When she’s not crushing her goals in the gym, NPL sponsored fitness junkie Zee (Zinhle) works a 8-5, runs her online coaching business, manages her busy fitness celebrity profile and takes on the responsibilities of parenting head on. Here Zee answers some burning questions from Fitness readers, and offers her take on some hot topics.
Time in the gym
What do you do on the tough days, when motivation levels are low?
The truth is, you won’t always be motivated so you’ll need to be disciplined. I’ve trained my mind to think of “low levels of motivation” as a tempting situation that will affect my prep and fitness journey in the long run. In other words, whether I feel like it or not, I will go to gym.
Do you change your approach to training from time to time?
Yes. I change my training routine on a regular basis to challenge my body and mental capacity.
What are you loving right now?
I’m soooo in love with back stretchers. I really enjoy doing this exercise.
Fuelling her life
Did you get help from a nutrition coach to dial in your diet for fat loss?
Yes, I am coached by Jack Lotter. He loads all meals, supplements and training routine onto an app for me.
Do you change your diet on off days?
No, I carb cycle.
Monday: High-carb day
Tuesday-Friday: Moderate carb
Saturday and Sunday: Low-carb day
What, in your experience, is the easiest way to stick to a diet, other than sheer willpower?
For me it has to be preparation. I make sure all my meals are prepped and packed the night before. That way I don’t miss out on meals, or spend money on junk food or takeaways.
Zee’s Yay or Nay:
Long steady rate cardio? Nay. I hate cardio, with a passion! I perform 15 minutes of HIIT cycling before my weight sessions.
Oats in the morning? Yay, in the off season… HELL YEAH!!!!
Training in a crop top? YAAAAAY! A girl has to show off her abs!
Burpees? Nay
Gym selfies? YAY!!!! All day, every day!
Pre-workout nutrition? YAY!
Intra-workout nutrition? YAY!!!
Post-workout nutrition? YAY!!!!!
Grilled hake? YAY!
Fat burners? YAY.
Deadlifts? YAY. Deadlifts are an amazing compound strength exercise that builds a great physique.
CrossFit? Nay. I have zero interest in it… I’d probably injure myself.
Sports massage? Yay.
Cheat meals? YAYYYYY!!!!! The truth is the body needs them. Just remember to enjoy your cheat meal, without any guilt whatsoever, especially if you stuck to your diet and really earned it.
Early morning training time? YAY!!! Training in the morning honestly uplifts my mood, spirit and overall physique.
Training partner? Yay and nay. I prefer training alone as I get to focus and get in the zone. However, it is always nice to have a training partner from time to time for some motivation, or for a challenge and to learn some new tricks and exercises.
Running? Nay. I always say “if you run, you’ll lose your booty gains!”
Social media? YAY!!! Social media gives us a platform to see and be seen by people who we could never interact with. It’s also a great business and marketing tool. Many of my clients are from Instagram. My sponsors also found me on the ‘gram.
Active rest? Yay. As much as I hate being away from the gym, I’ve learnt to invest in rest. Active rest helps prevent over exhaustion and injuries.
EMS? YAY. Tried out a session at BodyTec. It was quite intense and I was sore for dayyys.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlVaGqgjkvJ/?taken-by=zee_fitnessjunkie
Final thoughts:
To have a successful fitness journey you need to commit 110%. Learn to be patient. And stop comparing yourself to other people, because your only competition is the person in the mirror.
Connect with Zee on Instagram, or leave comments questions below.
Zee’s supplement brand of choice: NPL
Author: Tanja Schmitz
Founder and Editor of Fitness Magazine. You’ll find her behind her computer or on her bike, dreaming up new ways to improve or create content for you.
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