Mr. BISH Stephen Cheuk | Founder of S10 Training

For anyone who has been methodically torn apart by Stephen Cheuk at S10 Training in TriBeCa, it doesn’t take long to realize the ritual following each session: limping up the stairs from concrete to cobblestones in downtown Manhattan, muscle quivering, wondering to oneself “why I pay good money to torture myself this way?”

But week after week, New York’s most challenging customers, from runway models and creative directors to tech entrepreneurs and triathletes, come back to this subterranean gym.

The key is Stephen’s distinctive personality. With chiseled forearms crossed, an unwavering calmness and an understated Australian accent, Stephen makes the human body go through grueling kinetic exercises. What he is especially good at is to make clients laugh, swear and sweat all at once. There is not one neon light, not one mirrored wall and not one motivational trick in the place. S10 is based on a stripped-down, minimalistic approach to training: pure biomechanics performed without any compromises.

The Background: Wing Chun, Graphic Design, and Functional Anatomy

Prior to becoming the darling of workout trends at New York Magazine and Teen Vogue, Cheuk followed an unusual route to become an expert in advanced strength training. Cheuk did not come from the corporate world of gyms and treadmills, but he found his foundation in martial arts and fine arts.

An Australian-born practitioner, Stephen first obtained a degree in graphic design. Although he had a talent for graphic design, the lack of physical activity involved with sitting at the studio desk was at odds with his physiology.

“I started in design but I just could not keep still. I had too much kinetic energy for an office chair. I had been studying and teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu on the side and figured I really enjoyed deconstructing movement mechanics and body leverage.”

A pastime that was originally intended to earn some money for his travels through photography soon turned into an obsessive interest in exercise physiology.

The Deconstruction of the Name "S10"

While Cheuk moved to NYC to build his empire, he skipped the commercial gym culture in Midtown and opted for the hidden warehouse architecture in TriBeCa.

MISSBISH: What is the meaning behind the "S10" name, and what made you choose TriBeCa to put down your roots?

Stephen Cheuk: "S10 means Sub-10%—that is, sub-10% body fat. It was our original physical benchmark used in male athletic development; however, we now apply it individually to women who are building dense and metabolically powerful muscles.

TriBeCa was chosen because I am essentially a downtown kid. I chose a small, private space, reflective of the architectural feel of this neighborhood. TriBeCa is an area with a certain prestige, but it is not ostentatious. It fit with our philosophy: S10 is not a commercial gym with hundreds of people wandering around looking at their reflection in the mirror."

Avoiding the Trap of Gimmicks and Focusing on Movement Mechanics

Amidst a landscape full of gimmicks in the form of 30-day crash courses and boutique trends, the success of Cheuk can be attributed to the fact that he chooses not to fall into any fitness trap. All S10 training sessions involve unilateral stability, structural joint integrity, nervous system training, and proper recovery techniques.

Training always starts from the bottom up. The key principle of Cheuk is the kinetic connection between the feet and the hips.

• Footwear Construction: Training structural lifts under load in overly cushioned running shoes destabilizes the ankle joint and dissipates force transmission. Flat-soled zero drop footwear or training footwear are necessary.
• Progressive Loading vs. Fatigue: Sweating does not equal adaptation.
• Restraint Psychology: Working out until systemic fatigue every day causes hormonal imbalance. Cheuk incorporates recovery phases in the training programs.

Cultural Convergence

MISSBISH: You were organically discovered as the trainer of choice for the creative crowd in downtown Manhattan. How did this community form?

Stephen Cheuk: “That was organic as well. There wasn’t any marketing campaign involved. I was just hanging around with my true friends, going to art and fashion shows, and gravitating toward companies whose style I respected. In New York City, word of mouth is all that counts. The only thing that will get people talking about what you are doing is when the results from your training are visible.”

Do you have any tips for people who want to keep themselves physically fit despite their hectic work life?

Stephen Cheuk: “Stop thinking of exercise as a separate thing that you need to 'get out of the way.' Movement must become a natural part of your routine. When you’re on the road, walk the streets. Work on bodyweight push-ups, pull-ups, and sprints. But above all, choose your company wisely. When your circle values health and discipline, being in shape isn’t hard—becoming someone else would be.”