The Business of Bodybuilding: Why you should know Ben Hartman

What do I say about Ben Hartman? Besides sending me dick pics, he's one of the people I respect the most in the bodybuilding industry. He has a no BS approach to business and training. All while being a family man and holding a damn good physique. 

In this interview he touches on his humble beginnings in the iron game, his thoughts on keto dieting, why training heavy is important and his supplement line, Morphogen Nutrition.

Ladies and Gents......Ben Hartman!

Tell us a bit about yourself for the uninitiated! Where were you born? Pretty good childhood growing up? 

I was born and raised in Akron, OH and currently reside in Columbus, Ohio. Your standard middle class family in a normal sized neighborhood. I had a great childhood growing up, filled with sports and playing with my siblings and friends. Went through some rough patches with depression in junior high but grew out of all that (both physically and mentally) and went on to have fantastic high school and college experiences. 

You met your then girlfriend Dedra in high school and she has since become your wife. How did that meeting take place?

We vaguely knew of each other through mutual friends since her and my younger brother were in the same grade. We formally met at a youth group retreat and were set up by our friends because she was damaged from a previous relationship and I was an inexperienced shy prude. My how the tables have turned!

Ben and Dedra posing off

Any sports growing up? What attracted you to the weights?

I played soccer year round from age seven until I graduated high school. Traveling premier teams, started on varsity, the whole nine. I dabbled with wrestling in high school. From ages 11 until probably 16 I was obsessed with rollerblading, the "aggressive" kind you used to see in the X-Games. I used to compete and actually did pretty well. 

My passion for the weights began freshman year in high school gym class. I vividly remember watching a video of that years Mr. Olympia contest and learning how to lift from our gym teacher and falling in love immediately. I was an avid art fanatic growing up and my passion for bodybuilding is just another extension of my artistic mindset. 

What made you want to turn the switch to bodybuilding? What made you say “This is something I want to do”?

I quite wrestling after 2 years and decided I was done starving myself and staying small. The starving myself part would return years later when dieting for shows but in the two years after I stopped wrestling I went from 135 to 180, all while playing soccer year round. My propensity to grow and train more intensely than my peers coupled with my growing obsession with exercise science and nutrition led me down a logical path to test my own limits. I ended up winning the junior men division at my first show and was hooked. 

What was your first show like?

I had a BRUTAL 26 week long contest prep that included no cheat meals, refeeds, or flexible dieting (since those weren't really a thing back in the early 2000's) and workouts up to three times a day with weights and/or HIIT cardio. My first show I pretty much dominated the junior division with unrivaled mass and ended up placing somewhere in the middle in the open light heavy division. 

Ben in contest shape

A lot of people don’t know, but you also competed a bit in powerlifting. Most don’t realize how Ohio is a hotbed for powerlifting. How’d you get into that venture. 

I was getting burned out from competing in bodybuilding (mostly dieting) and was pretty strong anyways, so I decided to enter some local drug tested meets. Training heavy was always the cornerstone of my bodybuilding training so it was just that much more fun for me to do 1-5 reps instead of the 6+ that was more commonplace. 

What was your best total?

I honestly don't remember. It's funny because as a competitive PL my numbers weren't all that great. I actually became MUCH stronger while training for bodybuilding purposes in the years after I decided to stop powerlifting. 

Building the machinery as opposed to working on neural and mechanical changes tended to work much better for my strength progress. 

You’re not your average meathead, in that you hold an advanced degree in the world of nutrition. When and where did you obtain it and do you feel having classroom and “real world” experience helps you in your line of work. 

I have my BS in Exercise Physiology from Kent State University and my MS in Nutrition from the University of Akron. I was working full-time at the U of A as the Manager of Fitness & Wellness Programs and attending grad school was free. I always regretted not having double majored in nutrition in my undergrad, especially since I was the dickhead student who ruined the curve in every single nutrition test, even out of 400+ students from the school of nursing and dietetics students. Here I was an exercise phys meathead who just found my niche pretty early on. 

Free education meant it was time for grad school, and at the urging of my then colleague (and eventual mentor and advisor) Dr. Lonnie Lowery, I went into the nutrition & dietetics program with much the same result....crushing my test scores, acing my research papers, all with very little effort outside of paying attention in class and going to the library one day a week to type. 

I actually wrote my 100+ page graduate thesis in one day, 8 hours total, with almost no revisions. When I buckle down and put my mind to something I love it just flows naturally. 

Having such an intense and focused background in the sciences coupled with my extension in-the-trenches experience as a competitor has given me a unique perspective to be able to view each from both perspectives. Forming my company was an extension of all that, and gave me the credibility I needed to convince my peers that I knew what I was talking about. Not to mention that our formulas are insanely effective and they basically sell themselves. 

