The fact that readers are horrified by some of our celebrities being overweight is what motivated me to enlist the help of NTPowerhouse Africa: African Bodybuilding and Fitness, to better understand health.
The President of NTPowerhouse, Kalyango Zuabel obliged my request for better understanding of the human body alongside advice on how to naturally shape and mold it.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: Please, describe what it means for a person to be physically healthy?
Kalyango Zuabel: As you already know NTPowerHouse Africa is the only Pan-African natural fitness organization.
In the modern world everybody needs to workout whether he/she is a celebrity or not.My advice to everyone is to workout at least thrice a week to avoid developing and/or dying from heart diseases. reduce the risk of developing high cholesterol, reduce the risk of developing diabetes, maintain body weight, build healthy muscles, bones, and joints, reduce depression and anxiety improve psychological well-being and enhanced work, recreation, and sports performance.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: NTPowerhouse Gym has a branch based in Ghana but your continental and international connections are just inspiring, what do you see in the future of bodybuilding as a sport in Africa?
Kalyango Zuabel: We intend to continue promoting a natural and drug free fitness and bodybuilding lifestyle throughout Africa. If more people come up and join our cause, we will make Africa better place to live for all natural athletes.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: How many years has bodybuilding as a sport been in existence in Africa, is there a nation that seems to be ahead if so what can other nations do to be the best as well?
Kalyango Zuabel: Bodybuilding was first adopted by the Arab North African countries in the 1950s and spread to West African countries in late 1960s.
I am strong believer of natural bodybuilding and I think Ghana and Kenya are ahead of other Sub-Saharan African countries.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: By far, African bodybuilders compared to the international bodybuilding industry have a good reputation, what do you attribute it to?
Kalyango Zuabel: I attribute that to the harsh conditions our athlete go through to achieve such admirable physiques. African bodybuilders face difficulties in finding well equipped gyms and getting proper nutrition needed to develop great physiques. Many of our accomplished bodybuilders train in backyards using handmade equipments.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: What are the positives about the African foods for the African bodybuilder?
Kalyango Zuabel: People who have their diets consisting largely of milk and meat, supplemented in some cases with fish and with small amounts of grains, fruits and vegetables. Rich in animal fats, these diets provided large amounts of the fat-soluble vitamins necessary for proper development of the physical body and freedom from diseases.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: If a person chooses to become a bodybuilder as a career in Africa, what advice would you give them specifically are there certifications that must be met?
Kalyango Zuabel: I advice anyone planning to take up bodybuilding to avoid using performance enhancing drugs/anabolic steroids.
Some people are confused about the difference between anabolic steroids and food supplements. Anabolic steroids belong to a group of powerful and dangerous compounds that are chemically associated to the male sex hormone testosterone. The word anabolic refers to muscle building. Testosterone is produced naturally in the body, but it can also be produced synthetically. Testosterone is responsible for ordinary growth and development of the male sex organs. Additionally, testosterone facilitates to thicken the vocal cord and distribute fat within the body. Synthetic and artificially produced testosterone is able to act like the body’s naturally occurring testosterone, consequently building muscle tissues and body mass. The history of anabolic steroids dates back to 1930 when they were artificially developed to aid men who faced difficulties in producing insufficient amounts of the hormone naturally.
Steroids are widely used in health care and for enhancing athletic performances. Unfortunately, they can cause severe health problems due to various negative side effects. Side effects of steroids can take place both within and outside the body and possibly will not be noticed until it is too late. There are potential side effects of steroids for both males and females. The harmful effects produced are in direct proportion to the effectiveness of the steroids. Some of the side effects do go away with time or after stopping the steroid use, whereas some may not.
Food supplements or nutritional supplements are preparations intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantity in a person’s diet. Some people define dietary supplements as foods, while in others they are defined as drugs or natural health products.
There are no certifications required for anyone to become a bodybuilder
GhanaCelebrities.Com: How about the career of Personal Trainer, what does a body builder look for before employing such an expert?
Kalyango Zuabel: If you are starting a workout regimen, you should strongly consider using a personal trainer – at least for the first few weeks. You will benefit in numerous ways from this type of professional, and you need to know the importance of a personal trainer.
The first way that you benefit from a personal trainer is in the fact that without a trainer, you may be doing the exercises all wrong. A personal trainer can make sure that you are doing all of the exercises in the correct way, which not only helps you to reach your physical goals much faster, but also protects you from injuries.
People who do workouts without ever consulting a personal trainer find that they do not get the results that they want, and they are also more prone to injuries. For many forms of exercise, if you aren’t using the right form, you aren’t doing yourself any favors. For this purpose, you may only need a few sessions with a personal trainer.
All of us have certain parts of our bodies that are just plain stubborn. It seems that no matter how hard we work on those muscles, they just will not cooperate and look the way that we want them to look.
A personal trainer can help you to take care of those problems more effectively. They have the training and experience necessary to know exactly what exercises need to be done, to achieve the results that you want. Without this knowledge, you may as well be beating your head up against the wall.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: What events do you have coming for NTPowerhouse?
Kalyango Zuabel: One of our main objectives has always been organizing a Pan – African natural fitness contest. We achieved our goal when we organized our first continental championships in Eldoret – Kenya last January. Through our partner Muscle Meddy Fitness Company, we are planning to organize three fitness events next year. Our main event will be the African championship to be held in Kampala – Uganda with qualifying events in Angola and Kenya respectively.
Health is key
Most guys work out these days cuz they want girls to see their packs and call it sexy.
@Adjoa nbaaso),hahahahaha good point. I’d rather run and get s good heart/lungs than lift too much iron. Balanced.
Thats even better ghallday.I talk to most of my male friends and they are are like “I was at the gym this morning/”I would have to go to the gym” and am like what are you going to do?And then they go like, I need some packs gal………
One of them gets off from school at 10pm, drives to the gym every evening before heading towards home.Am like are you serious? Is it all about your fitness???
@Adjoa nbaaso), its true 🙂 but my o oh my do I like to look
Hmm, Kin you should ask them again.
@Adjoa nbaaso), But you know what, 🙂 I just might make that my new requirement to date a man. Do you have a gym membership? naa just playing. but the article is true, a healthy person works out for health not necessarily vanity.
Glad you all enjoyed the read. More to come!