Written by Peter McGough
29 December 2015

15codymontgomery-specialone

Cody Montgomery: The Special One

The Lowdown on the Best Young Bodybuilder Ever

 

 

Despite his tender years Cory Montgomery, who turned 21 last August 6th, is already a record breaker. In 2013 he became the first competitor to ever win the NPC Teenage Nationals twice and if that was not enough he won it again in 2014 to be the first three-peater in that division; a feat that will probably never be equaled. Also in 2014, the same weekend he won his third Teenage title, he won the NPC Collegiate title also, becoming the first to ever win both titles. In both classes he took the heavyweight and overall accolades. He really is a phenomenon with a perfect seven contests; seven wins, being his career record.

 Last July he entered the NPC USA Championships at 11 days short of his 21st birthday and sensationally won the heavyweight and overall champ titles, becoming the youngest ever winner of an overall title at the nationals level. In addition as a result of his USA exploits he earned an IFBB pro card.

 CODY-MONTGOMERY-THE-SPECIAL-ONE-ins1

EARLY DAYS

 Cody Montgomery was born in Anchorage, Alaska on August 6th, 1994, to his parents, Rebecca and Doug, who both worked as engineers for the Arco Oil Company. Cody was the youngest of three siblings: He has a brother, Justin, who is two years older, and a sister Nicole who is two years older than Justin. When he was two the family relocated to Dallas Texas, were they have lived ever since.

 He grew up playing many sports ranging from soccer, to football, to competitive golf, in which he was something of a prodigy. His first contest was the 2010 NPC Dallas Europa Supershow, where he won the teen class at 15. He’s like a PR agent’s role model dream in that he combines bodybuilding with pursuing a first class education. Currently he attends the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas, where he’s in his third year of general business studies.

 It’s a personal thought that beside physical attributes a top competitor has to have an equal abundance of mental strength and a mindset that sets him apart from his peers. At an extraordinarily young age Cody Montgomery has the physique and that gifted mindset. In this interview we try and unearth the drive and psyche of the most successful ever 20-year-old bodybuilder.

 CODY-MONTGOMERY-THE-SPECIAL-ONE-ins2

CHILDHOOD

 My parents raised us three kids to have values and I had a great childhood. They taught me from a young age that I had to work for pretty much everything. For instance I had to go clear leaves from our neighbors house before they’d let me go to the movies or hang out with friends. In Dallas we lived in a very good neighborhood and a lot of my friends were spoiled. But I wasn't spoiled; essentially my parents taught me you have to earn everything in life

 I played football and started lifting weights just to get bigger in general. I was kind of a skinny kid but I had a abs and a wiry frame. I just wanted to build some muscle to attract girls. I started going to the gym with my brother when I was 12 back in 2007. We went to Lifetime Fitness in Dallas. My brother had a car so I went to the gym with him and he was pretty much my training partner for a while. I started getting bigger than my brother who was two years older than me, and it sort of pissed him off.

FIRST CONTEST

 One day in 2010 when I was 15, a guy at the gym who owned a supplement store, suggested I compete. I was like I don't even know where to begin I don't even know what completive bodybuilding entails. He said he saw a lot of potential in me and said he’d sponsor me if I entered the teen division of that year’s Europa Supershow in Dallas. I didn't really know what I was doing for that first show. I remember watching Flex Lewis videos and he was eating a lot of Tilapia with which he ate a lot of tomatoes, so that’s what I began to do.

 When I first stepped onstage at that contest, it was like a whole new world opened up for me. At 172 pounds I won the teen division and as I came offstage my mom was waiting for me. I told her, “This is what I want to do.” I felt so at home on stage and it lit a flame inside me that has never left. From that point I was very, very, motivated. I began to look at bodybuilding as my vocation, as being a 24-hour job in which I had to be really focused and driven. It also brought a structure and a sense of discipline to other areas of my life. I'd signed up for football the next year but I didn't want to play. I dropped everything and bodybuilding became my passion.

CODY-MONTGOMERY-THE-SPECIAL-ONE-ins3 

PARENT’S REACTION

 Let's be honest, bodybuilding does have a dark side to it, and at first my parents thought it was really weird what I was doing. They were not really against it but there were probably a lot happier if I’d stayed with golf. They never said they didn't want me to do bodybuilding but they saw my passion. They didn't support me 100 percent at first but they never said don't do it. Basically they just wanted me to do what made me happy. When I started having success they came around, and have been very supportive as parents in all facets of my life.

