My name is Joe Koffman and I am an offspring of the Cape Flats.
My story dates back to the year 1971, on the 27th Day of the 11th Month.
Many will remember this timeline, as the height of political unrest in South Africa.
The apartheid system was causing widespread socio-economic problems of every kind imaginable and unimaginable.
About me
I grew up in a suburb called Parkwood, where I spent the early years of my childhood.
I come from a family of seven, amongst my four siblings I am the only male child.
Very early on in my childhood, I witnessed the exceptional sporting talent of my cousins and my older sister.
In school track and field events, all my cousins were unbeaten, in all the sprint events
.My older sister was nominated to represent the Western Cape at the South African Schools Championships for both the 100 and 200-meter sprints.
Denise was unbeaten in both.
Track and field became my first love in the world of sports. Yet, I was not genetically gifted for track and field as my sister and cousins were.
Much to my sister's disappointment, my parents decided not to grant Denise permission to travel up to Johannesburg for the SA National Schools Championships.
Out of fear, the political unrest in the country would risk her safety.
Growing up, we had no comprehension of the political turmoil that was unfolding across South Africa at the time.
Where we lived, schooled, and played. Our way of life appeared to us, as the only reality. Most of us believed our living conditions were the norm everywhere. Scraping by every day, borrowing from neighbors because you were in need . Living every day,one day at a time.
No one spoke of something different or better. Neither were there any role models to suggest such a possibility.
Interestingly enough, despite the challenges of daily life. Everyone seemed quite content.
Denise and the rest of my cousins never got to realize their true athletic potential.
Except for Janice, who went on to eventually become an olympian at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The stars were differently aligned for Janice. She grabbed her opportunity with both hands when a teacher at her school spotted her incredible talent. The teacher nurtured and guided her, to go on and make a career of her talent. Janice put in the hard work and sacrifice needed to excel at the elite level.
I often wonder, what would have happened, had my sister and cousins been exposed to the same guidance. Could they possibly have followed in Janice’s shoes?
The Cape Flats to this day is ripe with incredible raw sporting talent across all disciplines and codes.
This young talent often goes unrealized for many reasons, some of which are lack of guidance, resources, and nurturing.
I come from a family of seven, amongst my four siblings I am the only male child.
Very early on in my childhood, I witnessed the exceptional sporting talent of my cousins and my older sister.
In school track and field events, all my cousins were unbeaten, in all the sprint events
.My older sister was nominated to represent the Western Cape at the South African Schools Championships for both the 100 and 200-meter sprints.
Denise was unbeaten in both.
Track and field became my first love in the world of sports. Yet, I was not genetically gifted for track and field as my sister and cousins were.
Much to my sister's disappointment, my parents decided not to grant Denise permission to travel up to Johannesburg for the SA National Schools Championships.
Out of fear, the political unrest in the country would risk her safety.
Growing up, we had no comprehension of the political turmoil that was unfolding across South Africa at the time.
Where we lived, schooled, and played. Our way of life appeared to us, as the only reality. Most of us believed our living conditions were the norm everywhere. Scraping by every day, borrowing from neighbors because you were in need . Living every day,one day at a time.
No one spoke of something different or better. Neither were there any role models to suggest such a possibility.
Interestingly enough, despite the challenges of daily life. Everyone seemed quite content.
Denise and the rest of my cousins never got to realize their true athletic potential.
Except for Janice, who went on to eventually become an olympian at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The stars were differently aligned for Janice. She grabbed her opportunity with both hands when a teacher at her school spotted her incredible talent. The teacher nurtured and guided her, to go on and make a career of her talent. Janice put in the hard work and sacrifice needed to excel at the elite level.
I often wonder, what would have happened, had my sister and cousins been exposed to the same guidance. Could they possibly have followed in Janice’s shoes?
The Cape Flats to this day is ripe with incredible raw sporting talent across all disciplines and codes.
