BY ESTHER BRIDGET NAKALYA
In 2020, Julius Makanga, a civil engineer and basketball player at Uganda Hoopers, weighed about 60 kilogrammes. Since his height stunted his competence during the game, he knew he needed to build muscle.
He narrates, “At first, I wanted to be stronger and explosive on the basket ball court. I decided to add more weight to be able to compete.”
Later, the sportsman became more consistent after reflecting on the long-term benefits these routine workouts had to offer.
To him, it was more than just keeping up with looks and a physique. He explains, ” I got to understand how vascular muscle improves heart health and blood circulation in the body.”
He started out with a few exercises at home since he could not afford a gym at the time.
He shares, ” During the lockdown, I started with simple exercises along Muyenga Tank Hill road, and when my brother realised my commitment, he decided to pay for my gym training.”
Days later, Makanga took the workout routines seriously and was intentional about his diet. He adjusted from consuming fast food to focusing on increasing his protein intake.
Today, Makanga weighs 75 kilogrammes after maintaining discipline in workouts and being mindful of what he eats, how much he eats, and in what duration he eats it.
During street workouts, the weight lifter would be involved in “backward hill running, uphill sprints and jumps, pushups and air squats.”
The goal with the jump workouts he reveals, ” is to have bigger and stronger legs to dunk in basketball.”
At 5 feet and 8 inches tall, Makanga aims to get a functional muscle with the capability to take on “calisthenics, sprints, marathons, among others.”
In 2022, he enrolled for training at the gym, which he attended at least three times a week.
He schedules, ” Every Monday, I train my chest, back, and shoulders, where I do lat pull downs, barbell rows, and dumbbell rows. For Wednesdays, I focus on leg workouts such as sled pushes, weighted sprints, hamstrings, and calves.
Makanga eventually closes the week with a full body workout using kettle bells and plays basketball on Saturdays.
The workouts he notes take him about 2-3 hours in session, adding that, ” I have made friends in the gym and am now able to improve my general body health as I am always active and ready to handle my tasks at work.”
However, the basketball player recounts the challenges he faces during workouts.
He shares, ” My left hip got injured during a deadlift workout, and I had to do therapy to recover from the injury.”
Keeping on, Makanga chooses to always listen to his body and take breaks in between exercises.
He says, “I stretch before and after my workouts and take an ice bath on the affected areas to relieve the pain.”
Motivation
He occasionally posts videos of himself working out on social media, specifically WhatsApp.
” I feel motivated every time I post a video because I believe someone is getting inspired to take charge of their health,” he explains.
His mentor, Sam Mpuga, a fitness coach, adds challenges to him to watch out for eating habits and treat criticism from the social media audience as empty noise.
More to it, Makanga always prays before working out, noting that, ” listening to an audio sermon or gospel music during his warm-ups helps set the tone for the day.”
Meals
Before, Makanga used to drink coffee and sodas until after he started his routine exercises.
He confides, ” One time, I tried drinking a soda, and I was thirsty and bloating, so I decided to replace soft drinks with two litres of water a day.”
Away from the protein shakes that are often consumed by muscle builders, the sportsman opts for ” eggs, beef, chicken, broccoli, beans, groundnuts” as the most appropriate and accessible protein intake.
He was also advised to avoid eating fast food and to embrace mostly organic foods.
Advice
Looking ahead, he plans to add another 5 kilogrammes in the near future.
He tips, ” It is safe to train under the guidance of a professional fitness coach for purposes of accountability and to minimise injuries during exercises.”
Makanga emphasises that discipline is very important in getting results.
He notes, ” There are days he does not feel like exercising but pushes himself to keep going,” also recognising challenges beginners face, such as a lack of money to pay for the gym.
The most important drivers for positive results, he tips, are ” consistency, discipline, and good planning,” adding that, “one can do push-ups, squats, dips, planks from their home spaces.”
He also advises on making improvements to build resilience during exercises such as ” having a workout buddy, playing music during outdoor workouts, using water bottles or jerry cans as dumbbells, using a chair or bench for step-ups, triceps, pushups, and tracking progress using a notebook.”
