“I started playing rugby at the age
of 4,” Max begins. “My entire family
were into the sport, and my brother
played with me. Most of my close
friendships were made through
rugby- it’s a very social sport
and I always loved that aspect
of the game.”
Unfortunately though, rugby took
a toll on Max’s body forcing him
into retirement.
“I was enduring endless knocks
every time I played,” he explains.
“My poor body couldn’t take much
more. Due to injury, I had to retire
from my rugby career and head into
the gym for rehabilitation.”
The gym fast became Max’s home.
“I completely fell in love with
training,” he says. “My focus began
to shift from rugby to bodybuilding.
I think it was the fact I could see
how fast my shape was changing
and growing that got me excited.
The next obvious step for me was
to compete.”
Max’s new found love for gains
began to take a hold of him, and he
developed a serious determination
to keep on growing.
“I used to read magazines for
inspiration,” he recalls. “I remember
my mum bought me a copy of FLEX
which had Melvin Anthony on the
front cover. I couldn’t believe how
jacked he was! Looking back I think
my mum got me the mag because
she noticed how much I was
enjoying my training and learning
about nutrition.”
Max is now a top NABBA
competitor with high hopes of
becoming Number 1.
“My goal is to win the Universe,”
he reveals. “It’s been my goal since
I first started bodybuilding. I’ve won
every other major title in NABBA,
but I’ve only ever been runner up
twice in the Universe. Some people
aspire to earn a Pro card or get a
sponsorship deal, but this title is
42
FLEX | APRIL 2018
what I’ve set my sights on.”
Having been so close to victory in
previous contests, most athletes
would simply tweak their prep in
order to make the necessary
improvements. But this isn’t the
case for Max.
“I typically prep for 7 months of
the year,” he says. “By this, I mean
I live like a strict bodybuilder. I train
all year. I normally train 3-4 times a
week due to the many injuries I have
to battle with. I’ve had a couple of
hip reconstructions, a snapped
achilles tendon, pec re-attach-
ments, a few broken bones and
more. The list is endless!”
Having undergone surgery