REPRESENTING Australia at the Mr Olympia bodybuilding competition - the sport's pinnacle - is the next goal for Taree's Peter Tisdell.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Olympia will be held in America in November. Tisdell's already enjoyed a stellar 2014. In June he was a member of the Australian team that contested the world championships held under under the International Natural Body Building Association (INBA) banner. Here he finished 10th in the world masters (for competitors aged 50 and over).
He was also the Sydney Grand Masters champion and the Sydney Masters champion 50 plus. Tisdell was second in the grand masters at the Asia Pacific International titles.
Tisdell's had no specialised training. He looks after his own routines and controls his own diet.
He first dabbled in the sport some 30 years ago.
"I did a small competition then, but nothing like at the moment,'' he said.
However, Tisdell said he did virtually no training at all from when he was aged 33 to 47.
"I think when you start getting a bit old you can get a bit lax,'' he explained.
"But I started to get overweight and get high cholesterol and sugar and I knew it wouldn't get better unless I did something about it.''
So Tisdell hit the gym. It was while he was training there and watching Muscle TV he saw an ad for the Max Muscle Up Challenge, which is an introduction to bodybuilding.
"That caught my interest,'' he said.
From there he began training for his first bodybuilding contest.
Tisdell explains that diet is 70 percent of the preparation for bodybuilding. However, he still spends four days a week in the gym at Anytime Fitness or in the pool at the YMCA Taree Aquatic Centre. He entered his first competition last year.
Bodybuilding wouldn't be a sport for anyone self conscious. However, Tisdell said performing routines wearing briefs while sporting dyed hair and covered in oil goes with the territory.
"It doesn't bother me,'' he said.
He starts full training about 12 weeks leading up to a competition. He's currently enjoying a break from the gym but will resume soon as he prepares for the nationals to be held in Sydney.
Tisdell said he's proud of his achievements.
"It's not like you just turn up and enter these things,'' he explained.
"You have to qualify.''
Tisdell hopes the nationals will be a stepping stone to Olympia. He's confident he's up to the mark.
"I've made an Australian side and came 10th in world,'' he said.
"So, why not?''