Michael Clarke undergoes huge body transformation: 'I wasn't healthy'

Michael Clarke has undergone a huge body transformation with the former cricketer taking part in a 12-week challenge with Men's Health magazine, following in the footsteps of Joel Creasey, Guy Sebastian and Osher Gunsberg amongst many others.

The 40-year-old proudly posed shirtless for the January issue showing off all the hard work he underwent in the 12 weeks leading up to the photoshoot.

Working with Acero's Jono Castano and Chad Hurst, the Big Sports Breakfast radio host wanted to ensure he was in the best shape of his life when he turned 40.

"Look, I’ve always been quite fit, but as you can see from the before photo, I was still carrying a bit," he told Men's Health. "More than that, though, I wasn’t as healthy as I wanted to be – and I’m not talking about how my body looked; I’m talking about my mind. I wanted to be sharper.

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"I want to be sharp at 4am for radio, and I want to be just as sharp when I pick up my daughter [Kelsey Lee] from school at 3.30, and still sharp when she’s having a conversation with me at 8:30 before she goes to bed."

He also opened up about his relationship with ex-wife Kyly Clarke: "In terms of the shared custody, honestly, I have nothing but respect for my ex-wife, and all I can do is compliment her. She is a fantastic mother, we have a wonderful friendship, and we both, always, prioritise our daughter."

The cricket star said he hoped his transformation and new healthier lifestyle will 'inspire' Kelsey Lee to live a similar lifestyle, saying she's been to the gym with him and loves seeing his celebrity trainer, Jono Castano.

Michael added that turning 40 wasn't a 'massive psychological hurdle', but retiring from cricket was another story.

"When you stop doing something that got you out of bed every single day, when you lose that structure and routine, you lose a lot – and I’ve seen people go downhill in those circumstances, physically and mentally," he explained. "Trying to stay fit and healthy post-retirement was partly a defence against that. And when I hit 40, something told me that I wanted to be fitter and healthier than I’d ever been.

"But while that was my goal, I wasn’t sure it was possible. I mean, could I really be fitter and stronger, could I really feel better and look better, than when I was a professional athlete? That was a time when I had the best people around me – the best nutritionists, the best strength-and-conditioning coaches. How could I possibly do things better on my own?"

Jono took to Instagram to share a photo of Michael's transformation, writing, "@michaelclarkeofficial seriously so proud of you!! The amount of hard work you put in and out of the gym is incredible.

"You’re a great father and a great friend for life. Congratulations on these amazing results but from the get go I knew you would absolutely smash it out the park. Thanks to the @acero team who worked closely with Clarky also."

On his own Instagram, many of Michael's followers celebrated his achievement, with trainer Chad writing, "What a man! Well done Clarkey!"

Jordan and Zac Stenmark added, "Looking shredded mate!!"

Gus Worland wrote, "Stop it Clarkey! Wow," while Kristin Fisher added, "Big boy worked harrrrrrd for this! Time for ALL the pizza now."

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