Phoenix Recruiter Sets His Sights On Olympia Stage

Sgt. 1st Class Matt Vinson is a professional recruiter recruiter and competitor in National Physique Committee contests since 2015. He is set to earn his Pro Card in 2018.

Vinson’s his love for bodybuilding began at early in his native city of Keokuk, Iowa, he told DVIDS,

“My dad was indirectly responsible for me becoming involved in bodybuilding. I’d go into the kitchen and see creatine, amino acids and supplements … it definitely rubbed off on me. I was a junior in high school when I got bitten by the iron bug.”

Vinson can still recall the workout that sparked his journey

“We were in the gym doing squats during football season. I had just done a leg work out and after the squats I could barely walk,” he recalls. “I’d already been lifting for a while with my dad, but it was after that squat day that I started pushing myself harder and focusing on numbers and trying to change my physique.”

In 2003 Vinson joined the U.S. Army, specifically the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he would deploy four times between Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I was with the 101st from 2003 to 2012, the same platoon, with four deployments. I’d lift as much as I could in my time home with our deployment cycle, so I was only focusing on lifting year on, year off. It really helped, and the gyms downrange are the best ones to use believe it or not,” he said. “There there’s no limits and you can make as much noise as you want without being kicked out. For me relieving stress involves beating up the iron.”

Vinson says delayed gratification is one of his favorite aspects of bodybuilding,
“In today’s culture everybody wants to see results right away…they want to take the magic pill and see the answer tomorrow,” he explained. “That’s not bodybuilding … it’s an investment. It’s an investment in your life, in your person, and your passions and goals. I’m 35 and I haven’t reached my peak. Not at all. You don’t stop until you’re dead right? I’ll keep grinding and doing what I have to do to keep my mind occupied. As soon as my mind becomes idle, that’s when I run into problems.”

In 2012 Vinson found himself with the time to commit seriously to bodybuilding.

“I suddenly found myself having the time to break the science of the sport down. To me it’s a science experiment. Energy in, is energy out. So the amount of carbs, proteins and fats you put in equals this amount of calories. That amount of calories means tomorrow I can run this far, or push this weight so hard.”

“Nobody’s going to know it but you, as long as you’re crunching numbers and seeing where you’re at,” he explained. “It’s an investment in myself.”

After a serious injury, Vinson returned and is thriving in competition.

“During my recovery I went from 232 pounds down to 196. I was in the hospital for 15 days … three broken ribs, six facial fractures, two fractures in the skull, and damaged left shoulder and ankle. I just lost too much muscle.”

He has been in three NPC events overall, placing second in the 2017 Duel of Champions in Omaha, Nebraska.

He poetically described the feeling of being onstage

“That last year of your life, all the thousands of reps you’ve done, the hundreds and thousands of calories you’ve eaten and cut … all comes down to this one moment, in front of these five judges. Anything negative in your head has to be thrown out. You can’t have that negative energy. You have to have people around you who inspire possibilities.

“As soon as the music hits and the crowds cheering, and it’s hot and bright, I find that one person in the crowd that keeps my focus,” he continued. “I’m posing for that person. Outside of my deployments, it’s the biggest rush I’ve had.”

Vinson plans to be on stage at Mr. Olympia, and currently he looks to secure his Pro Card at the Nationals in Las Vegas in 2018.

“Once I get my pro card – not ‘if’ – I’ll keep on the grind until the Arnold Classic in March of 2019. To me that’s what bodybuilding is; I’m inspiring not just myself, but others also.

“Doing my last five years in the Army, getting my Pro Card and being on the stage at Mr. Olympia. I’ll be backstage with Phil Heath and all those guys.”

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