If you’re invested in the strength sports community on social media, then I’d bet there’s a good chance you’ve seen at least some of Mark Bell’s progress towards the bodybuilding stage over the last few months. The other day, Bell shared an Instagram photo that highlighted his current physique as he heads into the final week before his first ever bodybuilding contest.
It’s crazy seeing the transformation 41 year old Bell has gone through and how much his body has changed over the last few months. Also keep in mind, Bell has squatted over 1,000 lbs, benched over 800 lbs, and has competed in four powerlifting categories over the course of his career (242 lb, 275 lb, 308 lb, and SHW), so the fact that he’s brought his body fat down to single digits has been remarkable to follow.
And we know Bell’s not the first athlete to compete in powerlifting, then switch to bodybuilding, but it’s a cool reminder that anything is possible with the correct game plan in strength sports. In addition, it’s been really interesting to see the impacts Bell’s body fat has had on his strength.
A few of Bell’s fans and outside spectators doubted that he’d be able to pull it off, and we think that has a lot to do with the latest Instagram descriptions with the “prove them wrong” mindset. In fact, if you go to any of Bell’s last Instagram posts, then you’ll see handfuls of comments saying, “I didn’t think it was possible!”
If one thing is for certain, Bell hasn’t had his motivation deteriorate at all in the last couple months, while the body weight has fell, the motivation has increased, so it seems. We don’t know about you, but we’re pumped to see the outcome from Bell’s first bodybuilding show. How do you think he’s going to place?
Feature image from @marksmellybell Instagram page.Â