After
12 weeks of dedication and determination, driven by
strong will, Rick Brennan is Australian IRONMAN magazine’s
12-Week Body Blitz Grand Champion. But the win is
just the icing on the cake for the Gold Coast resident.
Since the 12-Week Challenge, Rick’s life has
gone from strength to strength as he continues with
his transformation.
Not only has he transformed his body, but his life has
also taken on a whole new meaning. He now owns and runs
ABC Lifestyle Fitness, works in radio advertising and
does fashion and sports modelling, while still managing
to maintain and improve his physique.
"I
won the Body Blitz challenge in May’s Australian
IRONMAN (10#5) and now I’m being used as the body
behind Syn-tec supplements for Australia. I did a lot
of fashion modelling years ago but stopped because of
my football. I gained a lot of weight and had a few
operations. My body was really out of whack, which was
when I went in the Body Blitz 12-Week Challenge,"
says Rick.
Things were pretty tough for the 29-year-old before
he did the Challenge. He had a range of personal issues
to sift through, underwent a finger reconstruction and
had a major knee operation. Rick went from fit to frumpy
and lost sight of his goals and ambitions. But thanks
to some very special people he was able to build himself
up again.
He says it was his brother Jeff and sister-in-law Carlie
who were the most support to him throughout the Challenge.
"I always trained with my brother. He had to be
there because of the injuries with my knee and finger
and he had to strap me on to the different pieces of
equipment. He looked after me because I was dealing
with a fair amount of stress."
Looking
at the 2003 Body Blitz champion today, you would never
guess that he was once introverted and lived life just
going through the day-to-day motions, unmotivated to
do anything. Rick recalls feeling as though his life
was out of control, so he thought by at least doing
the Challenge it was one aspect of his life he could
control.
Working long days in an office while training up to
three hours a day, and then going home to cook and prepare
meals was a big adjustment, particularly compared to
his previous habits of little exercise and a diet consisting
of takeaway food.
"The biggest challenge,
other than getting off my butt and starting was trying
to fit it all into my busy schedule. I just put whatever
spare time and energy I had left into my training. I
didn’t have a lot of time to catch-up with friends
or go out, any spare time I did have I spent training."
From day one Rick was out there to win, despite most
believing he was crazy, trying to achieve all this while
working such long days. But no matter what anyone said,
Rick stayed in control, knowing that he could reach
new heights.
"No matter what people said
I just kept pursuing it and when it got to about the
tenth week my outlook on life changed, and I became
more goal orientated. I was a lot more out there in
socialising with people; I was becoming more of an extravert."
The majority of Rick’s training took place in
a shed at a friend’s place that was originally
built for packing grapes. It was here that he set up
all his own pieces of training equipment, including
bars, a Smith Machine and bench press.
"I
did weights six days a week and cardio everyday. Sunday
was the only day I didn’t do weights, I just did
lots of cardio. So I didn’t have a rest day,"
he recalls.
Rick combined his strict diet and training regime with
a supplementation program using Syn-tec products including
Thermalene, Nitro-Plex and Mass-Plex protein powders
and Volumax. While these supplements helped Rick his
results can be attributed to the dedication he showed
in the gym.
Rick worked hard and was rewarded not only by losing
weight and building muscle, but also with the extra
confidence he gained and the positive mind set he developed.
Gone were the days when he saw the bad in everything
– the new Rick could see the good in every opportunity.
"I’ve done motivational talks for
a few women’s groups and at the end of the half-hour
talk they say, ‘Mate you’re amazing! How
could you have done it?’ And I say, ‘I’m
not amazing, all I’ve done is get off my backside
and changed my life for the better’."
Rick’s down-to-earth nature, along with the lean
and chiselled physique he sports are just two of his
inspiring character traits. The experience of doing
the Challenge is still evident in every aspect of his
new life. He says, "Every door I knock on seems
to open for me and it’s not only about how you
look but how you see yourself as well. It’s all
about confidence."
Although his life is still jam packed with work and
training, Rick is now making positive and productive
decisions which will further his success. With high
ambitions, Rick refuses to doubt that he or anyone else
can achieve whatever it is they aspire to.
"I want to get my own exercise TV show up and running.
It’s a reality type of program, which consists
of finding people all over Australia to take part. I’d
also like to further my modelling and look at eventually
going into film and TV full-time."
There seems to be no limits to Rick’s goals for
the future, but he is adamant that it’s all about
finding the balance between a healthy body and a healthy
mind and believing in yourself.
"In an
instant you can change your mind-set and pull yourself
out of anything. The world is your oyster and as long
as you don’t sell yourself short, there is no
dream that you can’t achieve."
Rick would like to say a special thank you to his brother
Jeff and sister-in-law Carlie, Glen McLean, managing
director of Syntec Supplements and the staff at Miami
Fitness. IM
After
12 weeks of dedication and determination, driven by
strong will, Rick Brennan is Australian IRONMAN magazine’s
12-Week Body Blitz Grand Champion. But the win is
just the icing on the cake for the Gold Coast resident.
Since the 12-Week Challenge, Rick’s life has
gone from strength to strength as he continues with
his transformation. 
Looking
at the 2003 Body Blitz champion today, you would never
guess that he was once introverted and lived life just
going through the day-to-day motions, unmotivated to
do anything. Rick recalls feeling as though his life
was out of control, so he thought by at least doing
the Challenge it was one aspect of his life he could
control.
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