EYE ON THE TEENS

 Having won the teen division at the 2010 Europa aged 15, I had this crazy idea of winning the NPC Teen Nationals, not just once but multiple times because I wouldn't be ineligible for that division until 2015.   I set my sights on the 2012 Teens, when I would be 17, and trained and dieted hard for two years. I didn't know if I was going to win but reasoned even if I didn’t I still had two more shots to do it. I wanted to win at least one I guess.

 In 2011 I entered the Ronnie Coleman Classic in Dallas, and won the teen title and the middleweight novice division. For the 2012 NPC Teens I gave it my all in my 16 weeks of prep, approaching it like a professional. For that show there was a lot of publicity around Dominick Cardone, while no one knew who I was. I was the underdog. In the end Dominick won the heavyweight division and I, at 184 pounds, took the light heavies and the overall.

 CODY-MONTGOMERY-THE-SPECIAL-ONE-ins4

TOWARDS A TRIPLE SLAM

 After winning that first Teen Nationals title, I got my first real paid sponsorship deal. I now had some backing which felt great. Previously I thought I'd done it without a lot of people behind me so with a support group I had a lot more confidence. But going into 2013 Teen Nationals I experienced the worst prep I'd ever had. I was behind schedule the entire time. I started my diet only 12 weeks out whereas as before I always had a 16 contest prep period. I was 198 pounds for that contest – right on the light heavy limit. When I stepped offstage Chris Cormier – who had become my mentor – asked me, “How does it feel to win a contest at 85%?” I made my mind up right there that I would never come in at 85% again. In July 2014, weighing 208 pounds, I came in at 100% and took my third straight Teen Nationals title. I also won the Collegiate Championships, competing against guys a lot older than me. Winning those two titles in the same year had never been done before.

YOUNG AND DONE

 From that high of July 2014 things begin to spiral out of control. My sponsorship agreements came to and end at the same time I split up with my long time girlfriend. To be honest I went into a depression and I do mean “depression” not just a feel sorry for myself mood. I would wake up in the morning with studies and bodybuilding on my mind. I’d start eating my breakfast but with so much stress and anxiety in my life I just couldn't keep the food down and I’d puke. I thought I’d just focus on school at the University of San Antonio, and decided to quit bodybuilding for the time being and come back at some point in the future.

CODY-MONTGOMERY-THE-SPECIAL-ONE-ins5 

OUT OF THE DARNESS

 Things began to turn around and I signed a sponsorship deal with Aaron Singerman and P.J. Braun of Blackstone Labs, which relieved things financially. By November last year I had got my head together and targeted the 2015 NPC Nationals the following November. I started from a relatively lean spot and made great gains so much so that 11 weeks out from July’s USA's I felt I would be ready for that contest instead of waiting for the Nationals in November. By now I was working with contest prep expert Chris Aceto. He made me eat more, upped my protein intake, which speeded up my metabolism. The plan was to make me as full as possible while still having contest condition. Chris said, “You need to stay full otherwise you're going to look like a child amongst men when you step out in the USA heavyweight class.” In the past the goal had always been “Get harder, get harder.” Now it was “”Get hard and full.” I think that enabled me to come in with a different look than before.

 ROLLING THE DICE IN VEGAS

 The prejudging for the USAs was Friday, July 24. On the Thursday night I began feeling sick. I think I had food poisoning and around 2.00am Friday morning – 12 hours before prejudging -- I started puking and it wouldn’t stop. I tried to get out of bed at 4.00am and almost collapsed and I couldn't even summon the energy to hit a pose. I’m quite a religious guy and I prayed for things to normalize. I woke up at 6.30am and I was fine. It was almost miraculous.

 I love the rush of being on stage. I get really pumped up physically and mentally backstage because I know I gave it my all, the work is done, and its time to show the world what you been working on. For the USA's I put my heart and soul into the prep, and came in at around 220 pounds. I was just excited to get on stage and show the improvements I had made and then just see how everything played out. Ultimately it’s up to God and the judges.

