The weedy teenager who grew into a 6ft 8in 23-stone GIANT: Dad-of-one eats every hour and can leg press the weight of a Smart car

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Martyn Ford, from Minworth in the West Midlands, went from being an 11-stone teenager (left) to a 23-stone giant (left) who has an army of Instagram fans - and he is hoping to make a film career out of his size

A 6ft 8in man, who went from being a weedy 11-stone teenager to a 23-stone giant, has an army of Instagram fans - and is now hoping to make a film career out of his size.

Martyn Ford, from Minworth in the West Midlands, was first inspired to join the gym when a cricket injury caused his weight to drop  - and he 'just carried on'.

Now a whopping 23st 4lb, the 33-year-old dad of one can leg press close to the weight of a Smart car and eats every hour, spending £250 on food each week. 

Now a whopping 23st 4lb, the 33-year-old dad of one can leg press close to the weight of a Smart car and eats every hour, spending £250 on food each week.

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Martyn who is 6ft 8in tall was first inspired to join the gym when a cricket injury caused his weight to drop aged 20 - and he 'just carried on' beefing up

Always tall and strong for his age, Martyn was interested in fitness from the age of 11, and as a teenager he played cricket for Warwickshire.

But he suffered an injury aged 19 and his 6ft 8in frame whittled down to just 11st 5lbs.

'The injury hit me quite hard and then psychologically I just gave up,' Martyn told FEMAIL.  

'I suppose a combination of not training and depression took me right down to that sort of weight.'

But he said it was his skinny frame that eventually drove him to join the gym aged 20. 

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Martyn has a cricket injury aged 19 and his 6ft 8in frame whittled down to just 11st 5lbs (pictured). 'The injury hit me quite hard and then psychologically I just gave up,' Martyn told FEMAIL

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Now a whopping 23st 4lb, the 33-year-old father can leg press close to the weight of a Smart car and eats every hour, spending £250 on food each week

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'My initial goal was to try to get the size back on that I'd lost - about two-and-a-half/three stone. Once I hit that initial goal, I just carried on - and 12 stone later I'm still carrying on!' said Martyn

'When I hit my lowest weight I was determined to turn it around and that's when I started weight training,' he said. 

'My initial goal was to try to get the size back on that I'd lost - about two-and-a-half/three stone. 

'I put this on very quickly and decided that this was something I could do. It was a great psychological release for me, I felt like I was achieving again. 

'So once I hit that initial goal, I just carried on - and 12 stone later I'm still carrying on!'

Alongside training, Martyn went back to university to study sports science as well as personal training and nutrition courses.

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Alongside training, Martyn went back to university to study sports science as well as personal training and nutrition courses. Pictured alongside his 'normal-sized' friend

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Martyn now owns his own gym, Beta Bodz in Minworth, and has 81,000 followers on Instagram where he posts pictures of himself working out - such as this one - along with fitness tips and motivational captions

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Martyn has recently finished filming for his acting debut in martial arts film Undisputed 4, which is due for release early next year. He now owns his own gym, Beta Bodz in Minworth, and has 81,000 followers on Instagram where he posts pictures of his physique along with fitness tips and motivational captions.

'I hit the size I am now in three to four years,' said Martyn. 'Then I changed my training and yo-yo'd between different sports and weights. 

'Now I'm just going to focus on conditioning and keeping the size because with the film work and various stuff that's coming up, it would be better for me to be 'aesthetically pleasing',' he laughed.

Martyn has recently finished filming for his acting debut in martial arts film Undisputed 4, which is due for release early next year.

'I play Koshmar who's nicknamed Nightmare, which has given me a lovely reputation! He's a vile character - cannibal, rapist, murderer... a great role model,' he joked.

Martyn says he couldn't be further from his film character, perhaps more akin to the BFG, but of course he looks somewhat intimidating at first glance.

He said: 'I tend to get a few looks. I get more people looking once I've walked past, rather than straight at me - I suppose because people are quite intimidated before they get to know my character.

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Martyn is now concentrating on staying big - and even increasing his size - so that he is 'aesthetically pleasing' for any potential film roles

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'I tend to get a few looks. I get more people looking once I've walked past, rather than straight at me - I suppose because people are quite intimidated before they get to know my character,' Martyn said

'I used to get more people asking for photos before I got my tattoos, but I think they now scare people off. 

'I get more people asking for photos at the exhibitions I go to because people know me and follow me [on social media] and understand that I'm not going to bite their heads off.

'But I suppose the average Joe would probably look at me and think I was some kind of lunatic.' 

Martyn said he tends to avoid situations where people might try to 'prove themselves' by challenging him to a fight.

'I don't drink so I go out for dinner rather than nights out with the lads.

'On social media some people give me grief, but then face-to-face no one really says much.' 

It's unsurprising, considering the man can leg press 750kg (118st) - not far off the weight of a Smart car - and deadlift the weight of Britain's fattest woman (350kg/55st).

Martyn told FEMAIL that he works out for around an hour, four times a week. He stresses that his rest periods between sessions are just as important while he's trying to increase his size even further.

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Martyn and his 5ft 5in partner Sacha Stacey, 26, have a three-year-old daughter together, Imogen (pictured). Martyn said Imogen 'doesn't let me put her on my shoulders, she doesn't like it'

His diet plays an important part too and he spends £250 on food every week - just on himself.

'I eat every hour - chicken, fish, egg whites, oats, brown rice, potatoes, loads of veg and I drink lots of water,' he said.

Martyn and his 5ft 5in partner Sacha Stacey, 26, have a three-year-old daughter together, Imogen. 

'She doesn't let me put her on my shoulders, she doesn't like it. She'll only go on my hips,' Martyn said.

'I dropped her off at school this morning and we do get some strange looks and open-mouthed kids looking up thinking "what is that?'''

Drawing the interview to a close Martyn told FEMAIL: 'Maybe if all goes well with my career, we'll speak again.'

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