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Filipino celebrity and lifelong Mortal Kombat fan Eric ‘Eruption’ Tai says this is how he can achieve this iconic villain’s physique.
At 41, Filipino celebrity Eric “Eruption” Tai has certainly done an impressive job at maintaining his physique. If you follow the local showbiz scene, then you can say that he’s aged gracefully since his co-hosting days on It’s Showtime.
Given this, it was only right that we asked Eruption for some fitness tips, starting with how to achieve a build like iconic Mortal Kombat villain Shao Kahn.
“Well, actually he’s more big and large than being ripped. He’s just a massive human being or you know? From another realm,” Eruption, a longtime fan of the franchise, said during an exclusive screening of Mortal Kombat II in The GAME Huddle last May 5.
“So you gotta train everyday. You know? No pain, no gain type of mindset and lift heavy…so just training and that’s both in terms of physical strength and combat…but that’s definitely something you gotta do with Shao Kahn.”
On a serious note, the key to Eruption’s health has been discipline, along with a premium on longevity and endurance. Being a former rugby player, his fitness routine places importance on “basics” like a good diet, cardiovascular exercises, and proper sleep.
“I’m in my 40’s now, so recovery is the biggest thing. It’s like LeBron James, right? He spends a lot of money on his nutrition and recovery along with rehabilitation. That’s the same with me, like I have the same mindset,” he explained.
“Whatever you put in your body is very important you know? Not always junk food. Sparingly it’s fine, but other than that, I just try to keep everything organic and natural. The better it is, the better absorbed by the body.
Circling back to Shao Kahn, Eruption believes that such physique boils down to genetics. Still, that’s not to say that trying to copy the iconic villain is completely impossible.
“Honestly, you don’t have to train heavy to get to that size like genuinely. I’m not going to say it’s impossible, but because Shao Kahn looks like he’s seven or eight feet, he’s a giant! So naturally he’s just a big human being you know?”
Childhood days
Either way, hearing the name Shao Kahn brought Eruption back to his younger days, having played the original Mortal Kombat trilogy in arcades during the 90’s.
“Shao Kahn…man, I haven’t heard that name in years. I haven’t seen him because Shao Kahn was last seen in the 1996 movie. Other than that, it was always other villains like Shang Tsung,” Eruption said.
Karl Urban, the actor who plays Johnny Cage, is also a New Zealander, giving Eruption another reason to love the new Mortal Kombat movie franchise.
“He’s a New Zealand guy and that’s where I was born, so I’m pretty proud of his acting. He’s done well from The Boys and numerous other movies.”
Images by Ed Simon/KLIQ Inc.
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