A fitness adviser from Gedling who can lift the equivalent of six baby elephants has recalled his incredible journey which culminated as a world champion in powerlifting. Martin Wilson, 33, was 'over the moon' when he won the ‘Open Men Raw Under 82.5kg’ category in the Amateur World Powerlifting Congress (AWPC) World Championships which were held in Manchester in September last year.
Martin, who has worked as a gym instructor at Carlton Forum Leisure Centre for the last four years, specialises in powerlifting and nutrition, and adheres to a strict eating plan in powerlifting 'on season' which consists of tuna, steak and jacket potatoes. Martin, who weighs around 82.5K, says he enjoys a kebab 'once a month' during off season.
He used Carlton Forum for 20 weeks to train for the AWPC, and a further eight weeks to train for the Amateur British Powerlifting Union (ABPU), which he also won in the same category back in July. Martin, who began powerlifting before Covid after a fellow powerlifting friend advised him to, said that his future goal is to retain his title and topple his lifting score of 192.5kg in squat, 127.5kg in bench press and 265kg in deadlift from 2022.
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He accomplished an overall winning total lifting score of 585Kg, the equivalent of lifting six baby elephants. He said that after competing for the first time he 'just got the bug'.
Recalling his life before becoming a world champion, Martin said: "So I knew I was strong in general and I spoke to someone who used to work in Gedling borough; he was a powerlifter. I spoke to her, she showed me how to do things and how to get involved in it.
"She mentioned that there were all these competitions. So before Covid and all that stuff I signed up and when I came out of that first competition I just had the bug.
"I just wanted to compete more often. I won the ABPU and that just felt great and then the AWPC in September and both were incredible.
"I was just over the moon to have achieved what I did. At the moment I'm off season so I've got until around the end of February before I get back into more powerlifting training."
He added: "I want a bigger total by far. Before I competed I was probably about 78 to 80 kilos roughly I think.
"I went into weight training when I was younger, then I went through a phase where I just ran a marathon because why not? Then I was like 'right I can't do that any more' and that's when I got into the phase of powerlifting and proper weight training. My weight now is about 82.5 kilos which is around the same as the others that are competing.
"Not much changed [with my diet]. I wouldn't say I'm strict.
"But for example, now I'm off season, once a month I'll have a kebab. But I have to make decisions.
"Sometimes I'll be strict; have my tuna and my macros and then if I fancy normal life food, you might say, like a kebab, I'll have one. But when I'm near competition time I go nowhere near it.
"I'll maintain, not a diet, but eating more filling foods around the day. But not a 1,000 calorie kebab or something, I'll have a steak and jacket potato maybe.
"Competing at the British and World championships was great experience, the atmosphere was awesome and it was great when you had every person in the building shouting and cheering you on. When I knew I had won both competitions I was so happy. My hope now is to retain my titles and get an even a bigger total lifting score next year."
Councillor Henry Wheeler, portfolio holder for housing, health and well-being at Gedling Borough Council, said: “We’re so pleased for Martin to have won not just one but two gold medals in recent powerlifting competitions. This shows Martin’s dedication and ambition to fitness and it’s wonderful to have him as a member of staff and an ambassador for Gedling Leisure at Carlton Forum Leisure Centre.”
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