PRINTA conversation with: Ted Glasgow
Mr. Missouri bodybuilder is the new head trainer of Key Largo Fitness & Tanning
GRANT HINDSLEY
Ted Glasgow, the new head trainer of Key Largo Fitness & Tanning, is a four-time Mr. Missouri bodybuilding competition winner.
May 24, 2012 | 12:00 a.m. CST
At 19 years old, Ted Glasgow found his niche. Now, 112 competitions later, he’s a four-time winner of the Mr. Missouri Bodybuilding Competition and winner of the North American Bodybuilding Championship. He’s also the new head trainer at Key Largo Fitness & Tanning, where his bodybuilding and physical therapy background is useful for helping people rehabilitate or achieve their desired body.
At 55, he continues to compete and is starting his pre-contest training for September’s North American Bodybuilding Championship in Pittsburgh. Glasgow relies on his girlfriend’s support with his diet, training and competitions. Making his athleticism an art, Glasgow uses his background to help others develop a healthy lifestyle.
What inspired your lifestyle change from having weight problems in adolescence to becoming a bodybuilder?
I always felt like I had an image of what I wanted to look like, but I didn’t know quite how to do it. So when I was a kid, I used to put together model cars all the time. I was in the drugstore looking at a hot rod magazine, and I saw a bodybuilding magazine. I said, “Wow, these guys do the same thing to their bodies that I do with model cars.” It was intriguing at the time. The more I read about it, the more intriguing it got and the more exciting it got.
What was your first bodybuilding competition like?
It was an incredible experience. My first show was Mr. Missouri. It was in an air-conditioned Holiday Inn. It was like 10 o’clock at night before we even started. There was no stage, no music, no weight classes. Just a bunch of guys that got up and everybody against everybody. With that first experience, I knew that was home. I felt confident that was what I was meant to do. I got fifth place.
What is it like to win a bodybuilding competition?
It’s incredible. It’s the best feeling in the world, but I equate it to tasting blood. After winning, you want to win again.
If you could pick one bodybuilding celebrity to arm wrestle with, who would it be?
It would probably be Rachel McLish, the first Ms. Olympia. She just has a great attitude. I mean, me versus another male champ would be too macho, so this is a battle of the sexes.
What is something about bodybuilding that most people wouldn’t know?
Although it seems like a sport of extroverts, a lot of the contestants are usually really quiet, not really extroverts at all. They’re not shy individuals because you have to have a lot of confidence. With the confidence comes a humble-type atmosphere.
So how do you prepare for a show?
Twenty weeks before the show, I’ll start my diet, which is higher in protein, lower in carbohydrates. Usually in the off-season, I do 30 minutes of cardio a day.
Pre-contest, I work up to doing an hour and a half to two hours a day. The intensity level just kind of builds up as you go along. With each week, you have to push yourself a little harder.
What do you think is the biggest obstacle to losing weight and getting healthy?
Temptation. We live in a society of excess. There are so many temptations and pitfalls that it makes it really tough. Unless an individual is extremely motivated and unless they really want to do it, it’s really hard.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to live a healthful lifestyle?
The first thing I would do is tell them to clean up their diet. And then just start off doing fun activities like going for walks and doing things they enjoy doing, like playing sports. As they start to increase (their strength), then they can take it to the next level.
When you’re not so strict with your body, what’s your guilty pleasure?
I eat pancakes the morning after every contest. And then that’s it. I’m back to business again, but I do reward myself with pancakes.
Do most people continue bodybuilding at 55?
No. I have been lucky enough to be at the top of my game for 36 years. There are very few athletes who have been in their competitive sport for 36 years.
