Certified personal trainer and content creator, Bonge Gumede, strives to share a motivational approach to fitness. 

Through her online platforms, she promotes fitness as a lifestyle to thousands who form part of her digital community. 

“I am someone who finds joy in sharing what my journey has been like and taking everyone along with me. I’m also redefining what being in the gym looks like for women,” she shared. 

Looking back on her upbringing, Gumede expressed how the values of discipline, community and perseverance which were instilled in childhood now play a vital part in who she is and what she does. 

“These traits have been essential in both my personal fitness goals and my professional endeavors.

My passion and love for community have also shaped my approach to fitness and everything that is physical, mental and emotional well-being.”  

Moreover, Gumede grew up in an environment where an active lifestyle and participation in sport were highly encouraged. Thus, her presence in the world of fitness is no surprise, although the start of her journey in the gym was extremely tough and uncomfortable. 

“I stepped into the gym for the very first time in 2019. It was an uncomfortable space for me, very different. Although I had played sports for most of my life, the gym was a new environment,” she said. 

Gumede joined the gym in search of an escape from the reality of navigating the transition from high school to tertiary education. 

In escaping one challenging reality, she was faced with a number of gym challenges which she had to navigate as a young black woman who was new to the space. 

“I didn’t have a personal trainer for the most part of my journey and I was just trying to figure things out. There was also the challenge of gym anxiety, getting to the weights section and seeing how intimidating that is.” 

Additionally, she had to shape her journey according to what she wanted to see from it, rather than how she saw most people go about their fitness journey. 

After a year of working out and seeing results, she decided to start sharing her fitness journey with her online community. This is after gaining a proper understanding of the importance of fitness in the life of a person. 

“Beyond the aesthetic goals and building a particular physique, I’d say there’s so much importance in fitness. 

It also plays into how you show up in other aspects of your life. In my personal journey, mental health was the biggest benefit,” shared the personal trainer. 

A little over five years into her journey with impressive results to show for it, Gumede expressed that while the absence of a trainer gave her room to figure things out at her own pace, having some help would have made things so much better. 

“Right now, I understand the importance of a trainer.

Being able to have someone that will help you navigate that space and certain techniques, efficiency and variety can be a lot more helpful. 

I am aware that not everyone has access to that kind of help and so my social media platforms serve as that help.”

For all who seek to fetch the body of their dreams, Gumede has the following tips: 

Anytime is gym time: Although summer bodies are made in winter, I always say that any time you’re able to go into the gym, do so.

It’s a journey: The more you start to look at it as a journey, the more you will accept that it is something you will have to keep doing. You will have to keep learning and keep adjusting.

Don’t be too fixated on results: The results will come because you’re consistent and not focused on needing to hit a certain goal by a certain time.  Channel your workouts to suit your goals, but understand that you have the rest of your life to work on your body. This way, the gym doesn’t become something that is sucking the life out of you when it should be pouring into you.