This young talent often goes unrealized for many reasons, some of which are lack of guidance, resources, and nurturing.
As a young skinny, short black kid growing up, I was very insecure and displeased with my physical appearance. As kids do, I was often teased for my perceived physical shortcomings.
The teasing reinforced my desire to change the way I looked.
With no idea what this change would look like. I was certain, I did not want to be the short, skinny kid.
An inspiration came to me one day, while I visited the home of my friend Martin.
Martin lived in the same Municipal Apartment block as I did.
I remember the moment I picked up one of Martin's Uncle's Bodybuilding and Fitness Magazines.
It was as if something stirred up inside of me. I was in total awe!
Only around eight years old at the time. The Image of one particular bodybuilder struck me hard.
A black bodybuilder named Sergio Olivia from Columbian America. Sergio Olivia possessed an incredibly powerful muscled body. I could hardly believe a body could look this incredible.
Within this moment the idea was seeded within my mind. I wanted to look as big and strong as Sergio Olivia.
This is where it started for me. My burning desire to transform me through the sport of bodybuilding. The solution to my perceived physical shortcomings.
When I finally got my first job, I reached a level of independence. Which enabled me to join a gym for the first time.
When I joined Bloomberg's Gym in the CBD of Cape Town, it was like a lifelong dream come true for me.
Finally, I could embark on my journey of transforming the short, thin boy into the image of my Idol.
The teasing reinforced my desire to change the way I looked.
With no idea what this change would look like. I was certain, I did not want to be the short, skinny kid.
An inspiration came to me one day, while I visited the home of my friend Martin.
Martin lived in the same Municipal Apartment block as I did.
I remember the moment I picked up one of Martin's Uncle's Bodybuilding and Fitness Magazines.
It was as if something stirred up inside of me. I was in total awe!
Only around eight years old at the time. The Image of one particular bodybuilder struck me hard.
A black bodybuilder named Sergio Olivia from Columbian America. Sergio Olivia possessed an incredibly powerful muscled body. I could hardly believe a body could look this incredible.
Within this moment the idea was seeded within my mind. I wanted to look as big and strong as Sergio Olivia.
This is where it started for me. My burning desire to transform me through the sport of bodybuilding. The solution to my perceived physical shortcomings.
When I finally got my first job, I reached a level of independence. Which enabled me to join a gym for the first time.
When I joined Bloomberg's Gym in the CBD of Cape Town, it was like a lifelong dream come true for me.
Finally, I could embark on my journey of transforming the short, thin boy into the image of my Idol.
I started out with no knowledge of training or nutrition. My long journey of self-education began in the year of 1993. One year ahead of the official release of Nelson Mandela from prison.
How symbolic this would turn out to be for me. The beginning of building my new body, my new life, so to speak.
In the early 1990s with no internet or supplement industry yet in existence. Information was not as freely accessible as it is today.
Even if they were available at the time. They would have been considered luxuries.
A thing generally uncommon for the common person living on the Cape Flats.
By this time my parents had decided six years prior, that it was time for us to move from our single-bedroom Council Flat to a bigger home in Mitchell's Plain. Our new three-bedroomed home would be big enough for our family of six at the time. My oldest sister and I shared a room, while my two younger siblings shared the second room. The parents in the third one.
The memory of my first visit to Issi Bloomberg’s Gym in the old Standard Bank Building in the CBD. Holds vivid to this day. A momentous occasion for me.
Incredibly nervous and excited at the same time. I have never lifted weights before.
About to try out, all these muscle-building exercises my idols were doing in the Muscle & Fitness magazines. Slowly and cautiously I figured out my way around the free weights section. Feeling out each exercise. Testing my strength with the different dumbbells and barbells.
Every week I would try out a new exercise. Look around to see if no one else is present. Should I make a fool of myself? The Muscle & Fitness magazines I bought at the second-hand bookstores for R5 to R10, became my coaching manual for both training and Nutrition.
