Quick stats
Name: Sonia Matos
Age: 37
Height: 1.64 m
Competition weight: 58 kg
Current weight: 63 kg
Current city: Johannesburg, South Africa
Occupation: Finance
How did you get started with training and living a fit lifestyle? Has it always been part of your life?
In my early 20s, I was moderately active and didn’t pay much attention to my diet and training. I was also a devoted “cardio” girl… spent all of my time running, running, running.
When I started lifting weights my entire outlook on fitness changed and I started combining weight training with other fitness disciplines.
What made you enter your first show and how did the prep go?
My first show was Body Beautiful in 2014. The decision to step on stage was almost a natural progression for me. The resistance training program I was following at the time was working really well. My body transformed beautifully and when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at the challenge.
Who is your role model or who do you look up to for motivation and guidance?
My family is my tribe. My brother Sergio and I are very close and not only is he my closest friend and confidant, but also the person who offers me guidance and support when I need it most. My sister in law Sam, is also a lover of fitness (she just completed her first iron man!!!) and also stepped on stage alongside me in 2014.
We inspire and motivate each other to constantly pursue our respective sporting passions but also collectively encourage our young sons to be fit, healthy and active young boys.
How important is the mental aspect of this sport? How do you keep a positive mindset and attitude through setbacks?
Your mental and emotional wellbeing is just as vital as your physical achievements in this sport and I believe this often gets overlooked. But this issue is multi faceted.
Firstly, it is imperative that you partner with people (team mates, coaches and/or personal trainers) who take your emotional wellbeing as seriously as your eating and training program.
Not only should they have the expertise to go through this process with you but they need the expertise to handle a multitude of possible setbacks that may occur. And don’t be fooled… setbacks will happen at every stage of the game.
Secondly, you need to have the kind of mindset that is required to push through in this process. This sport is not easy. It is no one’s responsibility to get you to the end but yours. You need to have measurable and realistic goals in place for yourself and once you have a clear view of what you want to achieve you need to wake up every day and do what needs to be done to get you there. Period.
I wish I could say there was a magic formula for staying positive and pushing though setbacks but there isn’t. I am stubborn as hell and I like winning.
When I set my mind to something I don’t stop until I get it right. This attitude I apply to all aspects of my life so for me, it is part of who I am. If you want something bad enough, be relentless in your pursuit of it!
Have you had any major setbacks?
Oh yes. I have stepped on stage looking great, where my prep came together nicely and I have taken first prize more than once. I have also stepped on stage when I shouldn’t have. When things didn’t come together, and plans did not work out and my physique was not the best that it could have been.
Each time though, there was an honest assessment of what went wrong, what parts of my prep did not work for me and a plan was established to either change or adjust the process moving forward. Sometimes this meant working with different people, sometimes making adjustments to my diet and training.
Every time though, I have had to accept my role in the failures and commit to changes moving forward.
Another major setback was:
In the beginning of 2015 after battling with excessive pain in my legs and going through a multitude of scans and physiotherapy, it was discovered that I had scoliosis in my back. What followed was months of extensive physio and a specific training program to develop strength in my lower back, with my coach at that time, Sarah Hall.
Stepping on stage took a back seat to focusing on this rehabilitative program but I got through it and still made it to the WBFF stage where I took the Miss Diva Bikini 35+ title.
What are your future plans?
I am in the process of completing my sports nutrition certification through HFPA and plan to develop an interactive training and diet platform suited specifically to moms of all shapes and ages looking at getting their bodies back… watch this space 😉
Take us through an average day of yours:
*This is going to be boring :p*
- My day usually starts with one or both of my twins crawling into bed with me.
- Once we’re dressed, fed and I’ve dropped them off at school, I head to work. I work at NCX, a Xerox concessionaire and take care of the finance department.
- Lunchtime is gym time for me as my evenings are spent with my boys. I am a single mother and my time is mostly spent being a mom to my twin boys, so until they go to sleep, they are the focus of my attention.
- Once the twins are asleep, I catch up with any work, follow up with client diets and ensure my meals, and the twins’ school bags are all packed for the next day.
- My meal prep happens on the weekends so that I have all of my meals for the week. I have very limited time during the week so everything gets packed each night for the next day.
When my kids are with their dad… I enjoy longer gym sessions and lie ins with quiet time at home 🙂 And while I type this I realise why I am still single ha ha ha * Just kidding :p *
What are some of your tips for recent mothers, to staying in shape after giving birth?
- Stay in control of your diet first.
- Get a post natal eating plan that will nourish you and your baby (if you are still breast feeding).
- You may not always find the time initially to work out but YOU HAVE FULL CONTROL of what you eat. The biggest changes will come from taking control of your diet.
- Once you are given the go ahead by your doctor, you can then start with a workout programme that will compliment your established eating routine and further improve your progress towards your goal.
Fit Mother, Sonia Matos Shares Her Tips To Keeping Fit During And After Pregnancy!
How do you manage to balance everything and stick to your diet and training while still being a working mother and wife?
There is no big secret here. I don’t eat healthy and train “If I have time”… Training is part of my daily routine as much as going to work and paying bills is :p
I make a concerted effort to eat healthy MOST of the time while still allowing myself to enjoy my not-so-healthy treats.
I stopped eating junk food and stopped drinking fizzy cold drinks a long time ago, and maybe enjoy these as a cheat on the odd occasion. However my cheats are more carefully considered and I am more inclined to indulge in a pizza and some red wine when I can. Although I am no longer a “wife”, I have two amazing boys in my life that fill my heart with an abundance of Love and a family that support me as a single parent.
Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet:
My diet changes very often depending on whether I am in my “off season” or prepping for a show.
However a basic guideline of what I would eat in a day would be:
- Breakfast: Oats and egg whites
- Snack 1: Rice cake with cottage cheese and avo
- Lunch: Lean mince with brown rice
- Snack 2: Protein shake or Rice cakes and tuna
- Dinner: Chicken breast with veg / salad
- Snack 3: Casein whey shake
What are your top Nutrition tips for losing fat?
- Don’t fear carbs. They are not the enemy! Time your carb intake around your workouts for maximum fat loss benefit.
- Eat consistently throughout the day to ensure your metabolism is constantly fired up!
- Eliminate sugar from your diet.
Do you think supplements are as necessary as made out to be?
I think using quality supplements will help you reach your fitness goals for sure. It is not always easy to eat 6 meals a day so supplements can assist in filling the gap that would otherwise be filled with unhealthy alternatives.
A good quality BCAA and pre workout will assist with maximising your workouts and not sacrificing any gains in lean muscle mass.
You do not need to excessively invest in massive amounts of supplementation if you are eating wholesome, nutrient dense foods to achieve your goals.
Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training schedule and on average how long do you workout for?
I am a firm believer in training smart. My time in the gym is very limited because I have to fetch my kids from school so I have to make the most of my training time. I know what body parts I am training before I arrive at the gym and I have my music organised in a playlist.
I don’t waste time thinking about what workout to do and avoid chatting to other gym goers too much… simply because I just do not have too much time to waste.
On average I complete a full workout in an hour. If I am not pressed for time I can easily spend two hours in the gym but that is the exception. Similarly, if I need to, I will complete a workout in 45 minutes. If I am unable to do my usual HIIT cardio session after my weight training, I will do this at home after my kids go to sleep but I honestly try avoid this. I prefer to leave the gym having completed the day’s program so that I can focus on my family at home.
What are your 3 favourite exercises?
My favourite workouts are leg sessions and shoulders 🙂
1. Arnold press for shoulders
I love the shoulder pump I get from doing these. They are awesome for developing the delts. I prefer using dumbbells to work my shoulders because they allow for a greater range of motion.
2. Stiff legged deadlifts
3. split squats
For legs, I have a current Love affair with stiff legged deadlifts and split squats and could do them all day long. Beautifully toned legs are a must for me so quads, hammies, glutes and calves get specific attention.
What advice would you give the ladies to developing a flat tummy and well defined abs?
Diet. Diet. Diet. Your abs will reveal themselves in their glory when your body fat drops low enough, generally speaking around 10% for most of us.
Some of us are blessed with them, others not so much. Sorry. I work my abs very little and the moment my body fat reaches that 10% mark, they pop!
What are some of your leg training tips?
Legs deserve their own training day. Go heavy and go hard and keep changing it up. Make sure you fuel up before and after a hard leg session to get glycogen back into those muscles.
Favorite male Fitness models or bodybuilders?
There are so many that I follow and am inspired by, but our local boys for sure are my favourites. Not only because they have amazing physiques but because they seem to be down to earth, nice guys with good values.
- George Herwill
- Francois Beya
- Riaan Dohne
- Sibusiso Kotelo
- Jacques Fagan
Favorite female fitness icon(s):
Like most fitness athletes I became motivated by fitness icons like Bella Falconi and Andreia Brazier. I would lie in the bath and watch video clips of them on YouTube and wonder what it would be like to look like them.
The more my passion for this industry grew, the more time I spent following our local athletes and the one that stood out most for me was Angie Snyman. I still remember looking at pics of her in a royal blue bikini in a spread in Fitness Mag and realising that THAT was what I wanted for myself… I still follow her today. She still inspires me today. But I would be remiss to not mention other local fitness athletes that not only inspire me but proudly represent the strength and calibre of our South African fitness stars:
- Jenadine Havenga
- Ashleigh Frost
- Laura Daniels
- Bianca Van Rensburg
Favorite Quote:
There are two…
- The quote for my boys by Socrates:
“This above all… to thine own self be true”
- For me..I have this tattooed on my ribcage:
“We define ourselves by the best that is in us, not the worst that has been done to us”
What is the most common question you get asked?
“How’s training?” ha ha ha … Every. Time!!!!
Then usually followed by some form of diet or training talk. I enjoy engaging with others when it comes to health and fitness so very rarely shy away from these discussions.
Most moms usually ask me about finding time between kids, work and husbands to train and eat healty and my answers are the same as mentioned earlier. I don’t find the time, I make the time 🙂
Best piece of advice you ever received?
“In life, if you’ve got to force it, leave it alone. Relationships, friendships, ponytails. Just leave it.”
What competitions have you competed in and your placings?
2014
- Body Beautiful | Miss Body Beautiful 35+ | 4th
- Miss Body Beautiful fitness (open category) | 6th
2015
- WBFF South Africa | Miss Diva Bikini 35+ | 1st
- Miss Diva Fitness 35+ | 5th
- Miss Diva Fitness Tall | 5th
2016
- Rossi Grand Prix | Mss Bikini Model 35+ | 1st
- WBFF South Africa | Miss Diva Bikini 35+ | 6th
- Miss Diva Fitness 35+ | 6th
- Miss Diva Fitness Tall | 6th
Where can people get hold of you?
- Facebook: Sonia Matos
- Twitter: Soniamatos
- Instagram: _soniamatos_
- Blog: soniamatos.co.za
