THE UPGRADER
You’ve got to be a brave man to enter a fitness physique competition. Not only do you need to live most people’s anxiety dreams by stripping to your smalls and doing poses in front of a huge room full of strangers, but all the hard work you’ve put in at the gym is being scrutinised and judged.
But as well as supreme courage, you need supreme dedication – and that’s what Matt’s demonstrated with the hard work he’s put in with coach Shaun Stafford. He’s so dedicated, in fact, that he entered his first competition just six weeks into his six-month Upgrade programme.
‘So I had just six weeks to prepare myself for my first ever WBFF competition,’ says Matt. ‘I was nervous, naturally, but I really enjoyed the experience and can’t wait to do it again. I didn’t get a podium place, but it was awesome to see what I could achieve in such a short period, and losing nearly 9kg in eight weeks is an achievement in itself.’
Working with Stafford has shown Matt the determination needed to compete at the top level. He’s training five times a
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week and the sessions are hardcore (see above right), but Optimum Nutrition’s Amino Energy or Gold Standard PreWorkout gives him the extra boost he needs. ‘It motivates me knowing that Optimum Nutrition are supporting me and it helps me grind out those tough sessions,’ says Matt.
Two-time WBFF Pro Fitness Model World Champion and international cover model Stafford is impressed by Matt’s progress. ‘He came in with a solid base of fitness, but his first session with me was a wake-up call,’ says Stafford. ‘Since then he’s stepped up to the plate and ramped up his intensity. Now, when I really push him in a session he doesn’t break. Not right away, anyway…’
So Matt’s entered his first fitness physique competition, shown his commitment by cutting weight in a short time, and impressed his coach with improvements in the gym. All that and he’s still got a couple of months left of his Upgrade. Something tells us the end result is going to be seriously impressive.