We sat down with the amazing Thishiwe Ziqubu and got her take on Discipline and Commitment read the full feature below don't forget to like and share.

1. Tribal Fit: Based on your career how strict do you have to be with yourself in maintaining set body weight?

  1. Thishiwe Ziqubu: I keep fit mainly because it keeps me mentally and emotionally balanced. Exercise is one of the things that activate my inner life force so that on an energy level I’m vibrating higher. This is highly important for me as an actor, as energy is a creative tool. I am able to create dynamic characters because the energy within me is dynamic and not stagnant. Therefore, I cannot be lax about always moving, always staying in motion. If I’m not moving the chi within, I can’t create, then the acting suffers. I try not to focus on weight itself as a number but on my wellness and the dynamism of my energy. Obviously, I like to look good and it comes handy for some parts but the first and foremost thing is not the aesthetics but what’s happening to the spirit, the spirit I use as a living being, the spirit I use as an actor. So in that sense, I am strict with myself. But it’s not the kind of strictness where I punish myself, I just allow the process, I allow the creative process to manifest and fitness is a huge part of that process. Eating well is so vital as an actor. An actor must take care of her health. Especially if I’m working on a part, I will fast from certain foods like carbs, sugar, and alcohol because they slow down my vibrational frequency. I am strict on what I put into my body but I do allow the occasional ‘treat’ because a fitness lifestyle shouldn’t make you miserable

2. Tribal Fit: What does it take for you to stay consistent and focused on building your body?

  1. Thishiwe Ziqubu: Consistency is key! It takes discipline and self-motivation. Staying focused on the goal. Once you make it a habit, it’s easier to keep up. The minute you allow the habit to be interrupted, it’s twice as hard getting back into the groove. So avoiding the slump is a good motivation. Getting addicted to the feeling of well driving me to keep at it. I like to tell myself when I’m feeling unmotivated, ‘If Hollywood called you tomorrow and needed you to play a superhero or an action hero, would you be ready?’ So I try to train like I’m training for a part that needs me to look my best, always.

3. Tribal Fit: How do you make time to work out and body build?

  1. Thishiwe Ziqubu: Making time can be very challenging because I have a very busy schedule. I act, write and direct and I’m working on my own shows as a producer. So time is limited. But you have to make the time. If I can’t do an hour training session, I’ll do 30 minutes. If I’m feeling really pressed I’ll do a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for 15 minutes and still feel the burn! You can always spare 15 minutes, no matter how busy you are.

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4. Tribal Fit: What is your daily routine like?

  1. Thishiwe Ziqubu: No two days are the same for a freelancer. I like to keep things flexible because I’m not a fan of humdrum routine so I switch it up all the time, as long as I get everything I need to get done done, even if the order is different. One day could be a morning run or a weight training session at the gym(I love weights!), then breakfast, locking myself in my study to write for 12-16 hours straight with healthy snacks every 3-4 hours, and breaks to do a few pushups and squat jumps in between just to keep it moving. As a writer keeping your bum glued to the chair all day can be very unhealthy. Then supper with the family, quality time with my partner and daughter, some spiritual work and then bed. On another day I’m up at 4am to be on set at 5.30 for the acting work. I do pushups on set while waiting for my next scene because in a 14hour shoot day there’s no time for the gym. On another day, I’m lazing about all day eating yogurt on the couch and watching movies with the family, and then fit in some yoga before bed. As I said, no two days are the same.

5. Tribal Fit: What did it take for you to get to the body type and weight you are in now?.

  1. Thishiwe Ziqubu: Consistency. I’ve fluctuated somewhat over the years, had periods where I was unmotivated and gained weight especially as a result of depression but I tend to always bounce back. I always loved fitness so in high school already I was doing weights in my bedroom but on a very irregular basis. As I grew into my 20s, my spiritual health always necessitated some sort of exercise regimen whether it was running or yoga. But I started making fitness my lifestyle in a committed sense in 2010 when I landed a part that needed me to look fit. That’s when I gained the muscle I’ve tried to maintain that since but it’s only recently I’ve managed to get out of the cycles of losing focus and getting demotivated. It has never been my goal to be skinny, I always wanted to be strong and holistically fit so that is what I use to direct my fitness path.

6.Tribal Fit: If you could buy a body part which body part would you buy?.

  1. Thishiwe Ziqubu: Buy a body part? Hmmm. Build a body part, that I can deal with. But on second thoughts I wouldn’t mind buying nicer feet and hands!!!

7. Tribal Fit: When things get difficult and you feel like giving up what do you say to yourself to keep going?.

  1. Thishiwe Ziqubu: The only way out is through. Embrace the process.

And another good one - Am I being the highest possible version of myself right now?