Musarurwa eager for bigger challenge
AARON MUSARURWA’s drive comes not from the determination to be a champion but, rather, a glass cabinet the bodybuilding champion uses to keep his medals.
It is conveniently located at the foot of his bed, which means it is the first and last thing he sees every day.
Some will probably call it vanity, but the trophy cabinet provides motivation for the 22-year-old athlete.
“I have a lot of trophies that I keep in a glass shelf or cabinet in my bedroom,” he said.
“It is the first thing I see when I wake up and also the last. The thing is I use it as motivation, as it is proof that hard work does have its results. Waking up at 3am every day and spending countless hours in the gym is no joke; it takes a special kind of motivation to do that.
“I don’t know many competitive bodybuilders, let alone people who can do that.” The cabinet cost Musarurwa about
after he saw the designs on the internet. He was fortunate to find a carpenter, who volunteered to make it.
Encased in it are 13 trophies, five shields and seven medals.
Musarurwa now wants to put bigger trophies and medals in the cabinet.
He has since been on a 12-month“farewell tour” of the junior category and has been testing the waters of the bigger and more elegant senior category.
He intends to compete in the Marondera Classic, Harare Classic, Manicaland Open and the Zimbabwe Nationals.
“I think I have been to so many junior category shows, and there is nothing for me to prove.
“Maybe, if there was still the ZTIF show, then I would have something to aim for.
“It remains the only show and title missing from my collection — that and the Marondera Classic,” he said.
While many competitions have since bounced back in the post-Covid-19 era,
remains the only one yet to return. Musarurwa has been on a gruelling training regime since the year started, which included two strict diets between April and August.
This saw him reduce his carbohydrate, sugar and oil intake while stacking up on high-protein foods.
He often likes to concentrate on his weaker muscles, which are the lower back and calves.
After waking up at 3am, he drives from Warren Park to his gym in Westgate.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, he works on his chest and back, while Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for workouts on legs and shoulders, with Fridays being for arms. He works all parts on Saturdays. Each session is about two hours of intense workouts, after which he rests on Sundays.
For Musarurwa, bodybuilding is a science. “I work out six days a week and love to break down my training regime.
“It’s a science, one of the areas many in
the junior category lack, and I like to concentrate on what I call weaker muscles,” he added.
“I also like to balance the intense workouts with plenty of rest and nutrition.”
The science has worked wonders for his career so far, as the athlete is one of the most distinguished and accomplished junior champions.
This category includes those who are 23 years old and under.
In the senior category, he views Mark Anthony Vassilatos — the reigning national champion — and Noah Dzvokora as the men to beat.
The duo, and many others of his future competitors, have a size advantage, but Musarurwa believes he can reign supreme for three to four years if he dethrones Vassilatos and Dzvokora.