Tom Wright looks to take over the European fitness scene.

Tom Wright, a fitness instructor at the Zest Gym and bodybuilding competitor, won the World Ultimate Physiques competition in 2017, and is preparing for a more prolific run this year.

Tom has been an athlete all his life. He told Leinster Express:

“I went to a place called Barton College in Kansas on a soccer scholarship, and I planned on staying out there, but I injured my knees. I was naturally lean and muscly from playing soccer.”

Tom got a degree in Exercise Science and began training friends for competitions, while building his own physique. Now back in Ireland, he has quite the busy schedule,

“I train seven days a week. I do weights six days, and then I do cardio on the seventh day. I compete in the Fitness Model category, and that’s different to bodybuilding, where you are just trying to be the biggest.”

Entering peak preparation for 2018, Tom says the hardest part of bodybuilding is social isolation, he cant share meals, can’t drink, can’t even stay out late. It can be a lonely business.

“I go slowly at the start and then training gets harsher and harsher. I also work with my father, he has a dairy refrigeration business. I train for around 50 minutes every day and keep it intense, no playing around or no talking, I just put everything into it.”

Tom won every competition in the WUP last year, and in 2018 will be attacking other organizations around Europe. He currently trains between Max Fitness and Zest in Portlaoise and Extreme Gym in Naas.

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