Chocolate ban and crazy fitness program puts Waratahs prop Siosifa Amone in prime shape

From a crazy work out routine to a sugar ban, Siosifa Amone reveals the conversation that kicked him into an intense five month ‘hour on, hour off’ weight loss regime.

THE secret to Siosifa Amone’s dramatic 25kg pre-season weight loss can finally be revealed.

All it took was four torturous training sessions a day for three months.

There was also a chocolate ban. But as the Waratahs’ matchwinner says; “Even if I wanted chocolate, I was so tired from all the training I couldn’t be bothered going out to get any”.

In a punishing program designed by NSW’s head of athletic performance and former centre Tom Carter, Amone was put through one of the most gruelling fitness challenges imaginable. And that was before the proper pre-season training started.

Amone had ballooned out towards 150kg and came last in the Tahs’ fitness test.

He was pulled into the office of NSW coach Dan McKellar.

Waratahs prop Siosifa Amone underwent a gruelling pre-season fitness camp to shed 25kg. Picture: NSW Rugby/Hugo Carr

“He told me from day one that he saw something in me, and it’s whether or not I want to work for it or not,” Amone said.

“I’m sitting there in his office, weighing 143kg, and I made up my mind that I’m going to do whatever it takes.”

Amone, who turned 23 this week, grew up playing rugby league in western Sydney.

Some will remember the big front rower, aged 16, playing for Balmain Tigers against a tall, skinny South Sydney fullback by the name of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

The stars aligned for Amone and Suaalii to make their Waratahs debuts together, six years on, in Super Rugby Pacific’s opening round on February 14 against the Highlanders.

And while all the hype was surrounding the introduction of $5 million man Suaalii, it was Amone who stole the show with two barnstorming tries in the final 12 minutes, including the winner in the final seconds.

Waratahs prop Siosifa Amone is determined to make the most of his opportunity. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

But his explosiveness in those final 12 minutes came on the back of the three months of grind and sweat he endured with Carter.

“They were just big sessions, I got the job done,” Amone said.

“I owe a lot to Tom Carter, he gave up a lot of his free time to help the boys.

“My story is like a lot of Polynesian boys who grew up out in western Sydney. I come from a big family, there were times we didn’t have food on the table.

“I just want to make sure that I never go through that again, and when I have kids, that they grow up never having that feeling. That is what motivates me to make the most of my professional rugby career.”

Carter witnessed that drive first-hand on the blistering hot days at NSW’s Daceyville training base – and the notorious Coogee stairs he threw in for fun.

“They would train an hour on, an hour off from early morning,” Carter said.

“We’d start with a fitness session, rest, then weights session, rest, a conditioning or core strength conditioning, and then the last section of the day would often be strongman training or dumbbell training to just try and improve their capacity.

Amone underwent four training sessions a day. Picture: NSW Rugby/Hugo Carr

“We did that every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - and then sometimes Sifa would come in for extra conditioning on the Wednesday. And Fridays, we’d always finish the week with the Coogee stairs, an hour just running them up and down.

“We just continually did that for an extended period of time.

“And I’ve got to say, ultimately Sifa was the one who did it. We just create an environment, and were supportive and sometimes encouraging, sometimes got an arm around him and sometimes pushed him.”

Amone switched from league to union full-time aged 17, and found himself in the Waratahs academy.

But he was offered a spot in the Western Force academy four years ago and decided that moving out of his comfort zone, away from his family support, was the right move.

He received more dedicated coaching with the smaller numbers in Perth, and eventually made his Super Rugby debut for the Force, playing a number of games before a serious knee injury curtailed his 2024 season.

He considered giving rugby up for good, before the Tahs offered him a contract, and he set about earning the shot through his relentless pre-season work.

“I don’t really remember much about the food, all I remember was the training, it was just back-to-back,” said Amone, now playing at 125kg.

“My big weakness is sweets, chocolates, so I did cut that out.

“And as it went on, I just lost my taste for red meat, so I was just eating a lot more chicken and fish.

“There were definitely times my body was sore and I didn’t want to go to training or do another session, but then I thought, this is my opportunity.”