Mrs Mops talks conquering the Hyrox fitness challenge and maintaining her BBL
She is planning on entering the Johannesburg event at the end of 2025.
Mpumi says she maintains her BBL through consistent gym sessions.
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'I never say no to a challenge,' she says.
It took three months of training but reality TV star Mpumi 'Mrs Mops' Mophatlane has conquered the Hyrox global fitness movement.
The intense indoor fitness competition held its first South African events in Johannesburg in March 2025 and in Cape Town in July, drawing in hundreds of participants to compete in a series of running and workouts in one of the world's fastest growing fitness challenges.
Mpumi efforts prove that anyone can overcome what they set their mind to.
Mpumi admits to TRUELOVE, 'It was a tough journey because I am not as fit. I've never thought of myself as a hybrid athlete.
'And so when my friend, who's also my personal trainer, said to me, 'Listen, in about three months time, there's going to be the Hyrox Cape Town'. And I'm like, 'Okay, so first of all, what is Hyrox? Number one. And what do they require?' And then when she sent me the pictures and the videos, I was like, there's no way.'
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But through hard work, determination and motivation, Mrs Mops completed the intense challenge in just under two hours.
The Mommy Club star tells us all about how she trained for the challenge, kept herself going and how she maintains her sculpted physique since undergoing a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure.
Tell us about your training schedule preparing for the Hyrox fitness challenge.
'Being so busy, it was so difficult. So, what we did is we decided let's train twice a week with the Hyrox trainer, and, because Hyrox is mostly running and I needed to get my pace up because I'm not a runner. Like I can't run to save my life.
'And when we got there, he tested us and he said to me, 'Mm, Mpumi, you are not runner girl. You're in trouble. You need to start increasing your pace and just start running'. And we started running on Sundays and started running on Mondays and Wednesdays as well to get my pace right. And the types of exercises there are, it's skiing, it's rowing, it's ball throws, it's the farmers carry. Yoh, it's lunges and burpees, which humbled me. Burpees humble me, I almost fainted when I was doing the burpees!
What kept you motivated to be consistent with your training?
'What kept me going was my children and my family because I had committed and with my big mouth, I had told everybody. So, everybody now was asking me, 'Hey, how's the Hyrox going? How's the training going?' Now I can't back down because I had already said to people, 'I'm training for the Hyrox'.
'Every time they're like, 'Mpumi, have a glass of wine', I'm like, 'No thanks, I'm training for the Hyrox'. So, I had committed myself to such a level that I couldn't back down.'
Would you commit to this level of working out in your everyday life?
'Oh, yes, absolutely. Now that I'm fit and I'm Hyrox fit and I know what to expect. When another one comes in Johannesburg, I think there's one coming in Johannesburg again at the end of the year, I will definitely enter that one.'
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What kind of lifestyle changes did you have to make to maintain your BBL?
'It's so important that if you do decide to get a BBL like I did, you have to go to the gym and maintain it. And it comes with consistency and a change of diet because it's going to be massive if you keep on eating all these unhealthy foods.
'So you have to just eat healthy. And, I mean, you can cheat here and there and have a cheat day, that's fine. But most of the time you just need to watch it. Watch your weight and everything else in between. Because I've had friends who've gone for round one, round two, round three BBLs because they don't like going to the gym. And so, mina, it's just one round and I'm done. and I'm going to maintain these results, honey, by being a gym bunny.'
How has your body changed a year on after your BBL?
'The results get better. Because as soon as you get up from that operating table, you look extremely exaggerated because you're swollen. And as time goes by and you're getting your massages - because it's really important to also get your massages.
'What people don't understand is that after you get your BBL and your lipo, you need lymphatic drainage massage to get all those fluids out from the swelling. And when you get your massages and you compress and you sleep with your compression garment and you're doing all those aftercare procedures, after a few months, you can tell that your body is getting better and better.'
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