POWERLIFTING to bodybuilding to strongman.

That’s the pathway for Weymouth’s world champion bodybuilder Josh Walton.

Fitness has always been a key part of the 29-year-old’s life, having become obsessed with the gym at just 15 years old.

He went on to become a Royal Marine and is also a qualified personal trainer with coaching expertise in strength and conditioning.

While his first forays into competitive fitness came in powerlifting, his greatest success has come in bodybuilding.

READ MORE: Kane Francis and Shane Flowers in contrasting Britain's Strongest Man fortunes

Last July via the Pure Elite federation, Walton entered two categories: Muscle model and tattooed muscle model. He placed first in both.

Walton had “smashed it” as he put it, earning a pro card which enabled him to compete at the world championships in High Wycombe.

Jumping into the same two classes, Walton managed third place in the muscle model.

However, he claimed a magnificent maiden world title in the tattooed muscle model category.

“It was overwhelming relief,” he told Echosport.

“It’s so much different, it doesn’t give you the buzz of lifting outrageous weights but at the same time it’s the aspect of showing the last 20 weeks of hard work and diet.

“Instead of lifting weights, it’s flexing muscles. It’s not just turn up and whoever’s got the best body wins.

“You’ve got to practice posing and things like that. You’re almost working as hard as you would do in the gym but you’re just flexing for 20 seconds at a time.

“It’s overwhelming happiness. If you set your mind to anything, you can get it done.”

And Walton, who works at Jurassic Muscle on Portland and trains at New Body Fitness, Weymouth, has now set his sights on becoming a strongman.

If successful, he could challenge the likes of Weymouth trailblazers Shane Flowers and Kane Francis – who are already among the country’s top competitors in the rapidly-growing sport.

Walton said: “I’ve got a few things on my list. I love being in that shape.

“I take my hat off to anybody that can do potentially five to ten years of strict bodybuilding diet and just be a normal person.

“If you’re a happy guy or woman, but you’re hungry all the time, I can only imagine how difficult it is to do normal life.

“For me, I’m happy I achieved what I wanted to achieve. I can say I’ve gained what I wanted to gain from it.

“The new target for me is strongman and my first competition is Southern England’s Strongest Man in April.”

The move is a step up from his powerlifting roots, where he regularly trained alongside Flowers.

Walton said: “Me and Shane started at the same time and Kane is still very junior but look at him now, he’s absolutely flying.

“The reason I didn’t go into strongman at the same time is that I had a couple of injuries and I wanted to nurse them back to full health.

“Bodybuilding has put me in a strong position to do well in strongman. I’m so stubborn, I’m addicted to weight training.

“I can get to world championship level 100 per cent.”

If Walton continues on his current trajectory, could Weymouth have a hat-trick of strongman stars on its hands?

You certainly wouldn’t bet against it.