Q & A : Janus Badenhorst – 5th in Men’s Transformation

Please give us a short history of your journey to health and fitness before the challenge.

I used to exercise on a regular basis because I know the good effect it has on my well-being and state of mind. But as winter and the lockdown blues hit in 2020, I stopped exercising. For longer than a year I did the bare minimum regarding my fitness and health. I was in bad shape with no motivation. I was at a very low point physically and mentally.

What prompted you to join the Sleekgeek Transformation Challenge?

Although I was in a bad headspace, I realised that no one can be responsible for my health and fitness, except for myself. I needed something or some goal to motivate me to start exercising again. A friend told me about the Sleekgeek challenge and asked if I would like to give it a go. Support from a buddy and a well-defined challenge was exactly what I needed!

Give us a quick overview of the nutrition and eating plan that you followed during the challenge.

Firstly I choose to cut sugar, refined carbs and to add lean protein and more vegetables.
Later I focussed on hitting my macros to gain lean muscle by adding more protein and healthy carbs. During the week I followed a strict meal plan and on weekends I was more relaxed – allowing myself some treats. A balanced, goal-driven diet with meal prep goes a long way.

Give us a quick overview of the training and exercise plan that you followed during the challenge.

I focussed on weight training to add muscle, with added cardio to get lean. I used the Sleekgeek plan found in the vault, mixed with exercises I previously enjoyed doing.

If you could give 3 pieces of advice to future challengers, what would they be?

1. Meal prep makes it easy to stay on track
2. Get a gym buddy
3. Push through and show up! (even if you do not feel like it).

Why should people enter the challenge?

The challenge helps you to get motivated. The Sleekgeek team supplies a lot of resources and motivation to help you to get on track, and stay on track. It’s not a one size fits all approach, you get to choose what type of exercise plan you want to follow. Regular check-ins help you to be able to track your progress and keep you accountable.