FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii – When we last left off with Sgt. Darion Martinez , he was training for his professional card at the National Championships in Texas. Unfortunately, after months of dedicated training and a meticulous diet, he did not qualify for his pro card.
“I was backstage for eight hours just waiting for everybody to come through. In my class alone, there were 40 competitors. They were rushing us on stage, so I had to tweak my posing routine to fit the time frame that they gave us,” said Martinez, a military police officer currently working in the 8th Theater Sustainment Command’s protocol office. “They only give you 10 seconds to show off your body. Me, personally, I feel they should have given us more time because, going on stage for just 10 seconds and being on prep for 16 to 20 weeks, you deserve more stage time. I just felt rushed.”
Martinez placed 16th.
“You know that day wasn't a good day for me,” said Martinez.
The sport of bodybuilding requires certain milestones to be achieved in order to progress to the next level.
“If you don't place in nationals, then you have to requalify again for the nationals, said Martinez. “When you qualify for the nationals, you have a calendar year to compete in any national show or a pro qualifier to get your pro card.”
Determined not to let the national championships get the better of him, Martinez decided to make it a learning experience.
“I didn’t place where I wanted to place, but I was grateful to be there. It was my second national show, so I kind of knew where it was going to go,” said Martinez. “So, I just took notes, came back home and started up prep again.”
Drawing from his previous experiences and not willing to take a loss, he decided to revamp his training regimen with the help of a new coach.
“I felt that my coach at that time had a lot going on,” said Martinez. “So, I hired on another coach, and he kind of guided me all the way through to this past competition.”
With his new coach, Martinez started looking ahead toward requalifying for nationals, but he didn’t have to do it alone. Martinez has surrounded himself with a solid support system of family and friends. His expectant wife of 13 years, Lasausha, claims to be his biggest cheerleader.
“I try to make it to every show. When he did his national show on the mainland, I obviously couldn’t go,” said Lasausha. “The kids are always asking, ‘Dad, what do you have to do next?’ and ‘What’s going to happen at the show?’”
Lasausha and friend, Sgt. Kyler Chatman, would also support Martinez’s goals with motivation in the gym.
“There were days he may have not wanted to go to the gym, but we would still be at the gym,” said Chatman, a visual information specialist serving with the 55th Public Affairs Company (Combat Camera) at Fort Meade, Maryland. “Having a gym partner always helps motivate the other person. If he was not feeling the gym, I would say ‘Come on man, and he would say, ‘You right,’ and we would go to the gym right after. Although, it was definitely vice versa because it would be more me than him not wanting to go.”
Before they were expecting their baby, Lasausha would join her husband in the gym and motivate him while also working out.
“I usually call him ‘one track mind,’” said Lasausha. “He has that tunnel vision. Full focus on his goal from the start of prep to the end. Of course, everyone in the house is full-on supportive. It’s definitely when his true determination comes out.”
For Martinez, a workout isn’t just some casual day at the gym. He exerts all his mental and physical energy to hone his body to be the best it can be.
“We would work out from 8 to 10 every night Monday through Friday, and if we missed a day, we would make it up on Saturday,” said Chatman. “We would do about an hour and a half of weights and then 30 minutes of cardio. The pace, amount of weight, and repetitions, yeah, they were pretty intense. I was in the trenches with him.”
Eight months after placing a somber 16th place, Martinez placed first in his class at the Ikaika Classic on July 20, 2024, in Honolulu. Requalifying for nationals, Martinez can now compete for his pro card once again, but the preparation for the Ikaika Classic was no easy task.
Balancing work, family and preparing for his next competition took a toll on Martinez at times.
“Like I say, you have to be mentally there, because if you're a family man like me, you have to have time for your family,” said Martinez. “Of course, you have to have time for everything else as well.”
Luckily, Martinez had that support system around him to keep him going.
“His attitude towards training was different than any other time,” said Lasausha. “We try to actually make it easier for him. It is tough to train everyday even though you are exhausted, get off work and be a father and a husband. I would usually go to the gym with him and there are times I would make meals with him and eat what he’s eating, just so he doesn’t feel alone.”
Martinez credits his win at the Ikaika Classic to “putting in the work,” his coach and support system, but also his stage routine, something he could only get from previous experiences.
“I thought that since it's a local show and it's a small show, so the less competitors, they'll give us more time on stage to pose. But it was the same 10 seconds,” said Martinez. “So, at the last minute, I had to take some stuff out again. I was making up a posing routine as I went, but it came out smooth. Everybody was like, ‘You did that,’ and I think that's what won my show.”
Having another win under his belt and gaining more experience each competition hasn’t just benefitted Martinez. It’s motivated others and paid dividends to those around him as well.
“Before I got pregnant, I was in the midst of trying to train to be in competition,” said Lasausha. “Also, our middle son wants to be a bodybuilder himself. He likes to go to the gym with his dad and wants to be muscley like his father.”
Perhaps Martinez’s drive and determination has also paid dividends to the Army.
“He definitely motivated me. He motivated me to want to dedicate more time to my fitness levels. At one time, I lost 35 pounds working out with him and watching his diet,” said Chatman. “I have a Soldier that has an ACFT (Army Combat Fitness Test) coming up, so I’m going to start remedial PT (physical training) with her and probably some other Soldiers using some of the advanced workouts Martinez showed me to help improve their ACFT scores.”
Martinez’s next goal is to earn his professional card, and his next chapter will involve reclassifying his military occupational skill to 92Y, unit supply specialist.
Social Sharing