World Physique

Interviewed by: Tammy Renee'

WP: Even though Mehmet is our Competitor of the Month, he is just a regular 26 year old guy which works as an account manager in the print management industry and has been doing so for the past 5 years.

He is a social individual and likes to relax by socializing with friends and going to the movies; anything other than training really.

Mehmet, What has been your stepping stone to get where you are today?

ME: I have been training for 10 years now and my motto has always been dedication, drive and determination. I also believe in clean healthy living, so I don’t drink, smoke or do any form of recreational drugs. This has helped me from day one.

WP: That's always the purest and best way to go! What has it been like to maintain your physique? Have you done anything different lately?

ME: The key to maintenance is to keep shocking the body so it never knows what to expect next, my training isn’t strict per say and I try and listen to my body and if it doesn’t have the energy to train a certain muscle group then I won’t. I will focus on another group.

WP: Where do you reside now?

ME: I currently reside in the UK and live in London, which is an amazing multicultural city.

WP: That's an entire world from me. Ha-ha! Since you are named our competitor of the month, that means you have to compete. Can you tell me alittle about this?

ME: I recently competed in FAME UK, which was my first ever competition, and I only had two months to fine tune myself so this was a tall order.

I started to fine tune my diet to the point where I was sick of the sight of boiled chicken and broccoli, and my training started to become even more intense than usual (if you need a testimony on how hard normal sessions are then I am sure my training partner would duly oblige!)

Due to the pressures of working life training was sporadic at the best of times but I had to fit it in any way I could, so I was training 7/8 times a week leading up to the contest.

The Friday before the contest (which was on the Sunday), I am practicing my posing routine at the gym with my training partner and she looks at me with a disappointed shake of the head and says that I am not ready, I had to agree, I was still holding too much subcutaneous water around my abdominal area.

I realized that the carb loading phase of my diet didn’t work one bit and that I had to take drastic action if I was going to be ready.

For the next two days I dehydrated myself to the point where I had headaches beyond belief and was taking any supplement which would aid my cause.

The day of the contest arrives and I am ready as I could be, my training partner looked at me up and down and she seemed happy enough so that was good enough for me.

After all my hard work I managed to win 2nd place in the fitness model category.

WP: Determination always prevails! Are you planning to compete again in the future?

ME: I was actually hoping to compete in the FAME Championships in Miami in November, but I haven’t been able to obtain a sponsor so for the time being Miami is on the back burner. In the meantime I am weighing up my options so am not sure when my next competition will be.

WP: What other sports or activities did or do you enjoy?

ME: I used to captain my football team (soccer), and I used to play a lot of tennis and used to run 100metres also, but as bodybuilding is my passion I gave the rest up to concentrate on my true calling.

But, I do indulge in soccer on the odd occasion, when I’m not playing I love to watch it.

WP: Tell me about your family. In addition, are you married, single, or dating?

ME: I am currently dating and my girlfriend is very supportive in my endeavors to hopefully be the next Mr. Olympia, but as you can imagine going out for a simple meal is difficult work as I am very meticulous and particular about consuming carbs after a certain hour.

My family are also very supportive and my mother has been so since day one, she has supported my in all my pursuits as I have always been a very ambitious individual.

WP: What has competing taught you thus far?

ME: So far I have learnt that dieting is tough, but I also believe that you have to enjoy the moment and also try to enjoy the build up to it, ie: the dieting and the training.

As when you look back it should be an achievement that you can be proud of and hopefully something you can boast to the grand children about.

WP: What was the hardest thing for you to overcome when you first started?

ME: When I first started to train the hardest thing was finding the motivation when you didn’t want to train, that’s when the love for the sport comes into play.

WP: What was the hardest thing you had to deal with when it came to your diet?

ME: Diet wise, the hardest thing for me was giving up chocolate and sweet things, (I still like to indulge on the odd occasion), but these are the things which were difficult for me personally.

WP: What are the key factors that dictate the way you train today?

ME: I believe that having an overall goal really does help, ie: if you are competing for a show, or trying to lose weight, trying to gain muscle, etc.

My current goal is to improve upon my weak points, and I have a few so I wont divulge those right now as the list is endless, so my current routing is dictated by me focusing upon my weak points and training them harder than ever before.

WP: How has your training changed over the years?

ME: Wow, it has changed immensely but a few years ago I wasn’t competing. Up until a few years ago I was still playing soccer and running so ultimately it has completely been altered.

WP: Where do you see your career and life in 10 years from now?

ME: In 10 years, hopefully not still behind a desk, I am hoping to excel in the bodybuilding arena and hopefully achieve enough where I can support my family in the long run.

WP: Are you doing any modeling? If so, please tell me about it.

ME: In regards the modeling as mentioned before, I have just featured in a campaign for Maximuscle; who are one of the leading supplement suppliers in the UK, I have also been signed up by a modeling agency in London; so fingers crossed you could well be seeing me again!

WP: Can you tell me any photographers you’ve worked with, or someone you’d like to work with?

ME: In regards to photographers, I am a big fan of John Clark and work with him every opportunity I get, but on the whole I am open to working with most people.

WP: What supplements do you currently take?

ME: I currently take animal Paks, Aminos, Glutamine, and Whey Protein, when competing I take a few other supplements, but in the whole I try not to overdose on supplements.

WP: What are your pet peeves?

ME: I hate it when people take an eternity on the one machine at the gym, especially when you are trying to do a superset and need to use that particular machine.

Other than that, people with bad hygiene, and bad drivers!

WP: Oh, bad hygiene and bad drivers are two of my main ones! How have you changed over the past few years when it comes to thinking, actions, and life in general?

ME: I believe that I have become a more grounded individual and mentally stronger – this is in part in thanks to my partner who has helped me see things a lot differently over the past couple of years.

WP: What are your stats such as height, weight, biceps, and waist?

ME: I am 5 ft. 8inches tall with a 30 inch waist. I have a 42 inch chest and 17.5 inch arms.

WP: Any shout outs?

ME: I would jut like to thank my girlfriend, mother, training partner Sylvia Charles (Yes, I train with a woman), John Clark and Debbi Douglas.

WP: Nothing wrong with training with a girl! Ha-ha. Come on with me and let me show you how to lift! Ha-ha! Give me an example of your workout.

ME: Current workout is:

Monday:
AM - Cardio (Run)
PM - legs: squats (4 sets x 20 reps)
Leg extensions - 3 x sets - 20 reps
Hack squats - 4 x sets - 20 reps

Wednesday:
AM - Cardio
PM - Chest, back, shoulders
2 x exercises for each body part (different exercise each week)
3 sets on each exercise - 20 reps on each

Friday
AM - Cardio
PM - hamstrings
Seated ham curl (4 x sets - 20 reps)
Deadlifts- 3 x sets - (10 reps each)
Standing one legged ham curl (4 x sets - 20 reps)

Sunday:
Calves and abs
3 x sets on donkey raises

WP: Give me an example of your diet. What do you normally eat each day?

ME: My diet mainly consists on porridge in the morning, and the remainder of the day consists of chicken and salad. I try to vary it by sometimes eating meat, tuna, or mince meat also, but more often than not grilled or boiled chicken.

WP: Is there anything I have forgotten to mention that you would like to bring to light?

ME: I would like to use this segment to endorse myself as I am currently on the lookout for sponsorship, so if there are any potential sponsors who would like to sponsor me for future events then please contact me via facebook.

WP: It has been a pleasure interviewing you! I wish you all the best of luck! Thank you for your time as this experience has been a pleasure!