Diet, dumbbells and rest are the simplest three steps to transforming the winter flab into a figure fit for summer, according to personal trainers and nutritionists.
Former Brumbies rugby player and now personal trainer and nutritionist Winston Wilson, from Edge Fitness Club, and personal trainers Thuba Myeki and William Paulson – with a more than decade of combined personal training experience – agree that up to 80% of achieving fitness goals is dependent on diet.
The trio say that contrary to popular belief, eating correctly and exercise do not have to be costly or strenuous.
Myeki said in most cases beginners were already consuming the daily calories required and it was simply a matter of fine-tuning one’s daily consumption to cater to attainable fitness goals.
“Getting started is probably the most intimidating step, with many people giving up before really even giving it a shot,” Myeki said.
“This is partly because they assume eating organic, signing up to a gym as well as supplements is a costly necessity to achieving their goals, which is definitely not the case.
“In most cases people are already getting an excess of the necessary calories and protein in their normal meals.
“I tell all my clients if you can commit to a 80/20 ratio of eating right and exercise, with 20% [cheating], that’s enough. So eating what you normally would, just without the bread or extra sugar, makes a big difference but obviously it depends on your body and goals.”
Wilson, who also manages female boxing world champion Nonnie Tenge, said while there were several different approaches to training, the basics remained the same.
“If you want to build as a beginner six meals a day, training twice a day with heavy weights – and if you want to tone, three balanced meals, training once a day with lighter weights and more repetitions,” Wilson said.
He said simple and relatively inexpensive sources of good proteins included eggs and peanut butter.
Day-to-day foods to be avoided included potatoes, pumpkin, alcohol and sweet beverages.
Paulson said while body building required equipment mostly available in a gym, body weight training – which is gaining in popularity – required little more than a open space and a dumbbell or two.
“Cardio and body weight training is the greatest thing you can do without access to a gym, and it is just as good.
“Pushups and situps and a lot of other variations – so if going to a gym is not your scene, that is an easy and free way of training.
“Rest also very important.”