He's been spotted competing and winning most of the Masters Athletic Class that he competes in (despite being an NZFBB executive and contest organiser ...oohhh aahhh). Why?? we ask.
In this profile Terry explains his competition decisions, his pre contest training plan and we also find out the VIP treatment he intends to give his audience for the NZFBB Wellington Bodybuilding Champs on 14 October.
You've competed at NABBA Hawkes Bay, Manawatu and Nelson Bays and Wellington already this year, how have you managed to stay sane on your diet between shows?
I started dieting 12 weeks out from my first show - nearly 18weeks ago. As I have 9 weeks between the first and last of the 5 shows I am competing in, I have had to control my progress so I didn't peak too soon.
Competing in the Athletic class means making sure I am not too heavy for my height (i.e. under 85.5kg at 1.835m tall),so I had to ensure I was "light" enough for the
first comp but not too lean so I would struggle to maintain that condition for a further 2 months!
I am lucky that I don'tstruggle with cravings or diet "boredom" during the cutting up phase, and having a competition every two weeks has really helped to keep me on track.
More on Terry's contest plan at bottom of page.
Some people might think it odd that, as an NZFBB Executive Member, you have decided to compete in NABBA events this year.
What made you decide to do this?
After competing exclusively in 16 NZFBB & IFBB events since 2001, I decided I needed a new challenge - specifically the
Masters Athletic class, which I feel suits me better than the general Physique category. I have never bought into the "us and
them" mentality regarding NZFBB vs NABBA, nor has my dedication and enthusiasm for my role within the NZFBB diminished at all. I
also felt that competing in non-NZFBB events lessens any perceived conflict of interest arising from me competing for the
same organisation that I organise events for and also represent as an Executive member. On top of that, my long-time trainer and
mentor, Joe Daniel, is an experienced NZFBB judge, so it can be a bit awkward for us both when he is judging an event that I am
competing at.
So far I have thoroughly enjoyed my "NABBA experience" as I expected I would. It has been wonderful to meet a whole new group
of enthusiastic and very friendly people - officials, organiser and competitors. I certainly feel much better off for the
experience, and I'm sure it be of great benefit to my future in bodybuilding - both as a competitor and an administrator.
In addition to competing, you're also organising the NZFBB Wellington Champs on 14 October, are you expecting big numbers this year? if so what kind of interest have you had?
Yes, I am expecting the NZFBB Wellington champs to be another HUGE show this year. I wouldn't be surprised if we match or better the number of competitors (85) from last year.
Can you reveal any BIG NAMES competing in your show?
All I will say is we will have possibly the best line-ups of Open Men's competitors seen at a regional event for quite some time! Out of respect to the privacy of the competitors concerned, I won't reveal names, but the Open Men lineups will include a recent Mr NZ Overall champ, a Mr NZ Overall runner-up (who is also a multiple Mr Wellington Overall champ) plus two other Mr Wellington Overall champions! Several other regional and National title holders, both male and female, will be there, so it will be a show not to be missed!
This year you've come up with a VIP scheme, why did you come up with that and are people snapping the tickets?
At the 2005 Wellington champs, also held at The Opera House, I arranged for the sponsor's supper to be held backstage in a room next to the competitor's pump up area. I had a number of sponsors
comment on how great it was to see "behind the scenes" for the first time - especially as they got to see our guest posers (Joe Ulberg and Jo Stewart) and other competitors pumping up as they
prepared to go on stage. So I thought, why not allow this opportunity also for the general public at this year's event - they pay a small premium on the regular ticket price to get a guaranteed front/centre seat, have complimentary refreshments backstage and get a close-up view of some of the top competitors.
I'm not sure how sales of these tickets are progressing, and while I am keen to see it succeed from an income perspective, my main reason for doing it is to add a bit more quality to the event.
What other exciting ideas are you implementing for the show?
Apart from the VIP ticket option, and adding small things here and there, not a lot will be different with this show compared to last year. I always try and add as much quality to the event allowing for the limited budget, and I think everyone concerned will be very happy with the end result!
Can athletes expect any VIP treatment?
As always, I recognise that the athletes are the main reason we hold these events, and as a competitor myself, I appreciate the effort and commitment they make to prepare for a big show like
this. The competitors will all get registration packs with assorted "goodies" (magazines, event T-shirt, various samples of sponsors products - bars, cookies etc.) plus excellent prizes and
trophies. They will also get the best possible assistance from our many very experienced officials and backstage staff. The venue is first-class, the pump-up and changing areas are very roomy, we will have a TV backstage linked to the video camera, a water cooler and cups, plenty of weights to pump up with etc.
Back to your contest preparations, have you made changes in your diet ie increased cals, carbs as the shows have gone on? if so what have you done.
Yes, I have modified my diet somewhat in the past 3 weeks. Rather than changing the frequency and volume of carbs I have been cycling my protein levels. i.e. every 2nd day I add 50% extra protein to each meal e.g. instead of one tin of tuna for morning tea I will have one and a half cans. My trainer suggested I do this as I was already quite lean and this strategy should help prevent me losing muscle size while continuing to burn fat and improving my overall conditioning.
Have you maintained cardio while dieting - since you must be at contest weight for a couple of months now. How much cardio do you do? how do you know when too much is too much.
I have continued with the same weekly levels of cardio throughout the past 4 months - one weekend hill walk (approx 1hr) and two mid-week incline treadmill sessions (40 min each). I have always preferred to keep my cardio levels constant and maintain my conditioning by regulating my diet. Also, I never bother with fat % tests as I am a hard-gainer so I know from my weight and how I am looking whether I am on track or not. I am trying to maintain my current weight for the next 3-4 weeks and hopefully lose a bit more fat and fill out my muscle a bit.
Are you competing in your show??!!
No, I decided after the 2005 show that trying to organise and compete at the same show is not something I plan to do again! I'm competing at the NABBA Nationals in Palmerston North the weekend before, so that is a good time for me to put my posing trunks away and focus solely on event organising!