Who Is Matt Acton?
Matt Acton is from New York City, USA, and is an IFBB physique competitor, fitness model, and sponsored athlete. He was the first bodybuilder to win an IFBB bodybuilding contest.
Matt Acton was a very athletic child who loved to play baseball, basketball, and wrestle. He wanted to wrestle in college, but he decided to work at a gym instead to give himself time to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.
His career took off when he started working at a gym. He met a professional bodybuilder who told him he should compete and get “shredded.” He was hooked after his first amateur competition, where he came in second.
Today, Matt has taken the bodybuilding competition circuit by storm. He has won more than 10 bodybuilding contests and has gotten modeling jobs with some big brands. This is what happened:
“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.”
Body Measurements Of Matt Acton
| Full Name: | Matt Acton |
| HEIGHT: | 5’10” (177.5cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 185 – 195lbs (83.9 – 88.5kg) |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| PROFESSION: | Fitness Model, Sponsored Athlete, IFBB Physique Competitor |
| ERA: | 2010 |
Accomplishments
Competitions
- 2009 INBF Long Island Experience, 2d
- National Championships of the NPC, 1st
- The 10th IFBB Houston Pro, 2012
- The 2012 IFBB Valenti Gold Cup Pro came in ninth.
- 2012 IFBB Orange County Muscle Classic.
- 2012 IFBB Greater Gulf States Pro, third
- 2012 IFBB New York Pro, the 8th
- 2012 IFBB Europa Show of Champions in Orlando, May 5th
- The first 2013 IFBB Toronto Pro Supershow, 1st
- 2013 Pro IFBB Fort Lauderdale Cup, 1st
- 2013 IFBB Olympia Weekend, 3rd
- Third IFBB New York Pro in 2013
- 2013 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro, fifth
- 2013 IFBB Europa Show of Champions in Orlando, FL, 13th
- 2014 IFBB Dayana Cadeau Classic, 2nd
- 2014 IFBB Fort Lauderdale Cup Pro, 1st
- 4th 2014 IFBB Olympia Weekend
- First 2014 IFBB Toronto Pro Supershow,
- Third IFBB New York Pro in 2014
- 2015 IFBB Dayana Cadeau Pro, 7th
- 11th Weekend of 2015 IFBB Olympia
- Second 2015 IFBB Toronto Pro Supershow
- 2015 IFBB New York Pro, fourth
- 2015’s IFBB Pittsburgh Pro, 5th
- 2015 IFBB Miami Muscle Beach Pro, first
- 2015 IFBB Battle on the Beach Pro, second
- The 2015 Arnold Sports Festival is the 4th
“From there, I came in second and went to work at SHREDDED sports to use my image and fitness knowledge to help and teach as many people as I could about fitness.”
Biography
Short Career Of Matt Acton 
Matt played every sport he could when he was growing up in New York City, USA. During this time, his favorite sports were baseball, wrestling, and basketball, and he won several awards in youth competitions.
As he finished high school, he realized that he wasn’t going to get a wrestling scholarship to a good college, so he stopped. At this point, he decided to work in a gym while he thought about his career options.
Learning To Like Bodybuilding
As Matt worked at the gym and became more involved in the fitness industry, he started to use the gym’s equipment to stay in shape. Then he fell in love with weightlifting and the way the sport looks.
He started training in Mixed Martial Arts and did well right away because of his experience in wrestling and other physical sports. He got a great body and a strong core from all of this training, which also included lifting weights.
Taking Bioscience Classes
Matt decided around this time to go to school to study Bioscience. He wanted to know more about the body because, up to that point, his whole life had been about moving and performing.
While he was studying, he started reading about ways to get fit and taught himself new ways to train. He also made a plan for his diet, making sure to eat the best bodybuilding food he could afford as a student.
Matt’s friend at the gym, who was a competitive bodybuilder, told him he should do something about his body. He knew he looked good, but his friend said that if he wanted to compete, he should get as ripped as he could.
The First Races
The 2009 INBF Long Island Experience was Matt’s first competition. He ended up coming in second place in this show, which was a great accomplishment for someone so young in their career.
After his first show went well, he couldn’t get enough of being on stage and posing for the crowds. The chance to be judged on his body was exciting, and he wanted to do it again and again.
Taking His Pro Card
Matt won his pro card at the NPC National Championships in 2011. For him, this was one of the most important days of his whole life. He was finally accepted into the professional scene and was ready to perform.
After finishing in the top ten a few times, Matt won his first professional contest at the IFBB Toronto Pro Supershow. This was another big step in his career, and he posted about how happy he was on social media.
Olympia
After this win in Toronto, he won again at the IFBB Fort Lauderdale Cup the same year.
Because of his success, he was able to get into the 2013 Mr. Olympia weekend bodybuilding competition, which is the most prestigious bodybuilding show on the planet.
In this show, he competed with some of the best bodybuilders in the world. He was thrilled when the judges announced that he had come in third place at Mr. Olympia. This was his third time in the top three.
Training
Plan For Training
When Matt works out, he lifts heavy weights and works out hard. He usually starts his workout with two heavy compound exercises, then moves on to two isolated exercises to tone.
