The biography, life, and accomplishments of Chad Martin
Chad Martin is a German/Scottish American International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA)/Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) natural bodybuilder born on August 7th, 1971. Martin competes in the Men’s Bodybuilding Grand Masters class. At 2021 Natural Olympia, Martin placed fourth place. This year, Martin plans to make his 19th Natural Olympia appearance.
Interestingly, he’s sometimes referred to as “The Bowflex Guy” after appearing in Bowflex’s 2005 widespread national commercial.
Below is a complete breakdown of Chad Martin’s profile, stats, biography, training, and diet regimen.
| Full Name: Chad Martin | ||
| Weight | Height | Date Of Birth |
| 210 lbs (off-season), 185-190 lbs (competition) | 6’0” | 08/07/1971 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Men’s Bodybuilding Grand Masters | 2010 | German/Scottish American |
Biography
Chad Martin was born on August 7th, 1971, in Washington State. Martin’s weightlifting routine started on a farm, throwing around hay bales. These rigorous summers built Martin a solid and robust physique for high school sports.
Martin’s first love began with baseball. And once his baseball career was over, he started lifting at a local gym. The gym owner and close friend convinced him to enter a local bodybuilding show. Of course, Martin found his next love in natural bodybuilding; the rest is history.
Chad Martin has been competing in natural bodybuilding for decades. Martin joined the INBA PNBA league after frustration with his hunch about the integrity of other natural bodybuilding leagues. He’s now competed in most Natural Olympia shows and against top champions, including Philip Ricardo Jr. and Kiyoshi Moody.
Martin considers himself “Forever Natural” and has never considered steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.
Competition History
Best Showings
- Overall World Champion-2012 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia XV (RENO)
- 2nd Place-2002 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia V (Phoenix-Silver Medal)-1st Pro Show
- 3rd Place-2004 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia VII (Las Vegas-Bronze Medal)*
- 5th Place-2005 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia VIII (Las Vegas)*
- 5th Place-2012 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Reno)
- 5th Place-2015 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Las Vegas)*
- 2nd Place-2016 PNBA Mr. Natural Universe (Austin-Silver Medal)*
- 3rd Place-2018 PNBA Masters Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas-Bronze Medal)
- 4th Place-2021 PNBA Grand Masters Mr. Natural Olympia
- 3-Time Overall Team USA Champion (2004, 2005, 2012)
Pro Contests
- 4th Place-2021 PNBA Grand Masters Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)
- 6th Place-2020 PNBA Masters Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)
- 10th Place-2020 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)
- 10th Place-2019 PNBA Masters Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)*
- 19th Place-2019 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)*
- 3rd Place (Bronze)-2018 PNBA Masters Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)
- 9th Place-2018 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)
- 11th Place-2017 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)
- 10th Place-2016 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)
- 2nd Place-2016 PNBA Mr. Natural Universe (Austin)*
- 5th Place-2015 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)*
- 6th Place-2015 PNBA Mr. Natural Universe (Austin)
- 12th Place-2014 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (San Diego)
- 7th Place-2014 PNBA Mr. Natural Universe (Chicago)
- 13th Place-2013 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (San Diego)
- 7th Place-2013 PNBA Mr. Natural Universe (Chicago)
- 5th Place-2012 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Reno)
- 5th Place-2005 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)*
- 3rd Place-2004 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Vegas)*
- 2nd Place-2002 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia (Phoenix)
- 2012 ABA/INBA Natural Bodybuilding Hall of Fame Inductee
- Overall Champion- 2012 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia XV (RENO)#1
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2012 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia XV (RENO-#7 Gold Medal)
- Overall Champion- 2012 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas)#3
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2012 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas) #12
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2011 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia XIV (RENO-#6 Gold Medal)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2011 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas) #11
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2010 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia XIII (RENO-#6 Gold Medal)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2010 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas) #10
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2009 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Los Angeles)
- 2nd Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2008 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia XI (San Francisco-Silver Medal)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2008 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Los Angeles)
- 2nd Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2007 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia X (Greece-Silver Medal)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2007 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Los Angeles)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2006 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas)
- 5th Place- Professional Class- 2005 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia VIII (Las Vegas)*
- 1st Place- Tall/Heavy Class- 2005 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia VIII (Las Vegas-#4 Gold Medal)
- Overall Champion- 2005 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas)#2
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2005 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas)
- 3rd Place- Professional Class- 2004 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia VII (Las Vegas-Bronze Medal)*
- 1st Place- Medium Tall Class- 2004 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia VII (Las Vegas-#3 Gold Medal)*
- Overall Champion- 2004 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2004 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas)
- 4th Place- Professional Class- 2003 WFNA Supernatural (Seattle, WA)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2003 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas)*
- 2nd Place-Professional Class- 2002 PNBA Mr. Natural Olympia V (Phoenix-Silver Medal)-1st Pro Show.
