Murat Demir

Men's Physique Pro Competitor, Personal Trainer, Fitness Model

Murat Demir is a German professional bodybuilder. During his extensive career, Murat has competed in over 42 bodybuilding contests. Along the process, he became one of the icons of the sport.

But it wasn’t an easy ride to the top. After becoming interested in bodybuilding at the age of 12, Murat discovered he wasn’t allowed to join a gym due to his young age.

Therefore, he decided to improvise by creating his own bodybuilding equipment made out of metal scraps and poles. ‘The rest is history,’ as they would say.

This is Murat’s story:

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“My hobby has become my profession, that’s great. It’s my childhood dream, I wanted to be like my heroes. They were fascinating, charismatic, and self-confident. I thought, if I have muscles like that, then I can help others.”

Athlete Statistics

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Accomplishments

Competition History

1995

• NABBA Int. German Junior Championship, 3rd place

1998

• NABBA German Championship, Vice-Champion Figure Performance Class
• NABBA North German Championship, 1st place figure performance class

2000

• World Cup, 3rd place figure performance class
• German Championship, 3rd place figure performance class

2001

• Int. German Championship
• Participation in the NABBA World Championship
• European Championship, 2nd place figure performance class

2002

• WFF Fitness Universe, Vice Champion
• WFF Fitness World Championship, 5th place

2003

• North German Championship, 1st place fitness class I
• German Championship, 1st place fitness class and overall winner
• Mr. Universe, 1st place Fitness Class I

2004

• North German Championship, 1st place Fitness Class I
• German Championship, 1st place fitness class
• Mr. Universe Spain, 3rd place fitness class

2005

• German Championship, 3rd place performance class I, 3rd place
• Mr. Universe, athletics class, 1st place

2006

• German Championship overall winner athletics class
• Mr. Universe, 3rd place athletic class

2007

• IFBB North German Championship, 1st place Body Classic
• IFBB German Championship, 1st place Body Classic

2008

• World Amateur Championships – IFBB, Classic Medium-Tall, 3rd place

2009

• European Amateur Championships – IFBB, Classic Medium-Tall, 1st place
• World Amateur Championships – IFBB, Classic Medium-Tall, 3rd place

2010

• European Amateur Championships – IFBB, Classic Medium-Tall, 5th place
• World Amateur Championships – IFBB, Classic Medium-Tall, 6th place

2011

• Mr. Olympia Amateur – IFBB, winner Classic Bodybuilding over 175cm
• Arnold Classic Amateur – IFBB, 3rd place Classic Bodybuilding
• World Men’s Classic Bodybuilding Amateur Championships – IFBB, 2nd place

2014

• Europa Games, IFBB Physique Pro Men, 13rd Place
• IFBB Greater Gulf, Men’s Physique, 11th place
• IFBB Greater Gulf, Masters Men’s Physique, 4th place
• New York Pro, IFBB Pro Men’s Physique, 16th place
• Europa Show of Champions, IFBB Pro Men’s Physique, 16th place

2015

• Dallas Pro, IFBB Pro Men, 7th place
• Tampa Pro, IFBB Pro Masters Men, 2nd place
• Tampa Pro, IFBB Pro Men, 16th place

2016

• Prestige Crystal Cup, IFBB Men’s Classic Physique, 6th place
• Tampa Pro, IFBB Men’s Classic Physique, 8th place
• Miami Muscle Beach Pro, IFBB Men’s Classic Physique, N/A

2017

• Karina Nascimento Pro, IFBB Men’s Classic Physique, 10th place

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Murat Demir during the Olympia bodybuilding contest.

“My family wasn’t always comfortable with bodybuilding. They didn’t want to accept it because it was not normal. Before competitions, my face had drawn in from my diet and they thought I was sick.”

Biography

Moving From Turkey to Germany

Murat Demir was born in Kayseri, the heart of Turkey on June 7th, 1974.

However, just three months after Murat’s birth, his family emigrated to Germany where he’s been living ever since.