In addition to this mix of the compound and isolated lifts, he always got heavier as each exercise went on. If he doesn’t do the right number of reps on the last set, he will lower the weight. Here is his schedule:
Monday: Legs
- Heavy deep squats 4 sets
- Dumbbell lunges 3 sets x 10-15 reps
- Free weight hack squats, three sets, eight to twelve reps
- Jefferson Squats 2 sets 8-12 reps
- Aim for 10 heavy leg extensions.
Tuesday: Back
- Flat Bench: 3 sets of 4-8 reps
- Incline the bench or dumbbells three times for 4 to 8 reps
- Decline flies 3 sets× 8-12 reps
- Dumbbell pullovers 3 sets × 8-12 reps
Wednesday: Back
- Four sets of weighted lat pull-downs until failure
- Wide overhand grip bent over rows 3×6-10 reps
- 1 arm dumbbell rows 3x 6-10 reps
- Low cables rows 3× 10-12 reps
- Stretching the lower back 3× 12-15 reps
- 5 sets of row machines (drop sets)
Thursday: Calf/Hamstring
- Hamstring curls on one leg while standing 4 sets x 10-15 reps
- Romanian deadlift 4 sets x 8-12 reps
- Calf raises in standing position: 3 sets of 6–10 reps
- Donkey calf raises, three sets of eight to twelve reps
Shoulders: Friday
- Shoulder press hard (using all rep ranges)
- Upright rows with a wide grip 3 sets x 8-12 reps
- Front deltoid hammer raises 3 sets x 8-12 reps
- The rear deltoid dumbbell raises 4 sets x 8-12 reps
Saturday: Arms
- Curls with heavy barbells 4 sets x 6-10 reps
- Simple push-ups (pump) 4 sets x 10-15 reps
- Preacher curls with a close hold 3 sets x 8-12 reps
- Pressing dumbbells behind the neck three times for 6 to 10 reps
- Hammer curls 3 sets x 8-12 reps
- Flat bench dumbbell extensions, 3 sets, 4–8 reps
- Overhead cable curls followed by a set of dips.
- At a physique competition, Matt Acton stood and showed off his wide lats, big chest, and ripped abs.
Three Of My Favorite Exercises
Matt’s top three exercises are the Jefferson Squat, the Behind-the-neck dumbbell press, and the Cable Chest Flye.
He chose the Jefferson Squat, which is a type of squat in which the barbell is held between the legs while the movement is done. This exercise works his vastus medialis so hard that he has to “take a knee” after a few sets.
The Behind-the-Neck Dumbell Press is his second favorite move. He likes this exercise because it lets him work on his form and press the heaviest weight in the gym while doing a high number of reps.
Matt Acton puts the cable chest Flye in the third spot. He thinks that his chest is the best part of his body, so any workout that helps him build up this area is good in his book. Most of the time, he does this exercise at the end of his workout to hit his chest hard before he’s done.
Cardio
Matt’s exercise routine is built around cardio. Even so, he doesn’t think that cardio should only be done at the gym. He tries to find cardio activities that he will enjoy, like running outside, riding a bike, and playing sports.
When he works out at the gym, he chooses HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training.)
He always makes sure he’s eaten enough to keep his muscles from getting tired and breaking down, but he still works hard. He says that the treadmills are too slow for him, so he usually does cardio circuits.
Nutrition
Setting Up His Meals
Matt is a firm believer that you should eat before, during, and after a workout. Since he doesn’t use steroids or other help, he thinks that these times are the most important for his body and muscles to get the fuel they need.
He also likes to give his body about 1.5 to 2 hours to digest each meal to make sure everything works right. He likes to make sure that his breakfast has between 25 and 50 grams of carbs with a high glycemic index. If he is training a large body part like his legs, back, or chest, he will eat an insulin mimicker and 50 grams of white potato 2 hours before training.
Diet Plan
His diet and meal plan have been made by trying things out and seeing what works. He has chosen foods that give him the most protein, energy, and satisfaction for the least amount of money.
Here’s an example of a daily meal plan:
- Meal 1: A shake made of whey protein and amino acids
- Meal 2: Six egg whites, five cups of oatmeal, twenty-five cups of cinnamon-flavored wheat bran, and five almonds crushed with stevia.
- Dinner No. 3 is chicken and broccoli.
- Meal 4: Turkey burger and bison steak before a workout
- Meal 5 is a snack with a creatine drink after a workout.
- Meal 6: Vegetables with bison, turkey, or chicken
- Meal 7: Slow digesting protein shake
Likes Nuts A Lot
Matt Acton enjoys eating as many nuts as possible. He thinks they are the best snack for anyone who wants to eat more healthy fats and protein. He also thinks they are a great way to stay away from less healthy snacks.
The Brazil nut is his favorite nut. He gives the nut a lot of value because it has selenium, a chemical that helps the body fight free radicals.
More important for his fitness goals, though, is that the nuts have both omega-6 and complete protein.
The omega-6 in the nut protects against heart disease, and the nut’s complete protein has all the essential amino acids that are needed to repair muscles and other tissues.
What Matt Acton Can Teach Us?
Matt’s story shows how helpful friends can be on the way to getting fit. Matthew, a professional bodybuilder, helped Matt when he needed it the most. He told him to compete and start a career.
Listen to people who have been in the fitness industry for a while. They may be able to help you. They have done what you want to do and will want to help you do it too.