Through trial and error, my journey would take me seven years, until I entered my first competition in 2000. The Mitchells Plain Classic is where I got my first taste of what it feels like to be named number 1, a winner of something.
For someone who has his whole life believing that I was not good enough to be competitive and win. This was a massive confidence booster. Maybe I could also be a champion like my sister and my cousins. This possibility became my newfound drive to pursue competitive bodybuilding as a hobby. Winning felt intoxicating. I wanted more.
With each competition, the hunger to win would grow stronger. With every disappointing second or third place finish, the hunger would grow a few levels stronger. I hated losing. Every time I won a competition, I would set my sights higher. During a successful regional winning streak In 2002. I went on and competed at the National Champs for the first time. Inexperienced and not adequately prepared. I failed to make the top 10.
Placing in the top 10 at Nationals was considered a respectable achievement. I was extremely disappointed. This was my worst performance at any comp since I started in 2000. I have embarrassed myself for my poor showing. I vowed to myself, that in 2003 I would come back to Nationals and make the Top 10 at least.
As soon as we arrived back in Cape Town the Sunday afternoon, I dropped off my luggage at home and went straight to the gym to start my preparation for the following year.
I put in all the hard work I needed to give myself the best possible chance to improve at Nationals.
2003 turned out to be a very good year for me. I started my career as a Personal Trainer at The Point Virgin Active. Arguably the most popular gym in South Africa.
Here I started my journey into learning the psychology of training. Over my 15 years of coaching at the Point. I met thousands of people from all walks of life. A great many of them shared their lives with me as I guided them toward their fitness goals.
I was living my dream career.
To put the cherry on top, I returned from Nationals with a very close 2nd place result. I was over the moon with my achievement. Any place from 6th to 10th would have been satisfying to me.
This sparked a new belief in my ability to compete at the highest level in SA. I was so close, maybe I could be SA Champion and compete on the world stage.
Seven years later after I competed in my very first competition. I was crowned South African welterweight champion. Finally, I achieved my goal. My body completely transformed.
My confidence was high. I felt like I had the world at my feet.
The Joy the elation was indescribable.
The pain, sacrifice, and disappointments all paid off in the end.
Competitive bodybuilding is possibly one of the most extreme sports on the planet.
With the most strict dietary requirements, often devoid of carbs for extended periods of time. Combine the zero-carb days with training twice, often three times a day.
Training on an empty stomach was regularly required to optimize fat burning.
A very close watch had to be kept on any aesthetic changes that occur along the way.
To stay on top of your game you had to continuously adjust and tweak training and dietary protocols to create the best possible look for competition day.
One truly becomes a sculptor of the body when continuous improvement is the aim.
Joe Koffman.
How symbolic this would turn out to be for me. The beginning of building my new body, my new life, so to speak.
In the early 1990s with no internet or supplement industry yet in existence. Information was not as freely accessible as it is today.
Even if they were available at the time. They would have been considered luxuries.
A thing generally uncommon for the common person living on the Cape Flats.
By this time my parents had decided six years prior, that it was time for us to move from our single-bedroom Council Flat to a bigger home in Mitchell's Plain. Our new three-bedroomed home would be big enough for our family of six at the time. My oldest sister and I shared a room, while my two younger siblings shared the second room. The parents in the third one.
The memory of my first visit to Issi Bloomberg’s Gym in the old Standard Bank Building in the CBD. Holds vivid to this day. A momentous occasion for me.
Incredibly nervous and excited at the same time. I have never lifted weights before.
About to try out, all these muscle-building exercises my idols were doing in the Muscle & Fitness magazines. Slowly and cautiously I figured out my way around the free weights section. Feeling out each exercise. Testing my strength with the different dumbbells and barbells.
Every week I would try out a new exercise. Look around to see if no one else is present. Should I make a fool of myself? The Muscle & Fitness magazines I bought at the second-hand bookstores for R5 to R10, became my coaching manual for both training and Nutrition.