From the videos I’ve seen and in our interactions, you are a fan of lifting heavy ass weights. What is your training philosophy when it comes to trying to put on size?

Fuck yes I am! As the great Ronnie Coleman said... 'Erybody wanna be a bodybuilder, but don't nobody wanna lift no heavy ass weight!" (or something like that, lol).

We know volume to be king when it comes to stimulating hypertrophy, but one thing many trainees don't consider is the motor unit recruitment patterns of lifting heavy to failure. ALL fibers (slow, intermediate, fast) are recruited during a maximal effort set (not speaking about 1RM, just working damn hard). 

Volume training done below a certain threshold (around 60% 1RM) can cause growth...sure.

But we know what things progress better than loading is upwards of 75-85% or more. Frankly, I don't care what the volume math entails...a guy who can squat 500 for a set of 10 is going to have bigger legs than a guy who can squat 250 for 20, despite the volume being equal. 

Aside from that, I always take long rests, do several exercises, a lot of working sets, throw in drop sets on some things to add volume,  metabolic byproduct accumulation and pump, and focus hard on the working muscle at hand. I also focus more on total workload over the course of time, whether that be training everything once a week with 20-30 sets or 2-3 times a week with 8-10 sets. 

The argument is often made by competitors on performance enhancing drugs is that progressive overload and heavier loading in general isn't needed for growth, and I'd say that 1) nothing is "needed", but can certainly be more optimal, and 2) drugs change the game a good bit.

So they may very well be correct. But the best natural competitors ever, despite all their training, nutrition, and supplementation differences all have one thing in common: they're all strong as fuck in whatever rep range or volume routine they're on. 

Another common trait: most utilize loose form on at least a few basics. I could go on and on about this topic, especially when you factor in the right mechanics for each person vs. what's in a textbook, but I digress for now.

Does that switch up when you would diet for a show?

NEVER! If anything I have the issue of training too heavy, too often when in prep. Might not be the safest or most productive, but I've always said "I'll sooner remove a few reps from a set than a few plates from the bar" 

I think most people who wonder why I'm so thick on stage forget that it's not just the size I've gained in the offseason but also the size I've retained during a dieting period. 

Will we ever see you onstage again? 

I plead the fifth!

Actually I have some ideas but it's just not a priority right now. Kid, wife, hopefully another kid, growing business, family, friends, etc, are more to me than a prep.

Let's talk about your approach to nutrition. You’re a big fan of ketogenic dieting from what I’ve gathered, and have been for years. Why?

Meh...I'd say I'm a big fan of the proper application of any tool. Keto is awesome, during brief cutting periods to lose fat and bloat quickly, restore insulin sensitivity, and is better for many athletes when their calories get too low to function properly anyways. 

Even though we know through research that fat loss is equal using both carb and keto diets, I've seen it first-hand (and so many many other coaches) that when you switch someone out from carbs to keto, calories kept in tact, that people continue to lose fat after stalling out. Yes some of the initial changes are water loss, but the kickstart in fat loss that keto can provide is noticeable and profound in many. Again though, it's just one tool, and not always the right tool for the job. 

Do think keto is the best way to go for long term health? 

Potentially yes, but that's only speculative and based on my admittedly limited knowledge of things like cancer prevention. 

Let's shift toward your company Morphogen Nutrition. When did you create the company and what was the reasoning for it?

We started the company in late 2011 and have more than doubled every single year over the previous year. That's not saying much about my business prowess, because I don't have a fucking clue how to run a business. I know science. I know the athlete. I know the industry and how fucked up it all is. 

We set out to create a (mostly) direct to consumer sales model to be able to provide the highest dosed, best quality, premium products at prices that a normal company could never touch, because of the traditional retail model of margin over formulation. 

Our mission statement is simple: M

Morphogen Nutrition specializes in developing no BS, scientifically validated, effectively dosed, and affordable sports nutrition supplements

Morphogen Nutrition specializes in developing no BS, scientifically validated, effectively dosed, and affordable sports nutrition supplements

vely dosed, and affordable sports nutrition supplements.
 In a nutshell...the industry is fucking garbage!

Most companies create ineffective, under dosed, bullshit products at high margins so that everyone involved in the production/distribution/retail game gets rich at the expense of the consumer. The science of what actually works is relatively clear, the formulation process isn't all that complicated, it's just that companies have the bottom line in mind over everything else. 

