‘95% of men cannot lift as much as me’

Brittany ‘Flex’ Watts started her fitness journey after something of a wake up call about her lifestyle.

The now-31-year-old was living with her parents in Oklahoma and working in a bar, ‘drinking every night’.

Then, in her early 20s when her parent had health issues, she accompanied them to an exercise class and decided to turn her life right around.

Brittany says that ‘95% of the men in the gym will not be lifting anywhere near as heavy as I am’, and that Covid-19 hasn’t stopped her achieving her lofty goals.

During the pandemic she reached her personal best of lifting 360lbs, and hopes to be ranked top five in the IFBB women’s league by the end of this year.

Specifically Brittany participates in women’s physique competitions, which involve weeks of training beforehand.

Entrants are judged on their muscle definition and how their bodies look aesthetically, with ‘blinged out’ swimsuits, a deep tan, and full makeup.

Brittany estimates that she and the other women who take part in these competitions spend close to £5,000 getting ready for a show, whereas men who compete have a lot less of an outlay.

But it’s been a labour of love for muscly Brittany.

‘Bodybuilding probably saved my life, because I was just very self-destructive,’ Brittany told Barcroft media

She moved from Oklahoma to Miami some years ago to pursue her career in the sport.

As well as it taking off in a big way, Brittany has also found love with her boyfriend Julio, who she lives with along with their French Bulldog Ron.

The couple train together every day, but Brittany does (lightheartedly) admit that she’d probably win out against her beau in a bodybuilding contest.

Julio calls Brittany one of the strongest people he knows and says that she inspires him ‘to be great as well’.

There are competitions coming up for Brittany, and she feels that there’s so much to look forward to in her career.

‘The horizon for me would consist of me continuing to get better at my practice in bodybuilding and continuing to try to be number one,’ says Brittany.