Blockhouse #3: A workout in Cape Town with Matt Rosslee
I just want to be in the worst shape of Matt's life
About six months ago my brother, Matt, and his family surprised us in Cape Town with a spontaneous family trip. I had last seen him in November 2019, just after our Nanna passed away. Any plans to meet up since then have been thwarted by Covid-related travel bans and quarantines — thrilling stuff.
In the time since we were last together, Matt and Kim have made two beautiful humans, Sawyer and Summer. Sawyer had just celebrated his second birthday and Summer was in her first months when they landed in Cape Town. Jules and I had a tiny ten person wedding in 2020 (without the majority of our siblings), moved to Cape Town in 2021 and are now expecting a baby boy in September 2022.
To say that it’s been tough missing out on these milestones in each other’s lives is an understatement. However, with the memories of getting to know my nephew and niece over the three months, and seeing Matt and Kim as parents, I feel an overwhelming gratitude for the special time we shared on this trip.
When Matt finished his degree majoring in Finance at UCT, he was offered an opportunity to play professional rugby in Kimberley for Griquas. He had a few Currie Cup caps for Western Province at that stage, and then went on to play over 50 provincial matches for Griquas over three seasons.
After rehabilitating an injured knee, he went over to Hong Kong to play some club rugby and start his career in finance. He worked for a year or so for the financial services firm, BlackRock, until something unexpected happened — his professional rugby career boomeranged back into play when the Hong Kong Rugby Union contracted a full fifteen man squad to challenge for a spot in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Matt and a host of former UCT stalwarts (among others) were offered the incredible opportunity of playing international rugby for a living.
There was one outstanding thing our list of things to do while he was still in Cape Town — he had to come and show me up in The Blockhouse.
Matt: It’s been quite a while since you published those workouts with Blake and Nic… Have you not been writing or not been in the Blockhouse?
Nic: A bit of both, I guess! 😂 I’ve had a couple of great spells where I was working out 4-5 times a week and other times where I was consistently writing a few hundred words a day. I don’t think they overlapped though…
Matt: Well there’s always time. (Note: The fact that I’m publishing this three months late suggests otherwise)
Nic: I’ve been waiting for another big name to boost my readership. I was hoping for a retired international rugby legend to come and put me through the paces… Like Schalk Brits.
Matt: So what’s your goal then: To be in the best shape of your life?
Nic: *Checking out Matt’s biceps* Actually it’s bigger than that: I want to be in the worst shape of your life.
It’s a story for another time, but they were one game away from qualifying to play in the Springboks and All Blacks pool at the World Cup in Japan. It was like The Mighty Ducks crossed with Friday Night Lights. It was a riveting ride and I remember Matt walking off the field in his final game against Canada like as a picture of Theodore Roosevelt’s Man In The Arena —his face marred by dust and sweat and blood. I was so proud of my brother.
Matt then explained that the workout we were going to do was mostly bodyweight stuff that the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s fitness coach gave them during lockdown to do from their apartments.
Matt reminded me of the workouts we used to do in pre-season rugby training for UCT back in our early twenties when he was the 1st XV flyhalf, and I was playing flank for the 2nd XV.
Matt: I remember after about an hour and a bit you used to get bored and say “stuff this, I can’t be in this gym for hours on end - I’ve got better things to do”.
Nic: I definitely didn’t have better things to do. I just wanted to klap it for an hour at match-level intensity and carry on with my day.
Matt: You were probably right. You could have invented CrossFit with that framework…
Nic: Not in a million years could I have invented CrossFit!
Matt retired from pro rugby in lockdown and now runs two businesses in Hong Kong - Biltong Chief and Chief’s Blend. Biltong Chief is an online butcher & grocer in Hong Kong with a selection of fantastic South African meats and wines. Chief’s Blend is a South African farm-style café & deli in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
The workout
We did three ten minute blocks with alternating exercises EMOM (every-minute-on-the-minute) - so two exercises being alternated each minute in sets of 5 (5x2). You basically just need a stopwatch or cellphone timer, a few square metres of space, and perhaps a few bits of gym equipment.
The exercises:
Group 1 (0 - 10 mins)
Bench press - 10 reps (Do the 10 reps and rest for the rest of the minute)
Pull ups - 6 reps (Do the 6 reps and rest)
Group 2 (11 - 20 mins)
Single leg squat - 6 reps each leg
Dips - 6 reps
Group 3 (21 - 30 mins)
Side planks (for the full minute)
Crunches (for the full minute)
The tempo of this workout was something I wasn’t used to. It was not as intense as a classic interval training (HIIT) workout, yet not as slow as a normal strength training session. I really enjoyed the tempo of this workout: it felt like we got a lot of reps in, with controlled form, and kept a solid conversation going throughout.
The playlist
After a few good tracks I asked Matt “What’s the thinking behind this playlist? Struggling to pick up a theme.” He was quick on the draw with his answer:
“A couple of groovy tunes that I like to play in Chief’s Blend (Camel Power Club). A bit of country (Luke Combs), some for old time’s sake (Frightened Rabbit), some pop (One Republic) and Sigur Ros for the warm down.”
I enjoyed the eclectic array of tunes that Matt put together. Particularly the trips down memory lane with Frightened Rabbit, Bruce Springsteen and Sigur Ros.
Uncling with Matt’s boy, Sawyer Rosslee (and some ice cream)
When we were talking about me becoming to a dad to little boy, Matt said something with a twinkle in his eye which I have come to understand that he is going to say something offbeat, with a slice of his trademark humour. “It’s weird to think that Sawyer and him won’t be brothers — we’re brothers?”
We are brothers. I can’t argue with him about that.
I really hope that it’s not too long until we get to hang out in Cape Town again soon. I need my Padel partner back, and there’s going to be a little guy here that he needs to meet!
*Shortly after this workout, Jules and I moved out of the flat we were living in Vredehoek — and the Blockhouse’s gear got boxed up. We’ve moved to Claremont and don’t have a garage that’s going to become a gym. But I have joined the nearest gym.
**I have no really good explanation for why it took me a few months to publish this post.