HEALTHY LIVING IS HIS JOB

Discipline, hard work and commitment are key

WHAT do you get when you enter a room filled with dumbbells, exercise mats, pumped-up music that fills the air, and an instructor who calls out demands? Answer: A vigorous workout.

Love or hate them, the fact of the matter is, having a personal trainer can help you burn calories and offer an awesome workout that makes your heart pump fast – while toning your muscles like nobody’s business.

Adventure man Simon Mahlangu is a fitness enthusiast by all accounts – having excelled in athletics in high school.

He managed to obtain a scholarship at the University of Pretoria and studied for his national diploma in sports science.

“While studying I had parttime jobs at the local gyms, helping the physiotherapists and biokineticists.

“This provided me with valuable experience and inspired me to study personal training.

“I then enrolled at the International Institute for Sports Science and Fitness Training and the rest, as they say, is history, ” he says while lifting a weight with ease.

Mahlangu is a personal trainer who is serious about healthy living. So serious that he managed to wrap up 30 clients in his first month as a personal trainer at Virgin Active ’ s Faerie Glen club.

“Discipline, hard work and commitment are key in this game,” he says with a broad smile. Shake it up

The muscle-man’s job is to ensure that his clients achieve their fitness goals.

“I assess the client’s fitness requirements and advise, monitor and encourage clients to accomplish it,” he says.

Other duties include designing exercise programmes, training clients and giving dietary guidelines for individual clients.

Once clients have reached their fitness level, he designs maintenance fitness pro- grammes for them, to keep up the fitness level reached.

Personal trainers can take on a range of clients, from beginners to top athletes. They work with clients during their workouts, supervising and demonstrating the exercise programme and correcting the client’s techniques.

“I also assess a client’s body weight, body fat and muscle tone and adjust their training programme to reach the goals set for them,” he says.

There ’ s obvious – and very infectious – enthusiasm in his voice as he explains: “The job is fun. It allows me to be innovative, challenge the norm and give clients value for their money.

“I enjoy working with different people and seeing them achieve their goals.” Early bird

The early bird catches the fattest worm and Mahlangu can certainly attest to that.

His day starts at 5am and ends around 9pm – every day of the week.

“It’s a flexible schedule as it’s influenced by my client’s appointments, ” he insists.

Mahlangu supplies a personalised one-on-one service at the gym.

“I see each of my clients for an hour training session per day, and I see about 12 clients per day.”

To all of those fitness enthusiasts out there, Mahlangu points out that you need to be goal-driven, motivated and disciplined to excel as a personal trainer.

“There ’ s nothing more rewarding than seeing progress and motivating clients to embrace the change and healthy lifestyle.” Water

Well, one tip I’m taking from Mahlangu is to drink tons of water (not literally, eight glasses a day will do).

Water is a totally essential ingredient to the body’s many functions. It carries key nutrients into the body and washes out unneeded waste.

The bottom line, ladies and gentlemen, is to get moving and get your rear in gear. – sacareerfocus