Bodybuilders give physique-training tips

THE sport of bodybuilding has been around for nearly a century and has become a popular competitive sport globally among both men and women. The roots of the bodybuilding movement trace back to the Western world in the 1930s. The 1930s were known as the golden age of bodybuilding due to an influx of physical-fitness businesses and gyms establishing themselves around that time. Soon after bodybuilding was introduced, more people became interested in developing balanced physiques.

Bodybuilding is a regimen of exercises designed to enhance the body’s muscular development and promote good health and fitness. As a competitive sport, bodybuilding aims to display pronounced muscle mass, symmetry and definition for overall aesthetic effect. Barbells, dumbbells and other resistance-training devices are used in the exercises. Bodybuilders consider themselves athletes and showmen, and they spend hours in the gym lifting weights to build muscle.

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Two Berea residents who have taken to the sport are 55-year-old Simon Matthews and 29-year-old Yeskiel Naraindath. The gym enthusiasts are in the process of preparing for the upcoming International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IBFF) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Show taking place in Kingsburgh in September. Impressive performances in the regional contest will qualify them to compete in the IBFF All Africa event held this year towards the end of September, at a venue to be announced at a later date. Although this will be Naraindath’s first competition, this is not Matthews’ first time competing in the IBFF contest. Matthews is the current Pro Diva Champion in the over-40-year-old category – he won the title in 2021.

“I also came eighth at the IBFF World Championship in Johannesburg last year, but I’m looking forward to competing again because I think I’m in a lot better shape this year than I was last year,” said Matthews.

Matthews said that they don’t define themselves as bodybuilders but rather physique athletes. “It’s not particularly to do with mass. We don’t abuse our bodies to perform well on stage; we are athletes who try to perfect our physiques.”

Naraindath says qualifying at the regional competition will be a wonderful birthday gift because he is turning 30 one day before the competition. “What better way to enter thirty than to enter it being in the best shape of my life,” said Naraindath. The 29-year-old got into bodybuilding through being a qualified exercise specialist and sports conditioning trainer.

“I work with pregnant women, people with disabilities, athletes and children,” he said.

The fitness junkie starting getting into the personal fitness lifestyle in 2016. “I started training in Grade Eight. I was too overweight for my height, so I decided to make healthier eating choices and fitness choices, and it has really paid off! I can’t believe I’ll be competing in my first show soon!”

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The pair began preparing for the upcoming competition six weeks ago and will continue to push themselves up until show day. Matthews says he trains every day, twice a day, three hours a day. “I don’t eat milk or sugar. My diet consists of oats, eggs, chicken, fish and rice. I eat a lot of egg whites, 600g of hake a day and 160g of chicken a day – five whole eggs and 1.5 litres of egg whites,” said Matthews.

Naraindath says he eats eight meals a day with a diet consisting of protein shakes, almond butter, oats, raisins, chicken, fish and green vegetables.

Naraindath’s biggest piece of advice for those wanting to get into the sport of bodybuilding or physique training is to remain consistent. “As long as you are consistent and remain persistent, you are good to go. Train smarter. If you want to lose weight, make sure you are burning more calories than you are eating. If you want to bulk up, make sure that your caloric intake is at a surplus,” he advised.

“My best advice is to make healthy choices as far as eating is concerned. A lot of people don’t know what goes into the food served at fast-food places. Smoking is a massive inhibitor, as are drinking and drugs. If you can eliminate those negative elements and focus on eating healthy food, and remain consistent in your training, you will be good to go,” concluded Matthews.