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Early Life in Sports and Weightlifting

From a young age, Murat showed a strong interest in sporting activities. One of the first sports he played was soccer. As he grew older, Murat explored new interests such as boxing and judo.

By the time he was 12, Murat had already tried a wide variety of sports and disciplines. During this period, he also discovered bodybuilding and fitness.

Inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Hercules movie role, Murat decided that he wanted to build a strong and muscular body. However, he had one problem. At only 12 years old, Murat wasn’t allowed to join a gym.

As a result, he had to improvise his own gym at home. After his father brought him a few pieces of metal poles and scraps from work, Murat set out on building his own bodybuilding equipment. Ultimately, he was successful in his aim – building a set of dumbbells and a barbell without any instructions.

An Awesome Physique, Sculpted in His Own Backyard

It didn’t take Murat long to fall in love with weightlifting. Whenever he had free time, Murat would experiment with different exercises in his backyard, sometimes for hours on end.

Although he initially didn’t know much about correct weight training, Murat was able to see some progress on his physique. He kept training hard, day in and day out. As Murat says, “Nobody ever had to force me to work out.”

Murat kept training at home until he was 16. After this, he was finally allowed to join a gym. By this point, he’d already sculpted an amazing physique.

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A Step Forward

During the four years he worked out at home, Murat built strong foundations for his bodybuilding journey which he now embarked upon.

After entering the gym, Murat was amazed by the new possibilities he had at his fingertips. The machinery and workout equipment in his gym was unlike anything he saw before.

In the following months, he learned everything about correct training. Murat also learned about nutrition, listening to the advice of more experienced bodybuilders in his gym. This new knowledge enabled him to improve his physique even further.

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Preparations For His First Contest

By the age of 21, Murat decided he wanted to make bodybuilding his career. Subsequently, he began to research about bodybuilding competitions in his area.

Murat soon found out about a regional NABBA competition and quickly signed up for it. However, as this was his first show, Murat had no knowledge on how to properly prepare for it.

As a result, Murat decided to contact one of the junior NABBA competitors and ask him for his advice. Here’s Murat explaining what happened next;

“He advised me to take a mass phase and to eat everything that comes my way. I followed this advice. Besides Mama’s home cooking, every McDonald’s and every snack booth I passed was visited for a snack.”

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Obstacles Before a Contest

Murat did everything in his power to make his bodybuilding preparations as efficient as possible. Alongside his ‘hardcore’ training and nutrition, he also looked for supplements such as protein and BCAAs to aid in his muscle gains.

However, this proved to be extremely expensive. Murat worked as an apprentice car mechanic and wasn’t able to afford himself the supplements he needed. But he soon found a way around the problem.

Murat went on to find two part-time jobs, working as a dish-washer and on a chicken farm. This allowed him to quickly save up the money for his supplements. “I didn’t want to beg anyone for money, but pay my own costs,” said Murat.

In the following months, Murat was able to pack on a lot of muscle mass on his frame. He first went on a ‘bulk,’ gaining 20kg of mass. After this, he spent the next several weeks dieting down in order to reach his goal weight for the contest.

The Payoff

Then, after months of sacrifice, Murat finally made his competitive debut in bodybuilding.

It was the 1995 NABBA Int. German Junior Championships, where he ultimately took a high 3rd place.

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Three-Year Break From Bodybuilding

Not long after his first contest, Murat was recruited to German armed forces – The Bundeswehr. During his service, which lasted three years, Murat wasn’t able to compete.

Due to poor nutrition, physical exertion, and other factors, Murat lost over 8 kilograms of muscle during his service in The Bundeswehr.

Comeback

It wasn’t until 1998 that Murat once again appeared on a bodybuilding stage. That year, he came back strong, taking part in two prestigious bodybuilding contests.

The first one was NABBA German Championships, where Murat was proclaimed the vice-champion. The second competition of the year, the NABBA North German Championships, was where Murat took 1st place for the first time in his career.

