BECOMING A CHAMP

Mohammad Ahsan is a trailer shop lead at Prime’s Salt Lake City Terminal, and he is a bodybuilder on the side. Now, he’s headed to nationa s this ear or the rst ti e

BY JULIANA GOODWIN

As a boy, Mohammad Ahsan loved to tinker with machines. He’d take things apart just so he could figure out how to put them back together again, so becoming a professional mechanic as an adult was a natural fit.

He went to school for automotive technology and landed a job at a dealership. Then a buddy encouraged him to apply at Prime. “Prime has more growth opportunities,” Mohammad says. “I love it. There is no other company that pays the same, and the environment is this good.” e s been addicted since he got the first taste of it. “ he first show I placed second and I loved it,” Mohammad says. “I like proving to myself that I can do it. The feeling of stepping on stage was just amazing. Then it’s a plus to look really lean and shredded. I did it again and won first place. I did it again and won first again. very time I competed, my muscles and physique got better and better. For me, it’s a passion.”

Mohammad is trailer shop lead at the Salt Lake City terminal, but in his spare time he’s a competitive bodybuilder. He’s become so good at it, that he is going to nationals for the very first time this year.

“I always loved staying in shape,” he says. “I used to do martial arts when I was younger and then discovered that I loved lifting. Five years ago, I took it seriously and it became a hobby and a habit. I competed in for the first time and did pretty good for my first time.

Mohammad placed second and actually ualified for nationals, but he didn t think he was ready for the main stage. Bodybuilding is different than weightlifting. It s not only about how heavy you can lift but also about how many reps you can do with that weight to develop your muscle size and shape. Posing also plays a huge role when on stage, which is what Mohammad has been working on to get ready for nationals.

Mohammad works out six days a week for 1½ to 2 hours at a time. When he’s close to competition, he uses the Prime gym for cardio, but the rest of the time he has a trainer and uses two different gyms for weightlifting. Each workout focuses on two body parts: a major body part and a small one, like chest and biceps. Mohammad might be somewhat new to the sport, but he’s already sponsored by a meal company, so all his meals are prepared for him.

Mohammad has won his class four times and overall three times. e took home his first win in 2021 at the Viking Competition. He won the Salt Lake City championship in 2022 and the Wasatch Warrior in 2023. There are four or five national ualifiers in tah, and you must get first or second in your class to advance to nationals. There are various states that host the national competitions, so Mohammad has more than one chance to compete. If he wins, he will get a “pro card. nce you place first or second at nationals, you don’t have to compete on a state level.

Competing in nationals opens the door to sponsorships, which is good news because bodybuilding is an expensive sport, and winning nationals will qualify Mohammad for the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation or IFBB. Mohammad’s ultimate goal is to compete in the World Olympia.