 When I got backstage and looked at the lineup getting ready I thought, “Shit! These guys are huge.” Against them I felt pretty small and was thinking some of these guys have been training longer than I’ve been alive. Then came the first call out. I was the last one called but then they moved me to the middle so I knew what that meant. They never positioned me anywhere else so at that point I was confident I was in the driving seat and would take the heavyweight division. Looking ahead to the overall posedown I didn’t know who the super heavyweight winner was going to be, but I knew they couldn’t out condition me. In fact being sick helped in that it made me a lot drier for the prejudging.

 CODY-MONTGOMERY-THE-SPECIAL-ONE-ins6

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

 When my name was called out as the 2015 USA overall winner I looked into the audience saw my family all seated together clapping with a big grin on the faces. I looked at Chris Cormier smiling and Chris Aceto nodding his head. I felt the victory was not only mine, it was also for them. My drive all through prep was I didn't want to let any of them down. [Ed’s note: At this point in the interview Cody became a little bit emotional.] As you can tell I'm an emotional guy. I cried at that point, but I also wept after the prejudging. I kept asking myself, “Why me?” The icing on the cake was that everyone was saying this was the best USAs in years, so it wasn’t like I won in an off year. I thought back to fall 2014, when I was at my lowest, depressed and thinking of quitting bodybuilding. That was the lowest of the low and now I was experiencing the highest of the high. I felt a connection with God. He showed me from way back that there was a path for me to follow.

THE FUTURE

 In making my pro debut at the 2016 Arnold Classic in Columbus, some people may think I’m aiming too high; after all it’s the second most prestigious show on the calendar. But I’m really competitive and want to test myself against the best caliber bodybuilders there are. I think I can be competitive as I don’t really have a ton of weaknesses, and, even though I say it myself, I think my physique is pretty complete. As a 21-year-old I often have people telling me, “You’re so young.” That doesn’t gel with me as I think I’m pretty realistic about what I can achieve. I think for the Arnold I could put on another five pounds of quality muscle without disturbing my lines. I will never play the size game. I feel right now that everything’s going for me and I’m in a good spot to have a really great off-season to make gains. I’m staying focused with my food and training. I won’t rush anything as I think I can make gains annually for the next few years. With my 5’9” frame I can see me maxing out around maybe in the low 240s. I just take my progress one show at a time. I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve been successful, because I’m just able to focus on the immediate goal and nothing else. The future is unknown and really all you can do is trust in God’s plan. Long-term, whatever contest success I have, I want to be a really good ambassador for the sport.

CODY-MONTGOMERY-THE-SPECIAL-ONE-ins7 

THE OLYMPIA

 If I did qualify for the Olympia next year I would compete there -- I don't believe in skipping a year. There is no real reason not to do it because the chance may never come again. I would look at my first Olympia as an experience to absorb the whole event and go through the entire weekend, the press conference, Meet The Olympians the hoopla and the fan reaction. It would almost be a dry run to learn the ropes of the event, whilst obviously doing your best onstage. But then hopefully doing a second Olympia I’d have a “Been there, done that” attitude and just concentrate on competing.

AN OLD HEAD ON YOUNG DELTS

 As stated earlier I keep getting comments along the lines of nobody’s ever done this at 20 years of age. I think a lot of it has to do with having to grow up fast. When I was eight my mom became seriously ill with cancer. My sister was basically my mom for a few years so it made me really grow up and be aware that life was not a bed of roses. To be honest I don’t feel like I’m 21 -- I don’t look like a 21-year-old. I’ve never been to college party so I’m not your typical 21 year old. Bodybuilding is everything to me.

 CODY-MONTGOMERY-THE-SPECIAL-ONE-ins8

In closing I want to help people in their bodybuilding endeavors and factors outside the sport. That’s why I don't have a problem talking about depression, which is a very real and dark experience. By talking about it hopefully perhaps others going through a similar passage can see that you can come through the darkness toward the light. You have to believe and know that tomorrow is going to be a better day, and the next day will be even better. You have to do keep your faith in God, trust his plan, and don't be afraid that you can’t overcome those mental hurdles. With faith and belief you will prevail.

Stay tuned to musculardevelopment.com to track how Cody approaches his pro debut at the 2016 Arnold and how he fares on the day of competition, March 5, 2016.

 

DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE ON THE MD FORUM

READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS IN THE MCGOUGH REPORT

CODY MONTGOMERY'S CAN'T FAIL LEG BLASTING STRATEGIES