By Ben Wheeler
MEET the man who has overcome his weight issues, after a failed relationship and too much partying took its toll on his mental health, to become a ripped gym hottie.
Student Matthew Borozan, 22, always enjoyed playing sports during his childhood and teenage years but lost interest when he hit 18 and slowly started to gain weight whilst struggling with severe depression.
It wasn’t until a suggestion by his psychologist to get back in the gym that Matt decided to combat both his weight and mental health issues.
Images show the Aussie from Sydney after piling on the pounds compared to his now stunning, muscular physique.
“Over the years I’ve played lots of sport at a fairly high level, however after school I lost a lot of interest in all forms of physical activity,” he said.
“During this period between 18-21 I slowly gained weight and struggled heavily with severe depression.
“When I was 20 I noticed I had blown out. A failed relationship, too much partying and battling with my mental health really contributed to this, as well as my studies.
“At the time I would play video games for hours, became a social recluse and would binge on all sorts of food, mainly things like crackers, chips and takeaways.”
Matt then expanded on the reasons for getting back in the gym and how his first trip back to the weight room didn’t go as planned.
“My psychologist suggested it in combination with my medications to help combat my depression, which looking back was a great idea,” he said.
“However, I remember the first day I started back in the gym and I was so shocked about how much my body had changed that I walked into the weight room, saw my reflection in the large mirrors and had an anxiety attack.
“My first few sessions back were all on the treadmill until I had the confidence to take on the weight room. Workout after workout I slowly became happier and happier even though I wasn’t losing weight at a rapid rate, the release of endorphins was enough to have me hooked.”
Matt also discussed the strict diet and fitness regimens that have helped him turn his life and physique around.
“I currently train between four and six days a week, following a strict training split that helps me plan my weekly routine,” he said.
“I like to hit the gym hard and fast, in the past I would go for upwards of two hours, however at the moment I’m really finding that shorter, higher intensity sessions of 40 to 60 minutes is proving much more beneficial to my fitness goals. For one rep I can now bench 140kg, deadlift 180kg and squat 160kg.
“In terms of my diet, I eat chicken, chicken and more chicken! I’ve actually just found out I’m gluten intolerant, so I’ve had to change up the diet a bit recently.
“I tend to choose a protein for the week such as chicken, mince beef, pork fillet or steak and aim to hit about 210g of protein.
“My calories vary; however, I’m usually aiming to hit about 3500 per day as my casual job is very physically intensive. On day I don’t work I tend to drop the carbs a lot lower as I don’t need them.
“At the beginning of my fitness journey I heavily neglected the importance of diet however in reality diet is much more important than the training itself.”
Finally, Matt revealed how he feels about his body today, before giving his own advice to anyone else looking to improve their fitness.
“I feel very confident, and that transcends into many other aspects of my life like work, university and my social life,” he said.
“Mostly people are very supportive, however some people are just judgmental of my Instagram posts suggesting I’m showing off or attention seeking.
“Despite this, most people know the work I was putting into it and I’ll often have friends and family come to me asking for advice which is very flattering.
“The hardest part is starting, it takes about three to four weeks of training four to five days a week before it becomes a habit and those weeks are the hardest.
“Just take each day as it comes and focus on little goals. Also, progress photos are great for the times when training stalls and motivation dips, as you can look back and reflect on how far you’ve actually come.”
