Terry Hills, Sept 06
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!
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