Nine years after Idaho Cup victory, Pocatello bodybuilder returns to the stage

POCATELLO — Nine years ago, Bobby Serna pushed his body to the limit, overcame major knee injuries, and became an Idaho bodybuilding champion.

Now, at 35, the Aberdeen native and Idaho State University alumnus is preparing to do it all over again. But this time, he’s bringing something to the competition that he didn’t have in 2017: a wife, two young sons, and a whole new perspective on what success means.

Serna will return to the stage Saturday at the 2026 NPC Idaho Cup in Boise, competing in both Open Bodybuilding and Classic Physique.

It’s a full-circle moment for the former Aberdeen High School athlete, who won the overall bodybuilding title at the 2017 NPC Idaho Cup Championships in Garden City after battling back from two serious knee injuries.

From devastating injuries to bodybuilding champion

From an early age, Serna competed in track and cheerleading at Idaho State University. But his athletic career took an unexpected turn when he suffered a series of devastating knee injuries.

In 2010, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) while playing soccer. Three years later, while helping train cheerleaders at ISU, he injured the same knee again, tearing three major ligaments and eventually requiring a meniscus transplant.

Rather than let the injuries sideline him permanently, Serna turned his rehabilitation into an opportunity to rebuild his body.

“I blew out my knee and basically learned how to do my own physical therapy to regain my strength,” he said.

His determination eventually led him to competitive bodybuilding and his 2017 Idaho Cup victory, an accomplishment that earned him recognition in a 2018 Idaho State University Magazine feature titled “Pushing Limits.”

Idaho State University Magazine: Pushing Limits

A new chapter, a new motivation

Following his championship win, Serna moved to Colorado and later Florida, building a career in the financial industry before eventually returning to Idaho.

“Those experiences gave me the opportunity to grow professionally, expand my knowledge of the financial business and ultimately bring everything I learned back home to Idaho,” he said.

Today, Serna serves as vice president of branch operations, business development and physical facilities at Advantage Plus Federal Credit Union in Pocatello.

Now, after nearly a decade away from competitive bodybuilding, he’s ready for another shot at the Idaho Cup.

While the competition is familiar, his motivation has evolved.

“This time around, my goal is much bigger than simply getting back on stage,” he said. “I want to take bodybuilding as far as I can and ultimately pursue the national level. But just as importantly, I want my boys to see what commitment, discipline and perseverance look like when you decide to pursue something seriously.”

Preparing for a bodybuilding competition requires months of demanding workouts, careful nutrition and a level of consistency that leaves little room for shortcuts.

Serna knows that discipline isn’t always exciting. In fact, he has a favorite saying about the repetitive nature of training and sticking to a diet of lean meats and rice.

“The curse of being disciplined is everything looks the same,” he said. “The curse of not being disciplined is that every year looks the same.”

It’s a philosophy that extends well beyond the gym.

For Serna, the lessons learned through bodybuilding carry over into his professional life, his marriage and raising his sons.

“For me, this journey has become about more than a personal accomplishment,” he said. “It’s about my family, continuing to challenge myself, representing Advantage Plus and the community I came back home to, and seeing what I can accomplish when I give something my full commitment.”

Serna is quick to credit those who have supported him along the way, including his family, longtime coach Lloyd Welch and local sponsors Five Star Nutrition and McKinlay Optimal Hormones Plus.

RELATED: 5 Star Nutrition opens in Pocatello, filling void left by GNC closure

He also credits his faith in Jesus Christ as a guiding force in his life.

Redefining success

Looking back at the ambitious 26-year-old who first stepped onto the Idaho Cup stage, Serna sees a young man determined to discover his physical limits.

Nine years later, he’s still chasing big goals, but his definition of success has changed.

“When I look back at the 2017 story, I was 26 years old and trying to see how far I could push myself,” he said. “Now, nine years later, I’m coming back to Idaho as a husband, father, VP, and someone who has spent the last nine years growing personally and professionally.”

And if he could offer advice to his younger self, or anyone else pursuing a difficult goal, it wouldn’t necessarily be about lifting heavier weights, winning championships or climbing the career ladder.

Instead, it would be about remembering what matters most.

“Don’t measure your success only by what you accomplish. Measure it by the husband you are, the father you are and the people you bring along with you,” Serna said. “Chase your dreams, but never lose sight of why you’re chasing them in the first place.”

His final piece of advice reflects the faith he says has helped shape his journey.

“And above all keep Jesus Christ in the center of it. Let him guide your decisions, shape your character and remind you of what truly matters in life.”

For Serna, returning to the Idaho Cup isn’t simply about reclaiming a title he won nine years ago.

It’s about showing his sons that dreams don’t have an expiration date and that sometimes, the greatest victories happen long before anyone steps onto a stage.