I've been a multi-sport athlete since I was 5 years old, but my real passion was for football where I eventually played at the D1AA level. All of my training and lifting experience prior to working with coach Nsima has come from my sports career which helped me start with a solid foundation. Following his customized training and nutrition programs I was able to win the Overall in Men's Bodybuilding at the 2015 INBF Battle of the Bay in my first show ever.
INSTAGRAM: @Marques.morgan
LOCATION: Sacramento, CA
If you're looking for someone who knows their stuff, walks the walk, and gives you tools and guidance based on sound principles backed by science and experience... he is your guy, no doubt about it.
With that win I also earned my pro card in the WNBF. Two weeks later I also competed in the 2015 NANBF Natural Central Valley Classic where I came away with my second Overall win of my first season in Men's Bodybuilding. After a very short off-season Nsima also helped me prepare for my pro debut at the 2016 WNBF Pro USA CA Muscle Mayhem where I placed 7th.
The reason I reached out to Nsima was not just due to his impressive stature, but it was more so that he actually lived the life he was teaching others to live. Lifting weights was second nature to me, but with his help I was really able to have a structure for my training that I hadn't had since playing college football. What I liked most about working with coach Nsima is that my training programs were fluid, but also purposeful, and well thought out. During my prep my training programs adapted to my needs based on my lifestyle, availability, fatigue, strength, and enjoyment. If there were movements that i did not particularly care for or enjoy this is where his expertise really shined. He was always able to find a sensible way of accomplishing the muscle development we needed by either changing the movement, modifying it, or combining movements to accomplish the same goal. There is no substitute for putting in the work and amounting the volume, but there is a safe and smart way to go about it and he definitely does that. Because of this, I enjoy the workouts and I also get the results.
Now when it came to dieting, this wasn't second nature to me. Even with all of year of experience in sports and weight training I never really learned about the nuances of nutrition. I knew the basics, but I lacked the knowledge and experience to take my body to the next level and really see what all these years of training had built. Nsima was actually the first person who introduced me to flexible dieting or IIFYM. This was mind blowing for me to know that i could moderately enjoy foods that were not exactly nutritiously dense and still get shredded for a bodybuilding competition. Previously, the only way I believed I could get ripped is by going on an extreme bro diet and doing hours of cardio which I wasn't willing to do. Cutting for a show can be a very daunting task for many competitors, but for me it has been extremely manageable. There is no way of avoiding "the suck" once you get close, but the refeeds, diet breaks, and other tricks he has up his sleeve been so beneficial allowing me to break through the rough times. Although he pushes me to get the best out of me, he didn't put my health at risk for a plastic trophy. I always felt safe and trusted his protocols as he does what's best for you and your health first and your physical results second.
Lastly, I've always appreciated the open communication with Nsima. He is not only going to tell you what and how to do it, but he is willing to take the time to explain why you're doing it. I found this extremely help because I was always informed about what we were doing currently and what our next step was going to be. Its allowed me to have the utmost confidence in him, my plan, and myself. My biggest take away from working with Nsima is that he is constantly seeking knowledge and working on himself so that he can help others more effectively. This has inspired me to do the same and because of that I am now a better coach and athlete. I feel well equipped to maintain the body composition level I desire and that wouldn't have been the case without his help and taking the time to educate me along the way.