I'd rather spend three times as much in producing a product and have it be the most complete formula on the market than make something for 1/3 the price and make a fortune. It's that simple. We also don't charge shipping and handling or tax at checkout, so the price you see is always the price you get. 

I absolutely despise the online buying process, getting to checkout only to get hit with an additional $7-15 dollars in fees. Fuck that, we got you. 

What are your featured products?

Alphagen has been by far our best seller and is our flagship product. Everyone has a pre workout. Everyone makes claims about theirs being the best. But only ours has repeatedly beaten everyone else in terms of customer retention and also customers switching exclusively to our brand. All because of Alphagen. 

Synthegen is the most complete intra-workout recovery formula on the market, with full dosing of all 9 EAA and not just the 3 BCAA. Full dosing of the amazing ingredient HMB, plus the tartrate form of carnitine which decreases markers of muscle breakdown. The next batches will also have the exciting new ingredient Velositol added to further augment muscle protein synthesis. 

I could go on and on about our line, I am genuinely beyond myself at what we've been able to bring to market. 

Where are you now with the company in terms of new and exciting products?

This is a big year for us. We are basically quadrupling our line, leaving no stone unturned in almost every product category. Insane doses...expensive and trademarked raw ingredients...no marketing bullshit. In the coming year we are revamping several formulas to make them even more unbeatable, and releasing a few new items that will be unparalleled in their respective product categories. 

We're talking products with literally triple the dosing or triple the ingredients than most competitors, all offered in the same price range. 

Tell us about being Husband to Dedra and father to baby Madison. How has this changed you? 

They are my entire world. I've been with Dedra literally fifty percent of my life. We've grown up together. Nurtured each other's growth, both as individuals as well as spouses. We have an unbreakable, almost unspeakable bond and connection. Madison has given me a sense of purpose in life unlike any other. The biggest change in having Madison is time management. I work from home and half of my day is spent watching Frozen, reading kids books, or playing with blocks. Most days I book-end my day with work early morning and late evening. I've always been the kind of person who works on things until 2am, then wakes up at 3am with another idea and stays up all night. It's just how my brain works, so having a kid thrown in the mix really forces me to adapt to schedule changes and not fuck around when I know I have free time. 

What can we expect from you in the future? 

More dick pics in your inbox. Kidding....ummm....(Editor's note: cooch only....thx)

A full line of unbeatable products. More value for consumers dollar. More usable content, not just pics and videos to stroke my own ego like so many in this industry. If it doesn't help someone else with information, motivation, or provision of goods and services, then I don't give a fuck about it. 

Anyone you would like to thank? 

My wife always, without her support I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing. She took a chance in believing in a crazy idea I had and let me run with it. Big risk, potentially big reward. 

Also, our customers. More like part of our team. Trusting in the information I've provided to be correct and genuine. Using the products, sampling them (at their own dime no less) to friends and family, spreading the word, and passionately advocating for people to JOIN THE TAKEOVER! 

It's been humbling to say the least, and I still wake up every day and go to bed every night in awe that our brand means so much to so many. 

Looking to get in contact or follow Ben? Use the links below!

www.MNTakeover.com

www.facebook.com/ben.hartman.71

www.instagram.com/morphogenben/

twitter.com/MorphogenBen

www.linkedin.com/in/morphogenben

Good Enough: Meet Competitive Powerlifter Marcus Morris

Black and white. That's what powerlifting is. You're either strong or you're not.

Marcus Morris is strong. How strong you may ask?

How about top ten all time on the charts in the 181 pound class and top ten on the multi-ply list. A native of New York, he's on his way to trying to nail a huge squat in less than a month in Buffalo.
I wanted to know what made this guy tick, so I reached out to him and wanted know what drives him, his methods, and who pushed him to be the best he can be.

Ladies and Gents....Marcus Morris.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

For starters, I'm 27 years old and reside in Syracuse, New York. By day, because we all have bills to pay, I work as an account manager for Coca-Cola.
afterwards, all of my free waking moments are dedicated to my passion, which is competing.

I am privileged enough to train out of THE Hercules Gym, owned by Rheta West and Pete Knutsen. Everyday I feel beyond blessed not only to be able to compete in such a wonderful sport, but to be able to do in in such a cohesive and supportive environment alongside some other great lifters.


Were you active in sports growing up?

Growing up, I was very underweight early on. Sports became a huge factor in my life for that reason. In high school, I played football, baseball, and wrestled. Being one of the smaller guys standing at 5’4 and some change, I always had to bust my ass to get on the field.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I have a huge chip on my shoulder...and because of that I am a workhorse. I thank God for childhood and high school athletics because they taught me from an early age that life isn't fair, but with hard work, consistency, and an opportunity...anyone can make a play.

