COACH STOX, THE TRENDSETTER

MBABANE – In the year 2012, fitness coach Thembinkosi Matse weighed a massive 100kg, boasting a pot belly as evidence to his bad eating habits and lack of physical exercise.

He was only 23 years old but could barely run 100 metres without gasping for air. 

Some may call it tough love but that’s exactly the kind of inspiration he got from his friends who used to criticise and mock him because of his weight.

Through hundreds of hours invested in training and diet change over the past eight years, Matse managed to lose 22kg. 

He is now a qualified fitness coach and continues to inspire and motivate others to change their fate by living a fit and healthy lifestyle. This is what he had to say:

Name: Thembinkosi ‘Stox’ Matse (31 years old) from Matsapha.

When did you start training and what was the motivation behind?

I started in 2012. I was actually introduced to training by a friend of mine, Thulani Dlamini. My peers used to mock me about my weight and that’s when I realised that I had to do something.

What was your weight then compared to now?

Back then I weighed around 100kg but now I am at 78kg.

Did you encounter any kind of challenges due to the change of lifestyle?

I use to struggle with maintaining the newly-adopted healthy diet. 

It was actually my major setback but seeing the results made me to be disciplined and focused.

How often do you exercise and what type of exercises do you do?

I do weights three times a week and the other two days I do cardio then rest on weekends.

What are your fitness and weight goals?

My goal right now is to have proper lean muscles and probably cut down my weight to 75kg.

What nutritional changes have you made since you started living a fit and healthy lifestyle?

I had to cut down mostly on starch, sugar and fizzy drinks because this is the kind of food that causes weight gain.

What advice can you share with people who want to lose weight and build muscles but lack the courage to start?

To someone struggling with weight I would say it all starts with you. 

You need to discipline yourself on what you eat because basically at the gym, we give you 10 per cent, the rest is how you manage your diet. 

Above all, do not set unreachable goals.

How has your life changed now that you have lost weight?

To be quite honest, it has helped boost my confidence and motivated me to aim even higher. I have made a career out of it and I am training other people to lose weight.

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