Name: Ryan
BodySpace: Stryka
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170 lb
Member Since: 2007
Bodybuilding has grown by leaps and bounds all over the world in the last 10 years. BodySpace is proof of this phenomenon because our fitness community has grown to nearly one million members and getting closer every day.
Bodybuilding's rise in popularity is also evident when you take a look at the "Land Down Under", as Australia has become a hot bed for bodybuilding and fitness. The proof is in the pudding with Aussie Tony Doherty's world-renowned gym, the Australian Pro Show that the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilders) holds right after the Arnold Sports Festival, and all the great Australian fitness enthusiasts that are a part of BodySpace.
One such member is Stryka. He has been a part of BodySpace for a few years now and does a lot to help others. Whether it's by staying accountable with logging his workouts or giving a kind word of support to another member, he represents exactly what BodySpace stands for. Take a moment to learn more about Stryka as he's recognized as the newest BodySpace Member of the Month.
Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Ryan, I turned the big 3-0 this year, and I live and grew up in Tasmania, Australia.
How long have you been visiting Bodybuilding.com and using BodySpace?
3 years now, best place I know for training information and meeting like-minded people.
What do you do for a living?
I am a Financial Advisor mainly helping people with Retirement planning.
Do you compete or do you stay so dedicated for other reasons?
I'm currently preparing for my first competition on Sept 25th; I really enjoy lifting and the feeling of nailing that PB (personal best) lift so I've never had any problems staying motivated.
And when it comes to nailing a personal best,
Ryan's got a couple of huge hammers to do the job.
What is the most important thing you've learned since you started training?
There are a lot of different ways to train. None are necessarily wrong but you just need to find out which one suits you the best. The most important thing is to just get in there and lift something.
What is your favorite body part to train and why?
Definitely back cause it's deadlift day. There's nothing more satisfying than nailing a heavy deadlift, and because it's responsible for most of my back development.
What is the best fitness advice you could give to someone who is just starting?
Lift heavy, using deadlifts, squats and bench press as the core of your program. Everything else is important but those three are non-negotiable in my book.
Next would be get your diet and recovery right because that is where the biggest gains come from.
Which is hotter—the Earth's core or Ryan's?
How often do you treat yourself to a cheat meal and what is your favorite cheat food?
I don't really stop myself from having cheat meal when I feel like having one, but I concentrate on putting the right foods into my body most of the time, so the odd cheat doesn't worry me too much. Cookies are my killer at the moment.
Why is BodySpace so helpful to you?
BodySpace is full of motivating like-minded people that inspire me to keep working hard. Whenever I feel slack I look at what other people are achieving and it gets me back on track. It's great to have other like-minded people to bounce ideas off.
BodySpace
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Join the largest online fitness communityWhat are your future fitness goals?
First up is to compete in September, and then I'm going to continue to work on improving my physique for future competitions.
Is there anything you would like to say to all the BodySpace people out there?
Keep training hard, pushing yourself, and above all be consistent. You get the biggest gains from consistently doing well as opposed to sporadically being extraordinary.