Quiet Achiever

Abraham Elzaibik
pic: Australian Muscle

Abraham and I train at the same gym, often at the same time. He trains hard, rarely stops to chat, but is always friendly when people say 'hi'. In the 3.5 years I've trained at at Bell St Fitness, Abraham has always worn track pants and a sweatshirt while training, even in the middle of summer. We often wondered what he looked like under those clothes. Now we know!

The following text is from the Leader newspaper

ABRAHAM Elzaibik is 120 kilograms of pure muscle.

The Mill Park beefcake started bodybuilding when he was 12 when he made it his goal to compete professionally.

“I always told myself as a kid that when I reached 120 kilograms I would start competing,” he said.

At 28 years old, Elzaibik trains full-time at Bell St Fitness in Coburg. And after much hard work and sacrifice he entered his first bodybuilding contest - the [NABBA] Internationals at Darebin Arts Centre last Sunday - and took out the second-class division.

Elzaibik has now set his sights set on a world title. He will travel to Malta on June 19 to compete for the second-class trophy.

“I’m hoping to win first place and I’m going to make sure I look my best and go there shredded to the bone,” he said.

Bodybuilding contests involve competitors lining up and performing a series of compulsory poses and quarter-turns.

Elzaibik has had to make many sacrifices to reach peak body condition, forced to avoid temptation along the way.

“It’s about discipline and in my mind I just keep reminding myself of my goal,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll be driving past KFC and want to make a u-turn but I can’t.”

Instead, his strict diet consists of eggs, chicken, beef, oats and protein shakes.

Elzaibik spends six days a week in the gym and his ultimate goal is to be crowned ‘Mr Olympia’ - the top world honour in bodybuilding.

“I’ve still got a long way to go,” he said.