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Two-month body transformation by Murat Demir.

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German Championships Debut

In 2000, Murat took his career a step further by competing at the national championships. He first took part at the 2000 Bodybuilding World Cup, taking home 3rd place.

Several months later, he participated at the 2000 German Championships, where he once again placed 3rd.

A String of Victories

Between 2001-2010, Murat took part in 22 bodybuilding contests throughout Germany and Europe. During this period, he ‘piled up’ 10 victories. Including:

• 2003 Mr. Universe
• 2004 German Championship
• 2007 German Championship, 1st place Body Classic
• 2009 IFBB European Amateur Championships

But as impressive as these feats were, Murat’s best was yet to come.

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Winning His Pro Card

By 2011, Murat had won everything he’d set his sights on, except for one thing – a Pro Card. But this too would soon be added to his list of feats.

After winning the Mr. Olympia Amateur and placing 3rd at the Arnold Classic Amateur in 2011, Murat started his preparations for the 2011 World Men’s Classic Bodybuilding Amateur Championships. This was the contest where Murat would fight for his Pro Card.

After only a few weeks of preparations, the show day came. Murat gave his best on the stage, and ultimately, he finished second. While he didn’t win the show, this result was just enough for Murat to finally earn his long-sought Pro Card – joining the elite ranks of the IFBB.

An Accomplished Athlete

After winning his Pro Card, Murat went from strength to strength. He started taking part in contests all around the world, including Europe, America, and Asia.

It wasn’t long before Murat Demir became a well-known name in the Pro Circuit. Between 2014 and 2017, Murat competed in 12 professional contests, achieving impressive results along the way.

Some of his more notable achievements from this period include:

• 2014 IFBB Greater Gulf, Masters Men’s Physique, top 5
• 2015 Tampa Pro, Vice-Champion
• 2017 Karina Nascimento Pro, top 10

Although Murat has been competing since 1997, he’s still going strong and shows no signs of slowing down. With his achievements, he’s cemented his status as one the most accomplished bodybuilders in Germany and beyond.

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Training

Training Methods by Murat Demir

Murat’s training revolves around basic exercises and heavy weights. He doesn’t like to overcomplicate his workouts.

Instead, he focuses on progressively getting stronger throughout the ‘off-season,’ ensuring gradual and steady muscle growth.

But Murat doesn’t always train the same way. He says: “I do instinctive training, ie I listen to my body and do not use a specific system.”

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Nutrition

Staying Lean Year-Round

Murat Demir eats extremely clean year round. His diet is based on low amounts of carbs and lots of protein. Due to his constant photo shoots and events, Murat has to stay in shape all year-round.

However, he doesn’t find this difficult at all, saying: “I have a lot of photo sessions and appearances, so I always want to be in shape. It’s not an effort, it’s my lifestyle!” – Murat Demir

High-Protein, Low-Carb

Murat Demir strongly believes that high protein intake helps him preserve his muscle. For this reason, he aims to consume between 3-4 grams of protein per kg of body weight. Along with 1-2g of carbs and 2g of fats per kilogram of body weight.

Murat also makes sure to drink enough liquid throughout the day. Specifically, he aims at drinking 5-8 liters of liquid between when he wakes up and goes to bed.

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Murat Demir flexing with Franziska Lohberger.

Idols and Influences

Murat’s main influence in bodybuilding was Arnold Schwarzenegger.

One day, when Murat was 12 years old, his eyes fell upon Arnold’s incredible physique in the Hercules movie.

It was at this moment that Murat realized he wanted to build an amazing physique of his own.

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What we can learn from Murat Demir

If there’s something to learn from Murat Demir, it’s that even the most successful bodybuilders have started somewhere.

In Murat’s case, he began his journey as a 12-year old, working out in his backyard with dumbbells made out of metal scraps.

From his humble beginnings, to reaching the top of his craft. Murat has taught us to always dream big and work hard until our goals are met.