What drew you to the weights?

It's cliche, but I was first drawn to weights out of fear and insecurity. As a young overweight kid, I was picked on a lot. I remember one incident specifically where coming home on the bus, two older kids cornered me in a seat and harassed me the whole ride home. I remember getting off the bus and breaking down crying at the front door to my mom. First, my grandmother felt that karate would do the trick. The thing is, I'm not a fighter. After that didn't take, she got me a membership at Bally’s as well as a personal trainer named Janis.

From the minute I stepped inside the gym, I was addicted. I would train with Janis two times a week...but I would go there on my own every chance I could. I loved everything about the weights. The smell, the sounds, the physical exertion and release, I loved it all. Training right then and there, became not only my emotional escape, but it allowed me to create a version of myself that I wanted. From the day I walked in there untill now, I have been chipping away at that version of myself that I want to see. When I think about what competing and training does for me today..it's simple.

The platform is the only place in the world where I can prove to myself that I am enough.

Have you ever tried your hand at bodybuilding?

This makes me laugh...because I made one sad attempt. When I was about 19, before I seriously got into powerlifting, I did a natural bodybuilding show. To be be honest, I just wasn't carrying nearly enough muscle to do a show, nor was I able to diet the way I should have. In the future, perhaps after my time in powerlifting is done, I would be curious to make another attempt.

What made powerlifting more appealing to you?

The objectivity. The grittiness of it.

Powerlifting is black and white, you either got better or you didn't. More than anything, the chaos is what draws me in the most. Step foot into the warmup room at any big meet..what do you see? Adrenaline, aggression, and a bunch of bad motherfuckers just waiting to punch the clock and do what they have been training 16 weeks for.

You hear the sounds of plates being loaded, handlers cueing lifters, backs being slapped, and you hear the infamous “bar is loaded” coming from the main platform. There is not another sport like it.

Who are your favorites in the sport?

There is one lifter I look up to, and one only. Rheta West.

Rheta is a multiple all-time record holder both raw and equipped in the 148 and 165 weight classes. When I was 21, Rheta took me under her wing and has been nothing short of my source of motivation for training, a great mentor, and an even better friend. If I could be 1/10 the lifter and person Rheta is, then I will have accomplished a hell of a lot.

Lets shift gears and dive right into training. You’re the best in your class at 181 at multiply. No easy feat. What is your best total and what your training like leading up to that meet?

My best multiply Total to date is 2100 pounds from about a year and a half ago. All meet cycles are pretty much the same for me raw or equipped. My training style is an adaption of conjugate, and then some of the things I have learned along the way from Rheta, Scott Rowe, and a few others.

Essentially, I have a dynamic effort day and a maximum effort day. I use my “speed” days to accumulate volume and refine technique using specialty bars to manipulate positioning, as well as

varying forms of accommodating resistance.

For my max effort work I stick to primarily singles and view my training weeks much like a climber attempting to reach the summit of Everest. For the squat and deadlift I utilize reverse bands alongside staggered straight weight attempts to climb that intensity latter until finally at the meet I reach the peak. Same thing with the bench, only I use boards. I am very aggressive with my attempts and sometimes it backfires. But I'm not scared of shit and I'd rather fail trying than take an easy make.

What are your current goals?

Currently I have made a shift into raw powerlifting. I competed in my first raw meet about 4 months ago and totaled 1700 at 181. I currently have a meet August 5th where I plan to put together a total that I am capable of, and I will also be taking a shot at the all-time squat record which currently stands at 759.

It's going to be a fun ride, and more importantly it's going to be fun to shut all those raw zealots up. I have the sack to step in their world, let's see them come to mine.

What's a typical training cycle look for you, as far as percentages go? 

My speed work is broken down into three micro cycles that make up a larger nine week cycle. 

Currently I am competing raw, so for the squat my bar weight percentage is 40, 45, and then 50. Over three weeks I go 12x2, 10x2, 6 to 8x2. 

Every fourth week the specialty bar changes to attack a specific positioning weakness. In regards to the accommodating resistance, I let that remain the same over nine weeks. After nine weeks, I add more in either band or chain. Currently I am utilizing a choked heavy band, and eight chain. 

The next 9 week cycle will see a light band added to that. For the deadlift, my bar weight is usually 50 percent for 5x2 week one, 60% 10x1 week 2. 

I use a lot of deficits early on in the cycle and rotate bands and chains every three weeks. Week three I back off. I currently do not utilize a speed day for bench, as I have Pete Knutsen programing my bench and he feels I need volume over speed at the moment and it's working. 

