By Roger Riedinger
Bodybuilding World
No Nonsense Newsletter
Winter 1996
Give us a little bit of your past involvement in bodybuilding and future goal.
I was approached at Miami University in 1990 to enter their annual bodybuilding contest (now called the NPC Ohio Collegiate) but had no idea what I was doing. I had some experience in powerlifting from high school but that was all. I ended up as a 147 lbs. lightweight--overtrained and over-dieted. I thought the more I exercised and the less I ate the better I would look, but it backfired. The following two years I took off to just train, eat and study. In 1992, I won my class (middle) and the overall at the same contest. I learned a lot about my body through experimentation with calorie manipulation and training methods, also, through the classes I was taking which led to a BS in Exercise Science. Other shows and placings include: 1993 NPC Mr. Metropolitan 3rd place Middleweight, 1996 ANPPC Central Classic 2nd place Middleweight, 1996 NPC Tri-State Novice 1st place Middleweight/Overall Winner, and 1996 NPC Ohio Valley 1st place Middleweight. My immediate future goal is the 1996 NPC Ohio Natural in late November. After that I would like to move up to light heavyweight and continue to compete, drug-free.
What are some of your other interests and how do you incorporate the bodybuilding lifestyle into your daily life?
Although bodybuilding has been a very rewarding experience, it is only one facet of my life. I believe in balance and harmony in all endeavors. As I train my body in the gym, I also train my mind with Eastern philosophy and thought, mainly Taoism. It is a "marriage" that complements one another. My career goal is to write about the holistic approach to health and life including philosophy, physical movement and spiritual knowledge. I try to convey this lifestyle in my current occupation as a personal trainer by being a teacher as well as a practitioner. Each client becomes empowered by their improvements in the physical realm that carries over to other aspects of their life. I address any aspect that an individual has interest in, from exercise to nutrition.
Tony, tell our readers a little about your diet, supplements, and training.
My own nutritional habits are unusual in the sense they are "unconventional". In the off-season, I eat whatever I want, usually 5000 or so calories. In preparing for my shows this year, I consulted with Beverly International and adopted a diet of 50% protein, 30% fat and 20% carbohydrate.
The foods consisted of chicken, sirloin, Laura's ground round, eggs, brown rice, oatmeal, apples and flax oil. I admit I was skeptical at first, especially since everything I was taught in college contradicted this approach. After following the above nutrition plan for three months, I now believe it is right for me. In addition to the Beverly International line of Creatine Monohydrate and Ultra 40 liver tablets, I also included a multi vitamin/multi mineral supplement as well as Met-Rx. As far as my training went, I usually strength train 3-4 days/week and do aerobic training 2-3 days/week. I work each bodypart once a week; the aerobic training is either a 30 minute low intensity bike ride or a high intensity 20 minute sprint interval. I tend to train each bodypart with little nepotism as I believe a good physique is a complete physique.
What advice can you give to an aspiring bodybuilder?
If a person desires to take it the next level, i.e. compete, in my opinion, the criterion to succeed are mostly mental: discipline, sacrifice and perseverance. The training is really the easy part. It is the other 23 hours of the day that make the difference. The small success I have attained is simple in theory but complex in practice Hard work + Positive mental attitude = Success.
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