“The iron never lies to you, friends may come & go but 200lbs is always 200lbs”

“If the bar ain’t bending, then you’re just pretending”

“Eat big, lift big, grow big”

These are just some of the quotes that surmise the enthusiasm and commitment of the impressive bodybuilders from Africa, specifically Ghana.

With so many people in the western world complaining about not being able to train, these Ghanaian bodybuilders are ruling out almost every excuse that has ever been used.

All of their facilities have been hand-made using old car parts, concrete moulds and unused materials.

This adds a whole new element to “how bad do you really want it?”

With so many people worried about facilities, time, finding the best gym, etc, these Ghanaian bodybuilders are leading the way in succeeding when the odds are against you.

Even the leg machine is hand-made which is an absolute masterpiece of engineering.

With these facilities you’d expect poor results, but in fact it’s quite the opposite.

Just take a look at some of the unbelievable physiques that have been achieved.

It’s highly likely that these guys can get great results based on their chemical make-up. In the US, UK and other countries of similar wealth, testosterone levels are lower than ever, however in Africa it’s well known that testosterone levels are still at peak levels which is key for building muscle.

The foods in Africa, although not as accessible as in places like the US or the UK, are far more nutritious and natural. Many of the foods in the US, UK, etc, contain estrogen raising chemicals which prevent high testosterone levels and thus muscle building.

One of the bodybuilders Kulbila “Titanium” Samuel, named after the David Guetta song, gives an insight into his own training and diet.

5ft 8, 87kg Kulbila claims that he doesn’t have a strict diet, he eats as much as he likes, but makes sure that he stays away from junk food and cheat meals in order to remain ripped.

His main foods include:

Yams

Rice

Stew

Beans

Oats

Sweet Potatoes

Maize

Millet

Peanuts

Fish

Eggs

Green Beans

Cabbage

Dandelion

One of his favorite meals is the “mega Oat Omelette”

It consists of:

50g uncooked oats

6 egg whites

2 whole eggs

Chilli powder

Chopped onion

Garlic

Fresh tomatoes

Olive Oil

Kulbila is a part time labourer and wasn’t always fully commited to training.

He recalls that the first time he ever went to the gym he trained arms and shoulders. Kulbila says that he woke up the following day and couldn’t breathe or scratch his back. This made him shy away from training until a friend of his persuaded him to come back to it. Now after 3 years of training he has some significant results.

Kulbila trains trains all muscle groups throughout each week using an even amount of reps for each body part in order to achieve proportion.

He also occasionally trains twice per day in order to shock his body. Kulbila always performs 5 sets, using 15, 12, 10, 8 and 6 reps increasing the weight with each drop in repetitions.

In order to stay motivated, he claims to listen to hip hop and afro pop.

Kulbila’s advice for people who are looking to get into better shape is…“Don’t quit just because you have limited resources to train.”

Take a look at the video captured by Muscle Madness in 2016 of these men training

If you’d like to check out their website then visit https://africanbodybuildersavenue.wordpress.com/tag/african-bodybuilders/

Or check out Kulbila himself: https://www.instagram.com/kulbila_fitness/

South African Bodybuilders

Another area of Africa where bodybuilding has become popular and the men are hugely outperforming is South Africa.

South African bodybuilders include; Sibusiso Kotelo South Africa’s youngest and first ever black IFBB Pro

Sibusiso Kotelo

The man’s physique is incredible, which is why GQ came around looking for an interview with the man mountain himself. The main highlights in a fitness sense from the interview include;

GQ: When did your body building journey start and why did you start it?

SK: It started in 2014 when I did my first show as a novice in KZN. I was inspired by a gentleman called Andrew Hudson who is a IFBB Pro himself. He saw potential in me and sparked a fire and here we are now.