They put their blood, sweat and tears into building the best rooms, and as a result, the Blockheads have come out of the competition with some impressive rigs.
WATCH: A behind the scenes look at our exclusive photoshoot with this year’s Block contestants
El’ise & Matt: ‘YOUR TANK IS EMPTY’
How physical is the work on The Block?
El’ise: It was the most physical and mental thing I’ve ever endured … When your tank is running on empty seven days per week and you’re asked to run a marathon daily, it’s almost impossible!
Did you lose weight while you were on the show?
Matt: Within the first few weeks of being on The Block I dropped a lot of kilos. It’s purely the physical side of things – there was so much demolition to do, you just don’t stop. We eat right and do the right things, but it’s a lot.
Was it hard to maintain a healthy diet on set?
El’ise: My downfall was throughout the night and early mornings – my body was screaming at me for sugar to keep me awake!
Mitch & Mark: ‘IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT’
Did you lose weight on the show?
Mark: Yes, about 8 or 9kg.
It is a stressful environment on the show. Did it affect your 
health?
Mark: Yes, very stressful. You have to be physically and mentally tough, and, yes, it has taken a toll and a bit of time to recover.
Mitch: Absolutely. You are tired –mentally and physically exhausted. But, it was an amazing experience to go through together. We were there for each other every step of the way.
We were both amazed at what is possible when you’ve got each other. Our bumps, bruises and mental exhaustion has passed, and now we are proud about what we achieved – it was totally worth it, and we feel privileged to have had the opportunity.
Tess & Luke: ‘OUR BODIES CHANGED’
Did you lose weight while you were on The Block?
Tess: My body definitely changed. I don’t like to weigh myself; I just like to be happy when I look in the mirror. I remember during the middle and end of The Block, I saw photos from when I started, and my face, arms and legs had definitely changed. It’d be from all of the scaffold and from the stress!
Luke: I definitely lost weight – I’d say about 5kg.
Was it hard to maintain a healthy diet on set?
Tess: It was really hard. We were on the run so much. I remember I was feeling really sick one day and I realised
I hadn’t eaten in two days. It’s purely because you just do not have time. You are constantly on the move.
Deb & Andy: ‘YOU KEEP GOING’
Did you lose weight while you were on The Block?
Andy: I had a 10kg weight loss.
Deb: I lost 5kg.
What is your regular exercise routine outside of the show?
Deb: I walk and do strength training when time permits.
Andy: I do strength training and yoga.
It is a very stressful environment on the show. Did it affect your health?
Deb: It’s so stressful, it affects you mentally and physically. You have to be very strong – both your body and mind. It certainly is not for the faint–hearted – it’s so much harder than it seems from your lounge chair at home.
Andy: It tested me out mentally and physically. The time frames, workload and production of the show combined makes for a lot of stress. You have to just keep going and remember there’s always a new day.
Jesse & Mel: ‘THE HARDEST THING WE’VE DONE’
How physical is the work on The Block?
Jesse: It’s the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. It’s so hard to get workdone during the day when filming is happening, and a lot of the work like plastering, laying flooring and painting is done at night after 6pm. So, you wake up at 6am every morning and work 20 hours!
What are your top tips for staying healthy on The Block?
Mel: Find five minutes to eat a healthy and filling breakfast, lunch and dinner! Always have bottled water in your fridge to stay hydrated.
What is your regular exercise routine outside of the show?
Mel: I used to work out five days a week – lots of weight training and one or two days of cardio.
Was it hard to maintain a healthy diet on set?
Mel: At the start of the week I would eat, but towards the end – from Friday to Sunday – there were times I wouldn’t
eat anything for a whole day.
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