Pat Warner

Biography

Pat Warner, one of the most prolific competitors in the country, entering over 50 contests and rarely finishing outside the top 3 has partnered up with TIME 4 NUTRITION.

Pat who started lifting weights at 14, whilst playing semi-professional football, he was a quick footballer, but was lacking the strength and was always getting knocked off the ball, was advised to do some weight training. On his first visit to the gym, he went up to a bar that was loaded and deadlifted it off the ground, when a member mentioned to him that he had just broken a British Junior Deadlift Record, Pat didn’t even know what a deadlift was, weighing only 168 pounds at the time, the weight he had just lifted was 400 pounds.

Pat Warner soon added basic technique to raw power and went on to enjoy a 10-year career in powerlifting, where he won several British titles in the under 82.5kg category.

It wasn’t until the mid-1990s Warner contemplated taking on a brand new challenge, after being told he had the potential to do well by Basil Francis a top bodybuilder at the time, Warner dieted for 8 weeks, a couple of months later placed 7th out of 15 at a local competition, that day in the crowd sat a British bodybuilder by the name of Ian Harrison who told Warner that if he focussed purely on bodybuilding, he would do extremely well, but because he was still playing football, that was halting his progress to put on size.

He listened to the advice and quit playing football in 1998 and dedicated himself to bodybuilding, in 2004, weighing in at 216 pounds, he placed fourth in the heavyweights at the British Finals, a year later he didn’t make the top five, but he returned at his best ever in 2006 at 237 pounds to finish third.

In 2007 Warner entered the UKBFF British Championships looking his best, 8 pounds up from the previous year where he had placed third, and in better condition, Warner felt he had a great shot at winning the title, however a trio in the line up stood in his way, these guys were Zack Khan, Darren Ball and Alvin Small, that year a young kid by the name of Flex Lewis took the overall and Pro Card.

2008 proved to come with its own challenges, 2 weeks prior to the North East Championships, Warner fell ill and had to be put on antibiotics for the run up to the show, which meant his body was holding water, Warner battled it out and finished with a 3rd place position, Warner then in another 2 weeks dropped a massive 11 pounds in the run up to the finals only to fall short.

Over a long period of time winning the North-East Championships became an obsession, the show wasn’t only the one that eluded Warner, but it was his home town show that he always had a lot of support at, but could never get past that finishing line, so when word got out weeks before the 2009 contest at Leeds Town Hall that Pat was looking good, there were still some doubters, but when it was all said and done, this time Warner delivered the knockout blow by turning up in the shape of his life and taking Super-Heavyweight, Over 100kg and the Men’s Overall.

2009 British Finals, Nottingham, Warner coming off the win in Leeds 3 weeks earlier weighing at 102, on the day of the British finals, Warner weighed in at 100.6, with the limit being 100kg, Warner had to lose a bit, after two stints on a stationary bike, he got down to 99.99kg, and the title was effectively his. The battle for the overall, had Warner facing Zack Khan, Lee Williams and Shaun Joseph-Tavernier, but this year that title belonged to Zack Khan, still that night was a success for Warner, for the previous years he had tried to play the size game and tried to match the likes of Darren Ball and Zack Khan and compete at around the 106kg mark, but he had to work on making his physique as good as possible and focussing more on condition than size.

The following year Warner and the British team went over to Columbus, Ohio to take part in the Arnold Classic, an experience Warner savoured, the whole Arnold experience was nothing like Warner had ever experienced, Pat failed to make the cut, but was extremely happy for the teammates who had made the finals, it had been a busy and successful season for Warner so he decided to take some time off to repair and grow.

Warner returned in 2011 at the British Finals in Nottingham, he had stayed within 12 pounds of his contest weight which in hindsight he believes cost him, when he placed fifth at the finals.

Nearly a decade since winning the North East Championship Warner’s aim is to always come in fuller and not sacrifice the granite look that he’s known for at any future shows that he decides to enter. Over the last few years Warner has stayed busy working heavily backstage at UKBFF shows and a few guest posing slots.

COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS:

2009 UKBFF UK Heavyweight Champion

2009 UKBFF North-East Overall Champion

CONTEST HISTORY:

2004 EFBB BRITISH FINALS MEN’S OVER 90KG – 4th

2006 UKBFF BRITISH FINALS HEAVYWEIGHT CLASS – 3rd

2007 UKBFF BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP HEAVYWEIGHT CLASS – DNP

2007 WABBA EUROPE INTERNATIONAL HEAVYWEIGHT CLASS – 1st

2007 UKBFF NORTH EAST CHAMPIONSHIPS HEAVYWEIGHT CLASS – 2nd

2008 UKBFF NORTH EAST CHAMPIONSHIPS HEAVYWEIGHT CLASS – 3rd

2008 UKBFF BRITISH FINALS HEAVYWEIGHT CLASS – DNP

2009 UKBFF NORTH EAST CHAMPIONSHIPS HEAVYWEIGHT CLASS – 1st

2009 BRITISH FINALS HEAVYWEIGHT UNDER 100KG CLASS – 1st

2010 ARNOLD CLASSIC – DNP

2011 BRITISH FINALS MENS UNDER 100KG – 5th