“I Gained 13 Kilos of Muscles And Built The Body of My Dreams”

Contrary to popular belief, weight training will not have your muscles looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger circa 1974 (unless that’s what you’re after). There are many benefits weight training, such as increased fat loss and increased bone density. That’s exactly why Christelle Mutombo decided to venture to the ‘boys side’ of the gym. Realising that she was no longer happy with her petite figure, she desired to build muscle and her confidence. Here’s her story…

Christelle Mutombo

City: Johannesburg

Age: 32

Occupation: HR/Compliance, Personal Trainer/Gym Instructor

Weight before: 47Kg

Weight after: 60K

Time required to reach goal: 12 months

Secret weapon to your fitness journey: Fun & Focus

How She Trained

Like any eating and exercise regimen, you have to give it a few tries before you see results. Christelle says that when it came to changing her body, she had to do a lot of research and trial-by-error. ” I experimented a lot with various food disciplines and forms of exercise. At first, I put a lot of effort into building muscle and gaining weight but had to be mindful of what that would look like over time”, she explains. Through trying to find what works for her, Christelle found that focusing on just cardio didn’t help her gain muscle. Instead, she chose to focus on one group of muscle groups when exercising. Each day is dedicated to a specific muscle group, she then ends off with a 15-20 minute run.

What She Ate

In order to gain weight in a healthy manner, Christelle increased her portion sizes and how often she ate. ” I learned the difference between good and bad carbs, protein and high in fibre foods. Now I know how to balance them out, at this point, I am focusing more on good carbs and proteins with a smaller percentage of high in fibre foods because I do not want to lose much but maintain what I have gained”, she says. A great example of this is a yummy bounty bowl or this high-protein Amasi Caesar salad.

What She Learnt

Christelle says that she is now super confident with her appearance but she adamant that it’s not all about looks but that she absolutely smashed her goals! “I feel like Wonder Woman and Black Widow combined, super badass! Like I can take on anything”, she says. When it comes to what she’s learned throughout her journey is that getting things wrong is ok, as long as you’re learning and getting better every day. “Learning and getting better at it every day is great and most of all it is important to have a clear goal you can achieve. And try not to get caught up in comparing myself to those Instagram fitspos.”

Christelle’s Tips

Know and understand your goal
Do your research and plan your – Workout routines
Understand that nothing will change until your eating habits change for the better
Do not lose yourself in Instagram Bodies and wanting to look like anybody else but yourself
Remember to be consistent, disciplined and focused