CORNELIUS, N.C. — Ever wonder if you could work out like Mark Martin?
Now is your chance.
Nearly every day the 53-year-old driver of the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota logs on to www.weighttraining.com under the name 55markmartin and posts the weight, sets, and repetitions he did in the gym.
Take a look at it if you dare, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
The Michael Waltrip Racing driver logged about seven sets of a dozen weight exercises Thursday ranging from triceps and chest exercises to something called “behind the head skull crushers.”
He lifted over 28,000 lbs. in total that morning. He’s burned over 20,000 calories since he started keeping an online diary. One day his focus is on chest and triceps, the next day it might be shoulders followed by legs the next day. Even his off days include cardio, stretching and foam rolling.
“It’s a fun way to keep the fans who want to follow along with what I’m doing,” said Martin who boasts seven percent body fat. “Everyone always asked about my workouts so I thought it would be kind of fun to start recording them for all to see. Weight lifting and nutrition are my passions.”
Martin often interacts with fellow weight lifters on the website’s message board.
“I don’t do this to influence other people,” said Martin. “If it motivates them that’s great. I just enjoy talking with fellow lifters. It’s a way of life. It inspires me.”
Don’t mistake the weightlifting talk for losing interest in racing. Martin hasn’t lost any desire or skill. He’s won four poles in 2012 and earned nine top-10 finishes in 21 races.
“I’m still as fiery a competitor as I was the first time I came here in 1981,” Martin said recently. “I work with what I have just like I did the first time I came here. I work with all the passion that I have and I love racing. I’ve been blessed to be in great race cars. I’ve managed to be able to do what I do and there’s no reason to quit. It’s the fire. It’s the desire. I will compete.”
Now comes the weightlifting part.
“When I don’t drive race cars anymore, I will compete. That’s a little bit why I like lifting weights. Every day I go into the gym, I’m competing against myself. I will find a way to compete.”
NOTES
· PRIMARY CHASSIS – 729– finished third at Dover in September. Car won pole at Dover in June, finished third at Texas and 10th at Atlanta with Martin behind wheel.
· SECONDS: The No. 55 has logged three consecutive second-place qualifying runs. Charlotte and Kansas with Martin and Martinsville with Brian Vickers.
· ONE OF THE BEST: Martin’s average qualifying effort of 9.0 in 2012 is the second best of all drivers. Only Kasey Kahne (8.5) owns a better average.
· THE MOST: Martin’s four poles are tied with Kahne as the most by any driver in 2012.
· TEXAS: In 23 Sprint Cup starts Martin owns a victory (1998) and eight top-five finishes. He’s led 208 laps. He started fourth and finished third in April.
· WINS: Martin owns 40 Sprint Cup, 49 Nationwide and seven Camping World Truck Series victories. He’s led 12,719 laps in Sprint Cup competition. Martin has started 850 Sprint Cup races, 236 Nationwide races and 25 truck events.
· MWR IN 2012: MWR’s five Cup Series drivers have scored a combined record of three wins (Bowyer at Sonoma, Richmond and Charlotte), 23 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes through the 33 races of the season. Four drivers have recorded three or more top-five finishes – Bowyer has nine, Truex Jr. has seven, Martin has four and Vickers has three. All five drivers, including Waltrip, have recorded a top-10.
· 1,100 LAPS AND COUNTING: Bowyer led 154 laps and Brian Vickers led 27 at Martinsville to give MWR’s Toyotas 1,187 laps led in the 33 Sprint Cup Series races of 2012. Truex Jr. leads the MWR charge with 423 laps led, Bowyer 388, Martin with 195, Vickers 158, and Waltrip with 21.
· AARON’S: Right now during Aaron’s 2,000th Store Celebration you are pre-approved for up to $2,000 in merchandise.* Aaron’s is your trusted source for quality lease to own furniture, electronics, appliances & computers at guaranteed low prices. Shop at your nearest Aaron’s store location or Aarons.com to view our lease-to-own products, including dining room tables, TVs, tablets, appliances, computers & more.
· All-Time Poles
#
Driver
Poles
1
Petty, Richard
123
2
Pearson, David
113
3
Gordon, Jeff
72
4
Yarborough, Cale
69
5
Waltrip, Darrell
59
6
Allison, Bobby
58
7
Elliott, Bill
55
8
Martin, Mark
55
9
Isaac, Bobby
49
10
Newman, Ryan
49
· All-Time Wins
1
Petty, Richard
200
2
Pearson, David
105
3
Gordon, Jeff
86
4
Allison, Bobby
84
5
Waltrip, Darrell
84
6
Yarborough, Cale
83
7
Earnhardt, Dale
76
8
Johnson, Jimmie
58
9
Wallace, Rusty
55
10
Petty, Lee
54
11
Jarrett, Ned
50
12
Johnson, Junior
50
13
Thomas, Herb
48
14
Stewart, Tony
47
15
Baker, Buck
46
16
Elliott, Bill
44
17
Martin, Mark
40
18
Flock, Tim
39
19
Isaac, Bobby
37
20
Roberts, Fireball
33
· All-Time Cup Series Starts
1) Richard Petty, 1185
2) Ricky Rudd, 906
3) Dave Marcis, 883
4) Terry Labonte, 880
5) Mark Martin, 851
