Martin Fitzwater was a young, up-and-coming IFBB pro bodybuilder with a ton of potential. In 2020, he won his Pro card at the North Americans, and in 2021, he had a respectable rookie year, placing in the top five at both the Legion Sports Festival and the Texas Pro. However, in 2022, things took a turn for the worse, and now, it seems like Martin’s bodybuilding career is in jeopardy.
The beginning of the end for Martin started when he moved from Denver, Colorado, to Texas, to pursue bodybuilding. He had his eye on the Texas Pro, which he ended up losing to a new and unexpected competitor, Andrew Jacked. Martin was outspoken about his feelings toward Andrew’s conditioning and other aspects, which led to some online beef between the two. Martin was also sponsored by GASP, and he had a falling out with them after he went on a sponsored trip to Sweden and complained about losing weight due to not being able to eat his usual food.
Martin then linked up with legendary bodybuilder Branch Warren, who coached him for the 2022 season. But despite Branch’s guidance, Martin’s public outbursts and lack of focus on his bodybuilding career continued. He only placed fourth at the Arnold UK, and videos posted online showed him smoking weed with his younger brother, giving the impression that he wasn’t taking his bodybuilding career seriously.
The final straw for Martin and Branch’s relationship was Martin’s desire to go home from a trip early because he wasn’t getting his usual food and was losing weight. Branch reportedly put up with Martin’s behavior for as long as he could, but ultimately couldn’t continue to invest his time and effort in someone who wasn’t taking themselves seriously. Martin is now coaching himself and hasn’t been showing much progress in his bodybuilding journey.
It’s a shame to see Martin’s potential go to waste, but it’s a reminder that bodybuilding isn’t a loner sport, and it takes a support system and dedication to reach the top. Martin’s story serves as a cautionary tale for young bodybuilders who may be too focused on social media and not enough on their goals.
