BBR Coaches Award!

Every morning. like clockwork, I would witness a remarkable sight as I unlocked the gates at our Claremont gyms. There he was, a dedicated individual, striding purposefully along the path. At first, I couldn't help but marvel at his unwavering commitment and then, a wave. It was Rob. As the days turned into weeks, his presence and physique caught the attention of members and trainers. But it was when he unveiled his shirtless physique for a series of photos that we were truly astounded. With a lean yet muscular physique his shoulders and arms looked phenomenal and left the whole gym in awe. He is a consistent hard worker and I we are thrilled to share his story. Well done Rob.

BBR: Firstly, How long have you been training at BBR and what brought you to BBR / How did you find us?

RG: I started training at BBR in October 2023. My wife had trained there for about 18 months and achieved some amazing results in changing her body composition, so I wanted to see what it was all about. We did the challenge together in October / November ’23 and I’ve been hooked ever since.

What was your first impression of BBR? What did you see or hear and how did it compare to your experience?

When I walked in to my first class (and every class since for that matter) I was welcomed by the trainers and members alike. Everyone follows the BBR ethos of bringing a positive mindset into the gym every day and it rubs off. I didn’t really have any preconceived ideas of what to expect.

RESULTS! Thank you for being vulnerable enough to share. Can you please tell us your results since starting at BBR and in the last 6 week challenge? Weight loss? DEXA Scan? Blood work? Body fat and lean muscle?

When I first signed up with BBR I weighed 97.8kgs and I suspect about 30% body fat (I didn’t have a DEXA scan unfortunately, but I have had skin fold measurements done before at a similar weight / condition and suspect I was in the low 30%’s). I didn’t feel comfortable in my clothes and was drinking far too much, so I just wanted a change. During the first challenge I dropped 4.3kg on the scales (95.5 down to 91.2kg), but suspect I dropped more fat and gained some muscle. Unfortunately, I can’t confirm this without a before and after DEXA scan. Christmas and summer holidays then interrupted my progress and, whilst I stayed in reasonable shape, I did put some weight back on. With this in mind, I agreed to sign up for the first challenge of 2024. I enjoy the accountability and teamwork of the challenges. I started the challenge at 93.8kg and 24.1% bodyfat, with a goal weight of 88kg. Work was pretty hectic, but I’d decided that I would fully commit to this challenge and so I started getting up at 3:35am every day so I could either walk 5.5km before going in to work or walk to and from BBR Claremont (2.5km each way for me) for the 5:15am classes and train 4 days per week. The cardio for me was the biggest difference between this and my first challenge, I committed to doing cardio (brisk zone 2 walking) every day and it has made a huge difference with getting the

fat off.

I got my bloodwork done and all my levels for cholesterol, sodium, etc. were in the acceptable range. I largely attribute this to the impact of changing my diet for the first challenge. Additionally, my blood pressure when carrying more weight has historically been on the upper end of acceptable, since the first challenge and dropping the weight, my blood pressure is now in the acceptable range and no longer a cause for concern. I managed to get down to 87.9kg on the final day of the challenge and got a DEXA scan the following Tuesday which showed my bodyfat was down to 19.1%, the lowest I think I’ve been ever, and that I had put on 400g of muscle. Additionally, my visceral fat (the internal dangerous stuff) had dropped in to the acceptable range. I’m going to continue the challenge practices for 3 weeks post the official end of the challenge and then have a week off on holiday. When I return,I’ll be training under Gene’s eye getting ready for my first Hyrox event in September. I’ve targeted to get under 15% body fat by 15 th May 2024 – so watch this space!! I’ll definitely sign up for the next challenge. Regardless of my goals, its great to have targets and to be accountable to someone and the culture that Ryan and the team create is second to none!!

What other benefits have you experienced since joining BBR?

TEAM CULTURE – The BBR team environment is great and its always enjoyable to see / hear

what other members in the gym are achieving. The trainers are also a wonderful source of

motivation, advice and laughter (at the right times – not when training)

DIET - My diet has changed massively for the positive. Its better for me, I spend less time

prepping food, it costs me less and I’m more organised for doing the prep. NB – my wife helped

me get my food prep for 4 days of food and protein shakes to under an hour at a time – happy

to share the hacks if anyone’s interested!!

LESS DRINKING / MENTAL EFFECT – I now drink far less than I used to and my mind feels a

lot clearer and more positive for it. I will always enjoy a drink, but the beers / wine whilst

watching TV on a Tuesday night are now a soda stream with zero calorie mixer. I try to keep

drinking for the weekend on an evening out.

What challenges did you have to overcome during the 6 Week Challenge?

Just getting started and getting motivated was my biggest challenge. Once I got talking to Ryan,

the trainers and other members, I got carried along with the challenge and it became easy for

me.

What surprised you the most about your experience during the 6-week challenge?

I was surprised how easy it was in the end, not physically, but just how everything became habit

and I just felt like I had no choice but to get it done every day in terms of CARDIO – TRAINING

– FOOD – WATER!!

How did the support from the community or your fellow challenge participants contribute

to your success?

This was everything for me, I love the BBR community. It’s quite infectious and is the best part of becoming a BBR member. Everyone enters and leaves the gym with a smile and a positive word. There was always someone fitter and / or stronger than me who’d be happy to train together and help set the bar higher for me. The trainers will always push you to go a bit harder, tweak your body position to make the muscles work harder / more effectively and offer a positive word / offer advice if you’re struggling.

What strategies or habits did you develop during the challenge that you plan to continue

in your fitness journey?

- Food plan – I managed to get my food prep down to less than an hour every 4 days, this

helped free up some of the time id lost to training and cardio.

- Soda stream / zero calorie mixers – Managing to consume 4 litres of water per day was

hard, but with a soda stream and a few different zero calorie mixers make all the

difference to give me something I enjoy drinking that has a bit of flavour.

- Walking daily – Early alarm call and get the day started positively with a 5.5km walk.

- Routine – You’ve got to make yourself do it initially, but after a couple of weeks it’s pretty

much habit-forming so you’ve got to make yourself stick to the routine.

Any inspiring words for people who are considering participating in the next 6 week

challenge?

Just start – You will love it and you will lose weight / transform your body composition if you give

it a fair crack. Just sign up and commit to it, get in the gym and start sweating, do your cardio

and keep sweating. A 70% day at the gym or cardio is better than doing nothing at all.

When you sign-up you’re doing more than signing up to a gym, it’s a community and a group of

people / mates who’ve got your back in the gym.

YES YOU CAN!! (Thanks Em)

STTFP – Ryan’s adage which I’ve used for years in my job as project manager – stick to the

fucking plan – so true, do this and you’ll win!!

A little about you….

Favourite exercise? Anything legs and sled push / pulls

Least favourite exercise? Burpees

Favourite song to train to? A Hundred Miles and Running by NWA

Favourite song to sing along to while driving? Anything by Frank Sinatra

Favourite movie? Star Wars – A New Hope or any of the 3 Christopher Nolan Batman movies.

What trainer scares you the most? Ryan – great bloke, but holds everything for a bit longer

Best training buddy? My wife Amanda – although Chris, Andy and Brook from the 5:15am

Claremont sessions have all been great for my training as well.

What’s your coffee order? Long black

Sweet or savoury? Both

Favourite restaurant and meal? Restaurant – Oncore in Sydney, meal – mixed grill

Proudest moment in the gym? Doing 5 narrow grip chin ups a couple of weeks back.