Body Flex Gym

Hello, my name is Tony Montalbano. I was born in 1971 to Italian immigrants on the 13th June 1971. I was born in raised in Aylesbury, Bucks. I have 3 sisters, younger than myself. As a kid I was skinny, I weighed about 9 stone. I was always getting into fights and never able to defend myself so I always looked up to role models like Spiderman, Superman and Bruce Lee. I wanted to be strong like them.

In 1985, however, it all changed. I was 15 and I had seen Rocky IV, it gave me the inspiration to want a physique like Sly Stallone. So I brought a set of Joe Weider weights and started training at home. Within a very short time, I began to see changes and my peers at school acknowledged this. It encouraged me to keep at it. I gained more confidence in myself. My parents thought that it a waste of effort. That I could be using this effort in running the family business (they owned a Italian continental store till June 2006 when they finally retired) which I didn’t enjoy doing. I've been bodybuilding for almost 20 years and competing since I was 26! How time flies!

When I left school I didn’t know what I wanted to do! I turned to brick laying, as my mates did, like wise they took up training as I did!! I have a 0 level in art & drama, b-Tec in building, diploma in clothes design, diploma in Italian, N.A.B.B.A qualified instructor, I.I.H.H.T in body massage, a diploma in sports psychology. When I left school I had numerous jobs mainly in the building trade for 5 years. But what I enjoyed the most was when I worked in a gym in Wycombe for nearly 2 years in 1994. But unfortunately in Oct 1995 I had a serious head on collision in my car, which broke my leg in three places! So I was in bed at home for a few months twiddling my thumbs! So then despite a lot of negative feedback, I decided to open my own gym. (With backing from my parents) It started with 15 pieces of equipment! And after a year I got a bigger place, then after another year I expanded it. The first 8 years I did all the hours (11 hrs a day). I never realised my hobby would turn into my career! I got married in Jan 2002 to Ornella and we have two children, a boy & a girl.

Born in 2003 & 2004. But since I became a father I’m doing fewer hours now

Anyway after 6 months of my gym opening one of my clients and now friend, Dean Spain (2nd to Rob Feesey in the ANB 2002 British finals) had just done his first competition and said I should compete. He thought I’d do really well. I decided to go for it as I thought the knowledge would be beneficial for my gym. I’d also always wanted to see myself cut but never had a goal to keep me to the diet. I came 3rd in the novice ANB Central England Championships in august 1997. Then I got the bug. I wanted to better myself and win my class so in July 1998, I won the West of England Championships in the under 70kg class and simultaneously qualified for the British Championships in November. In which I came 4th. The reason I’d like to keep up my training is when I'm an old man; I still want to look good like my child hood hero (S.Stallone) who at 60 is still in trim! That’s what it’s all about! I attained sponsorship from Maximuscle after numerous attempts, after the finals in 2000. I sent some photos with a great response. They thought I was unlucky when they saw the pics and have been my sponsors since. They have been fantastic sponsors! Since then I have won numerous titles including The A.N.B British lightweight title in 2003 after 6 years of failures. I returned in 2006 to win The N.P.A Mike Williams overall & Pro-am, The N.P.A British title & finally The Musclemania bantam weight title.

I decided to train not only to look good but also to feel good; training is about health, plain & simple! If I were to have done gear I'd be defeating the object! Hey like most guys I was tempted too! I'm very proud to have stayed natural, if I ever got some sort of illness I know it wasn't cause I put any chemicals in to my body. As well as being committed, you need friends and family to support you, who are positive and believe in what you’re doing. So my support is my wife, my family, my friends, my gym members, Maximuscle, a strong positive mind and my faith in God! I don't take them for granted. Competing in bodybuilding is probably one of the hardest sports to be in. If you want to be No. 1, the mind and body have to become one. So much is involved for just one day on stage. It does not begin 12 weeks out. Everything you do from the time you come off stage to your next competition is important. Training consistently, eating regular clean meals, practicing your posing, keeping positive all for one day on a stage make it all seem worth it. Especially when you know you’ve earned it. It’s an unbelievable feeling and just like I with time & heart you too can be  triumphant.

 I am a proud to be a  NPA comittee member, I saw the ANB deteriote right before my eyes until our general secretary did something about it & begun the NPA in 2004. What most people don’t realise is the ANB was the foundation of natural bodybuilding in Britain & what Michael has done with it is not only amazing but courageous. And the reason it worked is Michael is a well-respected man & very passionate about this sport of ours. I am the promoter of the NPA South East Championships, My role in the NPA is to give what I wanted when I competed & make a show more enjoyable & easier on the competitor & audience. Natural bodybuilding should get more recognition & exposure  than it does & with the NPA  were closing the gap.