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2002 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia V (Phoenix-#2 Gold Medal)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2002 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas)
- 1st Place-HeavyWeight -2002 West Coast Natural Bodybuilding Championships (Kennewick)
- Overall Winner- 2002 West Coast Natural Bodybuilding Championships (Kennewick)
- 2nd Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2001 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Universe (Los Angeles)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2001 ABA/INBA Mr. Natural Olympia IV (Hawaii-#1 Gold Medal)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2001 ABA/INBA Team USA Natural Nationals (Las Vegas)
- 1st Place-Tall/Heavy Class- 2001 ABA/INBA Mr. Hollywood Natural (Los Angeles)
- 2nd Place-HeavyWeight-2000 IronMan Natural Bodybuilding Championships (Everett)
- 1st Place-HeavyWeight -2000 Inland Pacific Natural Bodybuilding Championships (Spokane)
- Overall Winner- 2000 Inland Pacific Natural Bodybuilding Championships (Spokane)
- 1st Place-HeavyWeight -2000 West Coast Natural Bodybuilding Championships (Richland)
- Overall Winner- 2000 West Coast Natural Bodybuilding Championships
- 1st Place-HeavyWeight -2000 NorthWest Natural Bodybuilding Championships (Portland)
- 1st Place-HeavyWeight -1999 NorthWest Natural Bodybuilding Championships
- 1st Place-HeavyWeight -1999 West Coast Natural Bodybuilding Championships
*Note: *denotes gained placing from failed drug test by another competitor (8 in total)
Chad Martin’s Workout Routine
Martin said that he’s been following a six-day split routine since the covid pandemic and has one day saved for cardio. On the other days, he’ll include cardio after lifts and train a different muscle group daily.
Martin performs an old-school pyramid scheme, performing three sets ranging from five to 10 reps. After about four weeks, Martin will do either a deload week, perform various exercises for 100 reps or follow his “Tetris Ten” training methodology to shock his muscles.
Martin uses various equipment when training, including machines, barbells, cables, dumbbells, Bowflex, Nautilus, TRX, etc. He firmly believes adding variety to your workouts is imperative for muscle shock.
Favorite Exercises
When asked about his favorite exercises, Martin asserted:
“Bowflex is my favorite piece of equipment in the gym, then I would say dumbbells. I don’t really have a favorite, I just enjoy training and the way it makes me feel, so I enjoy training every day, I just try to mentally prepare myself for that body part that day and make it fun and enjoyable, try not to think of it as work.”
Nutrition
Regarding Martin’s diet, he stated:
“After 40, my diet hasn’t changed a whole lot. My standard is oatmeal on lifting days, spinach, carrot, beet shake on cardio days or smaller muscle group days, tuna for lunch, Advocare protein bar and shake for pre and post-workout.
Dinners vary a little but usually it is bison, steak, chicken or fish with a starchy carb like potatoes or brown rice with lots of veggies, such as Brussel sprouts, green beans, cabbage and some fruit.
The major difference from in season and offseason is cheat days and then no cheat days and enjoy the holidays, then just slowly reduce calories over a few months time.
I have been sponsored by Advocare for 20 years and have only used their great products for the entire time.”
Personal Life
Besides competing in natural bodybuilding, Chad Martin has taught physical education and computer tech at a juvenile jail in WA for the last few decades.
Martin lives an active lifestyle while not prepping for bodybuilding shows or working. He enjoys being a dad and loves to watch his kids play games (one’s a professional baseball player), train with them, and coach them. In addition, the Martin family loves sports and will partake in anything active, including riding bikes, pickleball, basketball, and tennis.