By Ryne Dittmer

Mike Logan has always wanted to be a superhero. The Captain America icon stretched across his T-shirt reflects the childhood dream that still resonates with him today.

 

Although this Smithville police officer admits to not having any super powers, he has still found a way to come close.

 

Logan, an avid bodybuilder, competed and placed first overall at the 2011 Muscle Mayhem Championships held May 14 at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, his first major title. Looking back on a time span of nearly 17 years, Logan acknowledges that he has come a long way.

 

“I was never a sporting guy. I was a band geek in high school,” Logan said. “The first time I began really working out was when I joined the army at 20 and I found my niche.”

 

Working out did not initially lead Logan to the competitive bodybuilding circuit. It would be four years before he began to look at his fitness in a new way.

 

“I figured I’m already working out and I wanted to know what it would be like to be on stage,” Logan said. “I’ve learned there is such a science to it.”

 

On average, Logan spends 10 to 12 hours per week in the gym, sometimes with as many as four stops a day at the Smithville Anytime Fitness. A regimented meal schedule and intense training has developed Logan’s physique as he pushes 200 pounds with less than 6 percent body fat.

 

Up next for Logan is preparing for the Mr. Missouri state competition July 23. The top two competitors will qualify for the national competition, a spot Logan is set on earning, having gained a new interest in the sport after his May victory.

 

“I had actually been thinking about stopping,” he said. “It is very taxing on friends and family. But I guess we’re going on now.”

 

For Logan, the stress and continual obligation to preparation pays off in the moments he spends on stage.

 

“No one sees what I do, sees the blood, sores. They just see what’s on stage,” Logan said. “But standing on the stage in that moment, in the greatest shape a human can be in, makes you very prideful.”

 

Logan’s commitment to fitness has roots deeper than the world of bodybuilding and reach into his career.

 

“I thought, ‘What better way to stay in shape?’” he said. “I wanted to break that paradigm of police officers not being in shape.”

 

With a smile, Logan added that he eats only one doughnut a year as tradition.

 

“I definitely see him put in a lot of work, and he has an enormous will to finish I’ve never seen before,” Prescilla Kirkpatrick, Logan’s girlfriend said. “To actually see his body transform with all his work is amazing.”

 

The support Logan has received from family and friends is one of the aspects of competition he appreciates most.

 

“I’d like to thank Anytime Fitness for letting me do what I do at 4 in the morning. I thank them all, my girlfriend, my trainer Nate who has inspired me,” Logan said. “My family is very important. They’ve sat in the crowd and watched me win, lose. I’d like to thank them for all they’ve gone through with me.”