MJ Maponya on DJ Maphorisa’s fitness journey: ‘It’s not about losing weight’

MJ Maponya Prepares DJ Maphorisa for Scorpion Kings Live

MJ Maponya has given fans a behind-the-scenes look at his training sessions with DJ Maphorisa as the amapiano star prepares for the highly anticipated Scorpion Kings Live show with Kabza De Small.

Although MJ is widely recognised as a reality TV personality and DJ, he has more than a decade of experience as a professional health and fitness expert. He is now putting that expertise to work behind the scenes, helping Maphorisa build the strength, stamina and endurance needed to command the stage.

“My approach with Maphorisa is built entirely on flexibility and efficiency. I focus on strength and endurance. I focus on longer reps. It’s not about losing weight or gaining muscle. It’s about having endurance,” MJ told TshisaLIVE.

He explained that Maphorisa’s demanding lifestyle also influences their training programme.

“Maphorisa is not only an artist but a CEO. He has late nights and is not on a regular schedule, so focusing on his lower back becomes part of our training,” he said.

MJ revealed that his professional relationship with Maphorisa dates back to 2018, when he was training Major League DJz. The duo eventually referred Maphorisa to him as a client.

“Me and Phori go way back. Almost a decade ago. Ever since then he’s been one of my longstanding clients. A good brother and friend who teaches me a lot,” he said.

Over the years, MJ has worked with several well-known personalities, including Carpomore, Mohale Motaung, Lasizwe and rapper Cassper Nyovest. He worked with Cassper ahead of his Global Citizen performance, helping him prepare physically for one of the biggest stages in the world.

“The preparations with Maphorisa are going well. It’s the same preparation I did for Cassper for Global Citizen, which was arguably the best performance of his life because of the sports science behind it for performance and energy,” MJ explained.

The training includes plenty of cardio and running — something Maphorisa particularly enjoys.

“We do a lot of cardio and running because he loves running and is good at it,” MJ added.

Fitness has been an important part of MJ’s life since he was just nine years old, long before he ventured into entertainment. He played professional football for Free State Stars until 2016, when he decided to study sports science and pursue opportunities in business.

For MJ, physical fitness is an essential part of maintaining a long and successful career in entertainment.

“Physical fitness is very important. If you look at the top 10 performers in the world, they are all in good shape, and you see them performing all the way into their 50s and 60s.”

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