The disciplined life of Ballito bodybuilder Jurgen Pech

When was the last time you changed your way of life in pursuit of achieving a goal?

For Ballito 40-year-old bodybuilder Jurgen Pech, recent winner of the over-40 title at the World Fitness Federation South Africa (W.F.F SA) competition in Durban, that change came at the age of 17 when he channelled heartbreak in search of body perfection.

Following an unexpected break-up with his high school girlfriend, Pech had to find a way to cope and turned to exercise as a way to try and rebound with positivity.

In the 23 years since, it has become second nature to live in a way most people would find impossible to keep up.

To compete at bodybuilding’s highest level, one has to maintain a level of focus and drive that may sound crazy to the uninitiated.

“I live by the mantra that one finds strength through discipline. I am an amateur, so this is not for money or as a career. Doing the work has to be where the motivation comes from,” said the personal trainer by trade.

“To be in competition shape you have to be all-in, all day, all the time, for months.”

He started his regime for the most recent competition seven months before he would eventually take to the stage.

“For the first four months I did ‘soft dieting’, which meant I was allowed a few cheats every now and then. But from three months out thereafter I had to be fully disciplined,” he said.

“That means five meals and three training sessions a day, all while carb-cycling.”

Carb-cycling means avoiding carbohydrates for days at a time and then having a high-carb day on an interval system.

“You wouldn’t believe how great oats and water tastes if you haven’t touched a carb in three days.

“If you took an overall look at my diet for those three intense months, I would say it ended up being around 50% carbs, 40% protein and 10% fat, at an average of around 2 000 calories a day.

The plan obviously worked given his W.F.F SA results, which Pech says is just the beginning.

“Although I have been into personal training for decades, I have only recently started competing. I’ve found that it’s what I love doing and intend to keep going.”

His next target is a competition in Cape Town in December, for which he hopes to gain around R20 000 of sponsorship to aid with costs.

You can contact him at 071 979 2753 if you would like to help.

Pech is a personal trainer at Virgin Active Ballito and is a professional within the industry.

He recommends that anyone trying to get into bodybuilding should consult a coach, as some dieting and training techniques can be dangerous without proper supervision.

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