North Hills : ‘Mr. Titan’ Beefing Up for Iron Man

He brought his sleek, sculpted physique to Sherman Oaks Hospital’s Grossman Burn Center in August to lift the spirits of burned children, the first of what organizers promised would be several appearances of “Mr. Titan.”

But there were no children to visit that day, so the beefy bodybuilder posed for pictures with hospital staffers instead, pausing to ask for a towel to protect his feet from the hot asphalt.

More than four months later, with no more appearances scheduled, Mr. Titan is still cooling his heels.

But Devon Tobin, the soft-spoken man behind the title, is not. The 25-year-old North Hills resident is training for the Iron Man, a national bodybuilding competition to be held in Redondo Beach in June.

“I’m nervous about it, but I think if I train hard enough I should be ready,” he said, describing his regimen of weightlifting and calorie counting. The five-foot, seven-inch, 180-pound Tobin trains at Gold’s Gym in North Hollywood but says he fights his toughest battles in the kitchen.

“The diet is the hardest part,” he said. He should know. He manages In-N-Out Burger in Woodland Hills.

Tobin grew up in Orlando, Fla., where he was a member of his high school wrestling team. He began bodybuilding about five years ago, when a doctor suggested weightlifting as a way of healing a shoulder injury.

“Next thing I knew, my shoulder got so big,” he said. Since then, he’s won competitions in California, including Venice Beach, and Nevada, but says he’s not in it for the awards.

“Just to be in shape is a big accomplishment,” he said.

Tobin won his Mr. Titan title in a contest sponsored by a Northridge video store last summer. And while he’s disappointed that the store hasn’t given him much to do, he’s happy to be a role model in any capacity.

“I like setting an example for young people,” he said, “to show them that you don’t need drugs to get on top.”