Fitman, owner of the Fitman Performance & Physique Center in Abington isn’t shy about telling the truth when it comes to natural bodybuilding.
“Talking about competing is easy,” he said. “But stepping on stage is a completely different animal.” The Abington-based personal trainer, 2022 NGA Mr. Natural Philadelphia winner, and professional natural bodybuilder knows this first-hand.
In 2011, he entered his first show after coaching himself for nearly a year.
“I thought I was ready,” Fitman said. “But I wasn’t. I walked into a storm of misinformation during that year. I didn’t analyze my weaknesses, and I paid for it under those bright lights. That failure taught me about what it really takes to succeed.”
Now, more than a decade later, Fitman passes those lessons on to athletes, professionals, and everyday residents in the Glenside and Abington communities. His approach blends honesty, patience, and hard work. It’s the same formula that lifted him from being, in his words, the “Bird Man of natural bodybuilding” to a pro-level competitor.
Facing The Mirror
“The hardest part of natural bodybuilding is facing the mirror,” Fitman said. “Most people don’t want to do it. In 2010, I was one of them.”
Back then, he had a lean, 400/800 meter sprinter’s frame from his track days. But when it came to natural bodybuilding, he didn’t have the physique that could win at the time.
“I had no back, no arms, and no muscle density,” he said. “I was skinny, smooth, and nowhere near ready to win.”
It’s a lesson he emphasizes with his own clients, from local high school athletes to community members chasing transformations.
“Your friends will gas you up with compliments, but they’re biased,” he said. “You need a coach who tells you the truth. Weaknesses can be improved, but only if you admit they exist.”
Picking The Right Show
Fitman also stresses patience when choosing a competition.
“The stage exposes you,” he said. “This isn’t about what looks fun on Instagram. It’s about competing when your body is ready.”
He tells his athletes not to rush just because of peer pressure. But he also stresses not to procrastinate forever.
“You’ll never be 100 percent ready,” he said. “What matters is picking a realistic timeline and using it to fuel your grind.”
Avoiding Fake Hustle
Perhaps Fitman’s strongest message is steering athletes away from what he calls fake hustle.
“Fake hustle is the act of making it appear like you are working hard or doing more than you actually are, while in reality you are not,” he said.
“There is a myth that you need some type of magical natural bodybuilding training program to get on stage,” he explains. “Doing endless high reps with light weights, hours of slow cardio, and cutting all carbs doesn’t work.”
At his Abington gym, he stresses the opposite.
“If you’re natural, you keep lifting relatively heavy weights,” he said. “You keep sprinting and doing tough conditioning for as long as you can during prep. You follow a nutrition plan that preserves muscle while dropping fat. Eating drastically less and training dramatically more will cook you worse than overdone salmon.”
The Last Rep
For Fitman, natural bodybuilding is about much more than posing on stage. It’s about developing resilience, discipline, and the ability to face the truth. “Your first show might not bring a trophy,” he said. “But it will bring experience and the hunger to improve.”
It’s a message that resonates with his clients. This includes young athletes in Abington who want to get faster, to adults in Glenside who want to transform their health and body.
“I learned the hard way in 2011,” Fitman said. “You don’t have to. If you’re ready to build a stage-worthy physique, my 21-Day Fit program is the starting point I wish I had back then.”
Follow Fitman
Fitman has published three eBooks, available globally. For more fitness tips, follow him online: FitmanPerformance.com
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