Chronicle Editor
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
WITH all gyms in the country closed as part of measures put in place to control the spread of coronavirus, bodybuilders are facing a tough time staying in shape.
Bodybuilders usually train for hours at the gym almost daily and follow a strict diet. With the lockdown in force, they are having a hard time keeping in shape and following their diet regime. For Zibusiso Khumalo, a national junior bodybuilding champion, life without going to the gym is hard because he cannot do his usual training, with the only available option working out at home. Maintaining a diet is also hard for Khumalo who has had to eat whatever is available.
“This lockdown has really affected us bodybuilders, no more normal training, we are just trying to maintain as much as we can with home workouts but you can never compare to the gym and the diet is bad. We are just eating now to survive, there’s no liberty of choosing what to eat and what not to eat,” Khumalo said.
Prechard Hoko, a men’s physique bodybuilder said the lockdown has had a negative impact on his development in the sport where he enjoyed tremendous success last year.
“The lockdown has impacted heavily on my progression as a bodybuilder, sometimes when you are a bodybuilder you always take bodybuilding as some sort of lifestyle, you will be used to your daily routine,’’ Hoko said.
Having to adjust to life under lockdown took Hoko a while, with the bodybuilder having to devise a training schedule at home.
“It took me something like 10 days to try to adjust, these days when I wake up in the morning, I do a little jog, do press ups, sit ups then go to the garage, use some spare tyres to do my chin ups and also do some lunges. It’s no longer the same but you can’t just lie idle at home, you need to do something.”
His diet has not changed much, with the adjustment coming in the form of cutting on his eating since he is not preparing for any competition.
“On dieting, it hasn’t changed that much, I am used to my normal menu but I’ve cut on my eating since we are on lockdown, its no longer the same like the one I used to do when I was actively involved in bodybuilding before the lockdown,’’ said Hoko.
Delvin Page, whose career was revived last year, is keeping an eye on his diet and training at home.
“I am still watching my diet and training at home though it’s not really the same as being in the gym. When all this happened, I was preparing for three shows. My first was in Botswana, second in Bulawayo and third one in Gweru,” Page said.
Shantel Bhatch, a national beach bikini previous national champion said the lockdown has affected her training a lot since she has no access to the gym.
“It’s affected me personally in a different way in the sense that as a bodybuilder you tend to get into a routine of your training times, every day you know what you are going to be doing, you have it all planned out,’’ Bhatch said.
She has had to be creative with her training since she has no access to the gym equipment.
“In this situation of the lockdown and not having access to the gym, you have to be creative in your workouts. Yes, you do home workouts but obviously you don’t have the equipment so a lot of it is body weight exercises, maybe stretch bands, whatever you can find around the house,’’ she said.
For someone who is addicted to lifting weights, training at home is not the same but the good thing is that her body is responding.
Paul Vela, a men’s classic bodybuilder is eating more so that his body does not lose size. He is trying his best with what is available.
“For now, it’s strongly on my eating as opposed to my training, naturally because my body will lose size without any resistance training. It’s not easy but I am trying to stay safe and work with what is available,’’ Vela said. – @Mdawini_29
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