For my heavy work, especially with the squat...I attack the intensity ladder much like a climber would Everest. A very rudimentary peaking cycle for the squat would go as follows..

week 1: last warmup x2, reverse band opener x1

Week 2: opener x1, reverse band second

Week 3: off

Week 4: Second attempt, reverse band third

Week 5: Overload to 30-50 pounds over third with reverse band

Week 6: off

Week 7: Take all Attempts, cruise until the meet.

For the deadlift I pull three times over 9 weeks...

9 weeks out: Reverse band x2 

6 weeks out: four mat deficit vs eight chain

3 weeks out: pull opener

The bench is in Pete's hands at the moment and I am on autopilot. I will tell you right now, he knows what he is doing.

Tell us about the gym you train at. Looks to be a place where someone can get pretty damn strong.

Hercules Gym is my home. I would be nothing if it wasn't for those walls. I mean that sincerely. 

It is owned by Rheta West and Pete Knutsen, both of whom make every attempt to provide their lifters with the best training environment possible. I have said this before. Hercules is a shark tank. It is home to multiple personalities, training methodologies, and athletes. We have everyone from beginners just getting their feet wet, to IFBB pro's and all-time record holders. Does everyone always get along? No. But I will say this, everyone there is there to get better. When you walk in that door, that is the only thing that matters. Leaving better than you were before you came in. 

Don't be a big fish in a small pond. Go jump in the fucking shark tank and take some risks.

I’ve noticed you use the box squat a lot. If I’m a raw beginner….how would I start off learning the movement? 

Find someone who knows what they are doing. Outside of that...getting proper cueing and understanding it. Are you breaking the floor apart on the pickup, the descent, and the ascent? Are you sitting back? Are you rocking, or are you managing to stay tight to the box? These are all things that need to happen. Basic things to get right..

1: Chest stays up..dont rock on the box

2: Break the floor apart the whole time

3: Touch the box with your adductor....not your ass

4: Lead with your shoulders to get off the box and drive your head back

5: Go slightly wider than comp stance.

Diet wise, what are your staple foods?

I usually stick to chicken, beef, rice, pasta, eggs, bread, and then fill in the blanks with whatever I want. 

I have a hard time eating enough, especially due to anxiety, so sometimes i need some shitty food.

Do you ever go on a “diet” to cut weight?

Where is the competitive advantage in that? all cuts should revolve around water manipulation only.

What was your most severe weight cut?

Typically I cut 22-24 pounds over 36 hours. 

They all run like clockwork for me at this point, as I have a routine and I stick to it. 

I try to only sweat the last 10-12 hours. I make sure to only be at my target weight for the 3 seconds I am on the scale. 

For me the hardest aspect has always been the recomp. However with the help of others I finally have come up with the perfect IV/nutrition/and supplement combo to bring me back.

What drives you?

My whole life I have never felt like I was good enough. 

Maybe it was from getting bullied at a young age. Maybe it's from always being the smallest in every sport I played. Maybe it's from all the girls that made me feel like I'm worth nothing. Maybe it's a little of everything. I don't know. But I do know this. The only person in my life who truly made me feel as though I was enough was my grandfather. 

He would sit and watch every practice, come to every game, and he would bring me home almost every time. If there is one thing in my life I miss, it's those car rides home, and the lessons that were instilled in me..even if I didn't know it at the time. When I was a junior in highschool, my grandfather...who had battled cancer for some time at this point..was told he didn't have much time left. 

The hardest thing in the world is to watch someone who means so much to you, who is so strong, and that you look up to so much, just start to wear down and fade away. 

The one thing he would always make sure to tell me....every single time he saw me...was to "be a pro". I didn't get what it meant until those last few months. You see, being a pro isn't about being the best.....it's about controlling the things you can control, and regardless of the cards you are dealt...you play them out and you play them out to the best of your ability. A pro doesn't fold. He doesn't back down, and he most certainly doesn't let the things he can't control dictate the things he can. I watched my grandfather do all of those things in those last few months. I don't think I will ever learn a stronger lesson than that. 

So everytime touch a bar, I remember him...I remember the message he was trying to convey without even saying it. There will never be a weight on my back that is as heavy as life can be.

Marcus's Grandfather

Anyone you would like to thank? 

I would like the thank Rheta for everything she does for me. It goes so far beyond powerlifting. She has been there for me when things were as low as they could be. She really is a great human being. I also want to thank my teammates and training partners, you guys do a lot day in and day out to put me in a position to make a play....and I will always be there to do the same for you.

Follow Marcus on Instagram: Marcusmorris15