Siv Ngesi puts his fitness in POLE POSITION

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi

ACTOR and TV personality, Siv Ngesi sports an incredible physique, and he credits his “crazy diet”, for his body image.

Pole dancing was new to Ngesi, but because he’s been giving it his all you’d think he’s been doing it for years.

He said the decision to start with the sport came when he re-evaluated what it meant to be a man.

“As a Xhosa male you are regarded as a man only after you’ve been to the initiation school. But in 2020 I got the urge to start looking inward, to search and rediscover what being a man means to me at that moment and moving forward.

“I started researching feminine things and decided to also try them out. I did ballet and it was hard, I think you really have to start it at an early age to really excel in it.

“I moved to pole dancing and I fell in love with it. That sport changed my life; I won’t rest until I’m one of the best in the country. Even though, technically, I’m the best already because of my recent win,” said Ngesi

For spectators, it may seem like an easy spot to master, but Ngesi’s experience gave him a different perspective. “People look at pole dancers at strip clubs and think that it’s easy. It’s not. If you think you are strong, come to the pole to prove your strength, it shows you what real strength is.”

Although Ngesi has always been “naturally excellent” at sport, pole dancing required more.

“I played high-level rugby, water polo and boxing, in all these sporting codes one has to prove their strength. In pole dancing, while you have to do the same, your ego also gets tested. You put the ego aside and focus on getting great results.”

The Still Breathing actor also lost 11kg in 11 weeks when he was training for a bodybuilding pole body competition he won last year.

He came first in the Men’s Fitness Model category and second in Mr Fitness (pole and body) at Fitness South Africa 2021 in September.

“I worked really hard, committed to the plan and sacrificed for it. I always wanted to do a body competition I started training during the hard lockdown. There was no work commitment and no hectic traveling schedule.

“I set out to totally transform my body through a rigorous programme of diet and training for Fitness SA. I wanted to prove to myself that I can do it.

“But, I must admit that the 11 weeks of training were the hardest and most testing physical and mental challenge yet. I’m glad that it’s done. I will never do that again. Once I’ve achieved a challenge I move on,” he said.

SIV Ngesi says pole dancing shows you what real strength is. | SUPPLIED

For anyone competing in a body competition, diet is one of the most important factors. And Ngesi said he ate 13 meals a day for 11 weeks.

The diet consisted of the following:

● 2 541 egg whites

● 55.44kg of hake

● 18.48kg of chicken breasts

● Supplement/vitamins

● Not a single refined carb nor grain of sugar in 77 days.

● And 46 litres of blood, sweat and tears.

“It’s not for everyone, it can be expensive. There were really not many options, especially when it comes to flavour, it was just the same thing every day. I collectively spent six full 24-hour days or 154 hours or 9 240 minutes gymming/ cardio. Truthfully, it was a terrible experience and it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done.

But with my people on my side, through sheer force of will, and belief in myself, I reached my goal. With the help of a personal trainer, a nutritionist and many readymade meals delivered to me.” He added that his weight reduction diet also affected his mood and he had to apologise to his best friend for being a “horrible person”.

“I was moody as hell, I was grumpy and very horrible to be around. I apologise to friends for the crazy mood I was in.”

Ngesi described himself as “a gigantic softy”.

“I’m in touch with my emotions, I cry when I want to or when I’m sad. I just really want people to reach their full potential all the time.’’

NGESI likes to challenge himself.