Through trial and error, my journey would take me seven years, until I entered my first competition in 2000. The Mitchells Plain Classic is where I got my first taste of what it feels like to be named number 1, a winner of something.
For someone who has his whole life believing that I was not good enough to be competitive and win. This was a massive confidence booster. Maybe I could also be a champion like my sister and my cousins. This possibility became my newfound drive to pursue competitive bodybuilding as a hobby. Winning felt intoxicating. I wanted more.
With each competition, the hunger to win would grow stronger. With every disappointing second or third place finish, the hunger would grow a few levels stronger. I hated losing. Every time I won a competition, I would set my sights higher. During a successful regional winning streak In 2002. I went on and competed at the National Champs for the first time. Inexperienced and not adequately prepared. I failed to make the top 10.
Placing in the top 10 at Nationals was considered a respectable achievement. I was extremely disappointed. This was my worst performance at any comp since I started in 2000. I have embarrassed myself for my poor showing. I vowed to myself, that in 2003 I would come back to Nationals and make the Top 10 at least.
As soon as we arrived back in Cape Town the Sunday afternoon, I dropped off my luggage at home and went straight to the gym to start my preparation for the following year.
I put in all the hard work I needed to give myself the best possible chance to improve at Nationals.
2003 turned out to be a very good year for me. I started my career as a Personal Trainer at The Point Virgin Active. Arguably the most popular gym in South Africa.
Here I started my journey into learning the psychology of training. Over my 15 years of coaching at the Point. I met thousands of people from all walks of life. A great many of them shared their lives with me as I guided them toward their fitness goals.
I was living my dream career.
To put the cherry on top, I returned from Nationals with a very close 2nd place result. I was over the moon with my achievement. Any place from 6th to 10th would have been satisfying to me.
This sparked a new belief in my ability to compete at the highest level in SA. I was so close, maybe I could be SA Champion and compete on the world stage.
Seven years later after I competed in my very first competition. I was crowned South African welterweight champion. Finally, I achieved my goal. My body completely transformed.
My confidence was high. I felt like I had the world at my feet.
The Joy the elation was indescribable.
The pain, sacrifice, and disappointments all paid off in the end.
Competitive bodybuilding is possibly one of the most extreme sports on the planet.
With the most strict dietary requirements, often devoid of carbs for extended periods of time. Combine the zero-carb days with training twice, often three times a day.
Training on an empty stomach was regularly required to optimize fat burning.
A very close watch had to be kept on any aesthetic changes that occur along the way.
To stay on top of your game you had to continuously adjust and tweak training and dietary protocols to create the best possible look for competition day.
One truly becomes a sculptor of the body when continuous improvement is the aim.
Joe Koffman.
Through trial and error, my journey would take me seven years, until I entered my first competition in 2000. The Mitchells Plain Classic is where I got my first taste of what it feels like to be named number 1, a winner of something.
For someone who has his whole life believing that I was not good enough to be competitive and win. This was a massive confidence booster. Maybe I could also be a champion like my sister and my cousins. This possibility became my newfound drive to pursue competitive bodybuilding as a hobby. Winning felt intoxicating. I wanted more.
With each competition, the hunger to win would grow stronger. With every disappointing second or third place finish, the hunger would grow a few levels stronger. I hated losing. Every time I won a competition, I would set my sights higher. During a successful regional winning streak In 2002. I went on and competed at the National Champs for the first time. Inexperienced and not adequately prepared. I failed to make the top 10.
Placing in the top 10 at Nationals was considered a respectable achievement. I was extremely disappointed. This was my worst performance at any comp since I started in 2000. I have embarrassed myself for my poor showing. I vowed to myself, that in 2003 I would come back to Nationals and make the Top 10 at least.
As soon as we arrived back in Cape Town the Sunday afternoon, I dropped off my luggage at home and went straight to the gym to start my preparation for the following year.
