June 1, 2006

Can Vince Wawryk Become the Next Canadian Bodybuilding Champion?

In 2004, I watched an interesting showdown onstage at the CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Championships that were held in Edmonton, Alberta. Saskatchewan’s Vince Wawryk had won the Light-Middleweight class fairly easily, and when the pose down for the Overall title commenced, I had Vince solidly in first place. He wasn’t the tallest guy up there, but standing 5’5" and weighing about 175 pounds, he was as massive as the taller guys. He was also extremely well-balanced from muscle group to muscle group, and, perhaps most important, had far greater muscle density. In short, he was an extremely impressive chunk of muscles. But Vince didn’t win; in fact, I think he probably got overlooked because the judges these days tend to favor the taller, heavier guys, often neglecting the competitors in the "lighter" weight classes even if proportionally they’re the same when you factor height and weight.

Although Vince didn’t take the Overall title that night, he gained many fans who saw it the way I did. And it goes without saying that he impressed the heck out of me – so much so that when it came to assigning the first writing spot to a male bodybuilder on SeriousAboutMuscle.com, Vince was my number-one choice. (Vince's column is called "Wawryk's Workouts.")

Vince’s physique is a rare one these days. Unlike many of the competitors I see who are big and hard but often lacking real muscle separation, Vince has the size and the hardness and the cuts that most bodybuilders can only dream of. Just take a look at our cover shot this month and see the depth of the cuts in his thighs. Who else has that nowadays? And when he hits a most-muscular pose, the same kind of muscle density shows through his upper body too. Vince’s physique is a combination of great genetics along with years and years of hard, heavy, intense training – that’s exactly how that kind of muscle density comes about.

Furthermore, Vince has the mindset of a champion. He doesn’t give up; he just keeps on coming back – until he wins!

I ran into Vince at the 2005 Canadian Bodybuilding Championships that were held in Montreal last September – he was attending, not competing. It was then that he told me of his plan to win the Canadian title in 2006. Basically, his plan was to sit out one competitive year to improve, and then come back to competition significantly better.

So now that many months have gone by and the 2006 Canadians are creeping up in September, I touched base with Vince in May to find out exactly what he’s done, and is doing, to improve for 2006. Here’s what he said:

Doug Schneider: What do you weigh today?

Vince Wawryk: My current bodyweight is 222 pounds.

DS: Last time you competed it was at the 2004 Canadian Bodybuilding Championships when you won the Light-Middleweight class – under 176 pounds. Exactly how much did you weigh at that show? This year, which class do you plan to compete in, and how much do you plan to weigh?

VW: My contest weight in 2004 was 174 pounds. This year, I will more than likely be in the under-187-pound class. As for how much I will weigh, judging by the condition I am currently in, I would have to say no less than 185 pounds. There is a slim chance I could be a Light-Heavyweight [over 187 pounds]; however, I will not sacrifice condition for size.

DS: Besides bodyweight, what other changes do you plan to make to your physique?

VW: When adding bodyweight to my structure, I want to keep the shape and symmetry I currently have – so far so good. But this last year, I have spent a lot of my time building a thicker and wider back. I’m also keeping my lower body in proportion to my upper body. 

DS: What are you doing differently in your training to make those changes?

VW: The first thing I needed to do to make those changes was fuel the system. I spent the last year and a half eating lots of clean food to help me achieve a better physique. In regards to training, my back is now the only bodypart that I train twice a week – once on Monday and the second session on Friday. For my lower body, I split up my quads from my hamstrings and calves to give me more time on each of those bodyparts. I train my quads morning and hamstrings and calves in the evening. That’s really it.

So, can Vince become the next CBBF Overall Canadian Bodybuilding Champion? Given the fact that he came so close in 2004, he’s already considered a top contender. Add in that he’s spent two years improving and knows what he’s doing, he’s bound to bring a formidable package to the stage. In fact, if he can display ten pounds more muscle this year than he did in 2004, he’s going to be impossible for the judges to overlook. So can he win? The answer is a resounding yes! But we’ll have to wait three months ‘til we know what happens.

...Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com

Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com, BodyBuildingLive.com, and SeriousAboutFitness.com.