Rugby coach and former Grassy Park resident, Yanga Ngcayisa, 22, lost more than 34kg in six months, a transition he says challenged him both mentally and physically.
The former Wynberg Boys’ High School pupil, weighed over 124kg last year before he worked his way down to 90kg.
Now a Wits accounting student and rugby coach at King David Linksfield High School, in Johannesburg, Ngcayisa said immediately after he stopped playing rugby, two years ago, he started to drink, smoke and over-eat.
And he soon started piling on the kilos.
He set a six-month goal and posted a video a day on Instagram about his progress.
Ngcayisa’s workout plan includes five days of exercise and two days of rest. On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, he does full-body circuit training.
On Friday he concentrates on his chest, back, and shoulders and Saturday is for leg exercises. Wednesday and Sunday are for resting.
“So I’d do 2-20min AMRAP (As many rounds as possible) of full-body circuits hitting every area of the body. Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, and shoulder press were all implemented in the mix. That really burns a lot of calories.
“On Friday and Saturday, I’d have a push/pull session. So for example chest and back exercise and then Saturday I’d have a leg day.
“I only avoided refined sugars and alcohol completely. So there was no chocolate, cake, and all those goodies. One thing I learned is that carbs are not your enemy. Food is fuel and every food group has its role,” he said.
The fitness enthusiast and model said he also had an internal battle to fight.
“It was an extremely grueling process. It honestly becomes more mental than physical at some point and there are voices in your head that you have to fight. You only just need to have that tunnel vision when you’re around people who may not be on the same page and remember that the journey is personal. What kept me going was to remember the hard times and the promises that I made to myself for the future,” he said.
