Fitness can mean a lot of things to many, but for TV personality and actor Siphesihle Vazi it’s the key to securing him his next big acting gig.

Vazi, who has a rugby background, is no stranger to the amount of training required for him to be in tip-top shape.

Since the beginning of the year, Vazi has been sharing his fitness journey on social media.

We caught up with him to find out what it takes to maintain such a routine: 

Why have you embarked on a fitness journey?

As a TV personality, and especially an actor, you need to always stay prepared. I started noticing that I’m neglecting my physic and this was going to reflect on my acting career, so I had to step up and give producers a reason to hire me.

What does it take for one to be fit?

I’ve been training since I was 16 years old and I know my fitness threshold, obviously this comes with understanding your body and knowing what and how to feed it. I would say you need to understand your body type and work according to that because our bodies don’t respond the same way, so basically, just know yourself.

What lessons have you learnt through your fitness journey?

I’ve learnt that being consistent is the only way you’ll ever reach your fitness goals. This is what my personal trainer Watson-Kan has drilled in me the last couple of months.

What are the main body parts  you are most focused on in terms of firming up your body?

The more I keep growing the more I realise that a fully fictional body is more important than just focusing on specific parts. So Watson and I have decided that I need to start with the basics and get a full-body structure so that all my muscles support each other and ultimately get me the results I want in terms of physic.

You are also doing boxing, why did you include that in your fitness journey?

Boxing was literally my trainer's idea, I’m not a fan because I sweat and sweat a lot but I guess it’s good for me because it’s a full-body workout that also includes cardio and muscle building.

Have you also implemented a healthy eating plan? 

I’m still struggling to find an eating plan that works for me because I love my beer on weekends but I’ve since taken on a more protein-based diet where I include a lot of fish in my meals where I can. I’m moving into my next stage of training, which is bulking up (I personally enjoy this stage). I get to eat at least six meals a day and gain mass. Bulking is more of a heavyweight workout plan which is my favourite given my rugby background.

So I wake up and make myself some oats or Movite with a protein shake. By 10am I’m making myself an omelette, then snack on fruits or nuts before I have a big lunch, usually fish-based. Depending on how my day is, I’ll eat as much as I can for the rest of the day till my next workout the following day.

What’s the hardest thing about training?

It's staying away from groove because that slows down your progress but then again I’m not training for a competition like I did with Tropical Island of Treasure.

How do you include your fitness routine in your busy schedule?

As an actor I’m in between jobs, so I sort of have time on my hands. Films usually shoot between 3–4 weeks, so if I’m not on set I’m preparing my brand for my next job. I usually squeeze in a minimum of three workouts a week. Watson believes in resting and not overworking your body because fitness is a long game, not a short game.