Mbangeni and Ketelo’s fitness routine unbundled
when you put your mind to a goal.”
When Ketelo became actress Mbangeni’s personal trainer, he put his philosophy of mind power into practice again.
Mbangeni says: “My first trainer resigned and handed me over to coach, not knowing how much of a blessing that would be.”
When she’s not waxing lyrical about her trainer on social mediae, Mbangeni is in the gym with her trusted “man crush”.
“I am quite a spiritual person and believe that fitness should be holistic (involving mind, body and soul).
“What I learnt from my sessions with coach, especially our boxing training sessions, is that putting my feet firmly on the ground both in life and training allows me to effectively plan my next move without fear of being swept off my feet by life’s challenges,” she says .
For Mbangeni, who is inspired by world tennis champion Serena Williams and local actresses Hlubi Mboya and Khabonina Qubeka, “strong is the new sexy”.
“My goal for 2018 is strength, both mental and physical. Working with coach has taught me how strong I am. My endurance threshold has increased, which reminded me of Whitney Houston’s song I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.
“It’s no longer about being lean, but about being strong, not only having muscle strength but also being strong enough to show vulnerability because there is power in letting yourself be vulnerable.
“At times I don’t want to work out so I am grateful to have a coach who doubles as a therapist and reminds me that just showing up is half the battle won.
“The rest is in the mind.”
Light across the field/ treadmill: Begin every session with a five to 10-minute jog either across a sports field or on a treadmill to increase your heart rate and warm up the body.
Squat press: Firmly holding a ball with both hands, press down into a squat and repeat 15 times.
One arm row kettle-bell pull: The key to this exercise is mostly in maintaining posture as you pull up the kettle-bell. Ensure that one foot is firmly on the ground with the other directly behind, pulling up with your ankle.
Dumbbell leg raise: Find a weight size that is suitable to your strength level; use your core to lift both arms and legs up and down. Based on your fitness level lower your legs to an obtuse angled position before lifting back up.