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AN EXTREME EFFORT
 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
To learn more about Rick's success story visit his
website at
www.abclifestylefitness.com.au
By Amy Curwain
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Joint Winner is Amy Ashurst
Joint Winner is Romany White
January's Monthly Winner is Helen Jaman
This Months Winner was Paul Omann
