Functional fitness 101
All the facts you need about getting fit and stretching your body beyond mental limitations. REDEFINING FITNESS IMPOSSIBILITIES
Fitness fanatic and 40-year-old functional fitness trainer Mandla Nhleko is best known as “Born to move” or “365functionaltraining” by his many Instagram followers who witness his almost impossible mid-air beam/bar balancing moves.
Being an Adidas sport ambassador and personal trainer, Nhleko has gained a vast amount of respect in fitness circles, having trained numerous SA celebrities and private clients across the country, whether directly or through his weekly social media tutorial postings. Here are a few interesting facts about the guru of functional fitness training. “My fitness routine focuses on incorporating various fitness elements, to make sure that my body achieves a balanced training and I can perform to the best of my ability and also be fit and strong. Anaerobic exercises, aerobic and aerobic endurance exercises, flexibility, functional training, and core strength.” Heavy weight training Sprinting Speed Power Plyometric or jumping exercises Agility In addition to helping your body handle lactic acid effectively, anaerobic exercise has great benefits for your overall health. Builds and maintains lean muscle mass. Increased muscle strength and muscle mass helps protect your joints, which can protect you from injury.
Anaerobic exercise helps boost metabolism because it helps build and maintain lean muscle. Lean muscle mass is metabolically active, so the leaner muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn. “At the age of 16, I jogged every day after school since my mom couldn’t afford to pay gym fees. After completing my matric, it was time to find a job so that I could help my mom and also be able to pay for gym membership.
“Starting to work out was the best decision I’ve ever made. I then started teaching group training classes in 2006-2012, and that’s where my passion for fitness, health and well-being started.
“In 2012 I gave up my IT career as systems engineer to focus on my passion for fitness as a personal trainer, sports conditioning coach and functional trainer specialist. It was challenging but exciting at the same time.” “First and foremost, is to teach clients to think positive and have a stronger mindset; especially those that have self-esteem challenges due to their weight gain.