I put in all the hard work I needed to give myself the best possible chance to improve at Nationals.
2003 turned out to be a very good year for me. I started my career as a Personal Trainer at The Point Virgin Active. Arguably the most popular gym in South Africa.
Here I started my journey into learning the psychology of training. Over my 15 years of coaching at the Point. I met thousands of people from all walks of life. A great many of them shared their lives with me as I guided them toward their fitness goals.
I was living my dream career.
To put the cherry on top, I returned from Nationals with a very close 2nd place result. I was over the moon with my achievement. Any place from 6th to 10th would have been satisfying to me.
This sparked a new belief in my ability to compete at the highest level in SA. I was so close, maybe I could be SA Champion and compete on the world stage.
For someone who has his whole life believing that I was not good enough to be competitive and win. This was a massive confidence booster. Maybe I could also be a champion like my sister and my cousins. This possibility became my newfound drive to pursue competitive bodybuilding as a hobby. Winning felt intoxicating. I wanted more.
With each competition, the hunger to win would grow stronger. With every disappointing second or third place finish, the hunger would grow a few levels stronger. I hated losing. Every time I won a competition, I would set my sights higher. During a successful regional winning streak In 2002. I went on and competed at the National Champs for the first time. Inexperienced and not adequately prepared. I failed to make the top 10.
Placing in the top 10 at Nationals was considered a respectable achievement. I was extremely disappointed. This was my worst performance at any comp since I started in 2000. I have embarrassed myself for my poor showing. I vowed to myself, that in 2003 I would come back to Nationals and make the Top 10 at least.
As soon as we arrived back in Cape Town the Sunday afternoon, I dropped off my luggage at home and went straight to the gym to start my preparation for the following year.
I put in all the hard work I needed to give myself the best possible chance to improve at Nationals.
2003 turned out to be a very good year for me. I started my career as a Personal Trainer at The Point Virgin Active. Arguably the most popular gym in South Africa.
Here I started my journey into learning the psychology of training. Over my 15 years of coaching at the Point. I met thousands of people from all walks of life. A great many of them shared their lives with me as I guided them toward their fitness goals.
I was living my dream career.
To put the cherry on top, I returned from Nationals with a very close 2nd place result. I was over the moon with my achievement. Any place from 6th to 10th would have been satisfying to me.
This sparked a new belief in my ability to compete at the highest level in SA. I was so close, maybe I could be SA Champion and compete on the world stage.
Seven years later after I competed in my very first competition. I was crowned South African welterweight champion. Finally, I achieved my goal. My body completely transformed.
My confidence was high. I felt like I had the world at my feet.
The Joy the elation was indescribable.
The pain, sacrifice, and disappointments all paid off in the end.
Competitive bodybuilding is possibly one of the most extreme sports on the planet.
With the most strict dietary requirements, often devoid of carbs for extended periods of time. Combine the zero-carb days with training twice, often three times a day.
Training on an empty stomach was regularly required to optimize fat burning.
A very close watch had to be kept on any aesthetic changes that occur along the way.
To stay on top of your game you had to continuously adjust and tweak training and dietary protocols to create the best possible look for competition day.
One truly becomes a sculptor of the body when continuous improvement is the aim.
Joe Koffman.
My confidence was high. I felt like I had the world at my feet.
The Joy the elation was indescribable.
The pain, sacrifice, and disappointments all paid off in the end.
Competitive bodybuilding is possibly one of the most extreme sports on the planet.
With the most strict dietary requirements, often devoid of carbs for extended periods of time. Combine the zero-carb days with training twice, often three times a day.
Training on an empty stomach was regularly required to optimize fat burning.
A very close watch had to be kept on any aesthetic changes that occur along the way.
To stay on top of your game you had to continuously adjust and tweak training and dietary protocols to create the best possible look for competition day.
One truly becomes a sculptor of the body when continuous improvement is the aim.
Joe Koffman.