Larne bodybuilder to represent Ireland after winning two PCA titles

Neil Rennie was crowned Novice champion at both the PCA Saxon Classic in Stafford on April 7 and PCA Scotland competition in Glasgow on April 14. The victories secured him an invite for a place representing Ireland at the British finals.

The 31-year-old spoke to the Larne Times about his successes and offered advice to anyone wishing to get involved in the sport.

Neil, who works as a personal trainer, said: “It feels great to have got the wins, I enjoyed competing and it made the hard work worthwhile.

“I’ve been coaching for 10 years and competing for five years. It’s an exciting time to be involved in the sport of bodybuilding locally.

"There are shows popping up across the province, including Belfast next week. It’s brilliant to see more people getting involved. There’s a lot of science involved and it’s all about seeing how far you can push your body.

“I graduated with a Sports Science degree from the University of Sunderland in 2013 and worked as a PT there for three years, before six years in Newcastle.

"I returned home last year and have been coaching people online, with clients based across the UK as well as further afield, including Kuwait and Dubai.

"It’s fantastic to be able to help people on their fitness and wellbeing journey. They can use so many of the techniques from training in other areas of their lives and this helps create positive mindsets.”

The former Larne Grammar student added: “The judges look at who is the more muscular and they assess your symmetry. I was able to get down to around three per cent body fat for the shows this month.

"Ahead of a show I take on 6,000 calories a day. During my preparation I then introduce cardio and reduce my calorie intake to 2,500 per day. It requires a lot of dedication, but the results are very beneficial- you get intent and purpose.

"It’s all about setting goals. The sport is challenging, both mentally and physically. It takes up a lot of your time and you need an understanding partner. My wife Abi is very supportive and I’m thankful.”