'Orange is the New Black' star Matt McGorry used to be a bodybuilder (Photo)

Before he became Corrections Officer John Bennett’s on the hit television show Orange is the New Black, Matt McGorry had an interesting career that allowed him to show off his buff body!

McGorry, who is returning to the small screen in the third season of Orange is the New Black, was formerly a body-builder and worked at a gym surrounded by super model clients, according to Us Weekly. "When I did bodybuilding, I had five-and-a-half percent body fat, and was exhausted all the time," McGorry said at the premiere of his new indie film in Los Angeles. He also admitted that he “didn’t really enjoy it too much.”

#TBT to the one and only bodybuilding show I ever did (and won) 5 years ago. After a few years of competing in powerlifting I decided to do a bodybuilding competition to see how far I could push my body and how much I could test my will. For those who don't know, powerlifting is about how much weight you can lift and bodybuilding is judged based on the way you look. To date, the bodybuilding show was the hardest thing I've ever done. After 4 months of working out 10-15 hours a week, cooking and weighing all of my food and carrying it with me in containers everywhere, I lost 40lbs and got down to 5.5% bodyfat by the time I stepped on to the stage. I did this whole prep through Thanksgiving, New Years, and Christmas, and never had a single drop of alcohol or bite of food that wasn't on my plan. It was definitely the best shape I've ever been in, but also the most miserable I've ever been. I was perpetually tired, hungry and cranky. I was antisocial and felt unbelievably isolated from the rest of the world. 2 weeks later, I did my final powerlifting competition and deadlifted 501lbs while weighing 165lbs. I'm happy that I had the experience of testing myself but am so much happy to trade a balanced life, eating and workout schedule for less abs. That is, until I get a call for an acting project that warrants it. Minus the tanning of course. And the posing trunks. 😉

A photo posted by Matt McGorry (@mattmcgorry) on Dec 18, 2014 at 7:13pm PST

Back in 2010, McGorry competed in and won a body building competition, but these days he appreciates the exercise schedule he maintains with a busy acting career and love for eating. He admitted to loving “sloppy joes with no bun” and that sometimes after they wrap shooting he’ll “be in the craft-services truck throwing back three ice-cream sandwiches.”

When he isn’t eating, the 29-year old actor can be found at the gym four to five times a week lifting weights or doing interval training. McGorry told Details magazine that he is “working toward looking at exercise as a feel-good thing, but I haven't quite gotten there yet. I'm still finding that balance.”

image credit: Kristin Callahan/ACE/INFphoto.com