Body transformations are our bread and butter here at DMARGE. We get a real kick out of seeing blokes who’ve been struggling with their weight and often their mental health alongside finding a way to turn everything around.

However, one South African student may have just taken the whole genre to another level after an incredible two-month transformation…

Kretzmann’s Story So Far

In an all too rare example of the power of social media’s positive power to drive change and accountability, Tyron Kretzmann, a student from Stellenbosch, South Africa, has managed to capture the world’s attention… or, at least, almost 300,000 of its inhabitants as he undergoes a fitness journey that appears to not only be reshaping his body but his future prospects too.

Starting his journey at a hefty 160kg, Tyron came to the challenge seemingly tired of living his life at that weight and with a deep-seated desire for something different nagging away at him from within. To kickstart his journey, Kretzmann, like so many others nowadays, took to social media as a means of sharing his journey, inspiring others, but also holding himself accountable for changes he wanted to make.

With each passing day, his honesty, authenticity, and transparency quickly translated into hundreds of thousands of followers…

He’s now over 50 days into his fitness journey and has already lost over 50kg; an astonishing amount in such a short space of time. His initial promise — to walk an additional inch for every follower he gained — has seen him pound out a lot of steps in the pursuit of his goal. However, his regimen has been far more varied than steps alone, embracing activities like boxing, pilates, and even having a crack at a 10k run.

Friends In High Places

The visual transformation is striking and evident, a testament to the importance of setting clear goals and having a supportive community around you to help you along the way. His community has become so broad and so supportive, in fact, that it has even extended to some of the biggest names in fitness, who have reached out to offer their well wishes on a recent birthday post…

“Happy birthday bro”

noeldeyzel_bodybuilder

“If the dictionary was a picture book, you giving the thumbs up would be next to “likeable” 👏 Happy Birthday king.”

samcforth

The Road Ahead

As part of his birthday post, Kretzmann also asked his followers to suggest new challenges he should undertake as he enters the next phase of his journey. Here’s what they had to say.

This cool idea…

“Ice bath …. Flip a coin each day … heads you ice tails you don’t. Keep the body guessing therefore the dopamine remains high … 🧊”

daviniataylor

An appeal to the real rulers of South Africa…

“Day 7 asking @siyakolisi to invite Tiger to train with the Boks – Happy birthday 🙌🏼”

juanmmontilla

And finally, this…

“Learn how to backflip”

flowerboy.oraa

Whichever of these suggestions he chooses to take up, it’s clear that as Kretzmann continues to move closer to his ultimate goal of sculpting a godly six-pack, the people are behind him. Though the road ahead may be long, his rapid progress so far promises great things for this young Saffa’s future.