itaewon Class” would be a dream come true. “Ang lakas ng dating niya sa lahat ng roles na ginampanan niya—iba-iba ang lumalabas. Siya talaga idol ko,” he says, adding that being a restaurateur gives him something in common with Park’s famous character, Sae-ro-yi.
Like his approach to fitness, Licauco has also found a better balance in how he chooses his acting projects. When he was just starting out, he admits that the first questions he often asked when an offer came along were, “Will I play the lead? How much is the talent fee?” That’s no longer the case.
“Now, it doesn’t really matter if you’re the lead or supporting actor—it’s the story that matters,” he says. “I’m now more aware of the things I want and don’t want to do.”
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