Name: Justin Burton
Age: 25.
Birthplace: Canberra.
Occupation: Personal Trainer / Coach.
How many years have you been training: 7 Years.
What do you like to do outside of work and training: Play guitar, tricking/acrobatics and hiking with my pup.
Favourite diet food: Egg white angel cake, YouTube it ;) you'll thank me.
Favourite treat food: Doughnuts.
Favourite movie: Howl's Moving Castle.
Favourite quote: "Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion" - Mohammed Ali
How did you feel when your name was announced as the newest ICN Mens Fitness Pro?
Honestly, it was a bit of a surprise to me. When I arrived backstage on the day and saw the physiques the other competitors had brought, I knew I was in for a tough day. But when 2nd place was called and I was the last one standing, it was probably to most exhilarating feeling in the world. I knew I had put everything I had into this competition, but I still couldn't believe it. An amazing rush of adrenaline, disbelief and overwhelming happiness. All I could think was "Wow, I actually did it.."
Definitely something that I will never forget.
What strategies and focus points do you employ to ensure you stay balanced in your life while prepping for events?
Balance is always the most difficult part of a prep. I don't think anyone has ever stepped on stage thinking "hey, that was easy.."
I believe keeping yourself in the right mindset is most important when trying to keep that balance.
Here are something's that I found to help.
1 - I listen to audio books constantly, this helps to relax and keep your mind occupied.
2 - Always try to go to family and friend's events. You don't have to stay for the whole thing, but trust me getting out and doing things will help you feel better in the long run.
3 - Try to get off work in the last week or two of prep, this is where it becomes near impossible to balance both. You need 100% of this time to focus on the prep, otherwise you'll feel Ike you're being crushed under the pressure.
4 - Practice your posing anywhere you can. You may not always have time for a scheduled posing session. So I just practiced those quarter turns everywhere and anywhere I could. I probably looked a little weird.. But hey, you can't argue with the results.
Tell us about your support network?
I'm currently a self prepped athlete without any sponsors. But I do always receive a lot of support from my friends, family and also my clients. I'm youngest of 6 siblings, which means I have my massive family backing me all the way. I really appreciate all the love and support they give me, it really does help me to get through it all.
I've also made many friends through competing. I find that connecting and going through prep together really helps you to keep pushing the limits. So a big shoutout to Vivek Bhattacharjee, Mark Salaysay, Michael Riley, Michael Adams, Mitch Webb and Steph Lee.
What does the next 12 months hold for Justin Burton?
I'll be taking the next 12 months to train and connect more with the industry of bodybuilding, in both Canberra and the rest of Australia. I want to meet more people and really show the world what I can do. I'll still be at all the Canberra ICN shows, supporting our competitors. So please feeling free to came say hey and have a chat.
This time will also be spent working on my weaknesses. We all have them, and I know where mine are. But keep an eye out for me at the pro shows in 2019. I'll be up there and I'll be in better shape that ever before! Just watch me guys, big things are coming.
Justin joins David Nicolson as the ICN - ACT's Men Fitness Pro Athletes! We look forward to seeing big things from both of these guys in the future!
