James Collier: Hi Hunni and thanks for agreeing to take part in an interview for the members and readers of MuscleTalk.
I notice Sci-Mentor are your sponsors and it is they who have fixed this interview for us. Can I ask why you chose to go with Sci-Mentor as your sponsors?
Hunni Glanville: A friend of mine recommended I contact them as they are a new company looking to promote new pros, especially up and coming pros. So their sponsorship came from that angle.
JC: How old were you when you started training and how old are you now?
HG: 18 when I started and I'm 30 now
JC: What made you decide to start working out/bodybuilding?
HG: I used to be a pro squash player which is why I came to the UK from South Africa. However I broke my ankle and got into weight training. I then went into martial arts and packed in my day job to do martial arts on a full time basis. I then broke my ankle again and got into bodybuilding. At one stage I was both bodybuilding and doing martial arts when I was under 21. I mainly did Taekwondo.
JC: Where abouts are you from and where do you train?
HG: I'm originally from Cape Town in South Africa, and now I live in Luton. I have lived here for seven years. I train with Mark Etherden who came third in 2003 and third in 2004 in the light heavyweight EFBB British Finals. He owns The Gym in Dunstable where we train.
The 1997 Open Ultra Classic Novice Category
Hunni is on the far left and James stands third from left |
JC: You probably won't remember, but I actually competed against you at the Open Ultra Classic Novice Category in Bedford in 1997. It was quite a big line-up and you easily won. Was it after this show that you started becoming recognised as a face to watch in British Bodybuilding?
HG: Yes I do remember! It was that years when I got recognised in England, before I did the Scottish shows. Then in 1998 I won the NABBA UK, the Scottish and the London International. In 1998 I became a big name.
JC: How long have you been a pro and at what point in your career did you feel becoming a Pro was indeed a real possibility for you?
HG: I thought I could do it in 2003 when I came second to Carl Turney and people said I would do it. I became pro in 2004.
JC: What's next for you in your competitive career? What shows have you got coming up?
HG: I start dieting in December with a long slow diet for the New York Pro show in March 2006 and the Toronto in May 2006. Hopefully in the Grand Prix come back I'll also do a couple of European Grand Prix.
JC: I haven't seen pics of you in the off season, just wondering if you prefer to stay relatively lean or if you like to really bulk up as much as you can like some pros?
HG: I used to bulk up pretty heavy and used to go to the 20.5 to 21 stone mark, with a competition weight of 15 to 16 stone. This time I have remained leaner at bang on 19 stone.
JC: How strict is your diet off season? Do you eat clean while trying to gain size or do you allow any junk food in your diet?
HG: I do allow the occasional junk food. My problem is I am very carb responsive. I have a cheat meal at weekends and eat as clean as possible during the week, which is why I've managed to keep weight at a reasonable level this time.
JC: How many times a week do you train and for how long?
HG: Five times per week for about 1 hour to one hour 20 minutes.
JC: Do you ever have problems with motivation for either sticking to your diet or for training?
HG: Sometimes when I'm not getting ready for a show I lose my motivation for good food. But I'm always up for training. I learned this years ago to move around different gyms to keep motivated. I recently went to Derby to train with Dennis Frances and Warren Treasure and came back more motivated. I also will train with Mike Sheridan in Oxford after he's done the Olympia in three weeks.
JC: What kind of cardiovascular work do you do?
HG: I move it around when I'd dieting. I use the exercise bike, go for a walk and walk on the treadmill. I work at a gym so I sometimes do my cardio at work.
JC: In brief, what's your typical daily pre-comp diet like?
HG:
| Wake - 7.00am | 100g porridge + 2 scoops of whey |
2.5 hours later | 8 egg whites + 2 slices brown bread |
2.5 hours later | 200g jacket potato + 200g chicken + green veg |
2.5 hours later | I repeat the previous meal |
Pre-training | whey protein |
Post-training | 50g porridge + protein powder |
Dinner | Fish or chicken (though I'm not a lover of fish). I have steak twice a week when I'm dieting |
JC: Which supplements do you use? Do these differ on and off season?
HG: The only difference between off season and dieting is that I don't use creatine while dieting and I add amino acids when dieting. Otherwise I just use basic supplements. One great supplement Sci-Mentor have is their fat burner ThermX 500, which I'll certainly be using when I start dieting again in December.
JC: Do you have any useful tips to share with MuscleTalk members which you can draw from your experience?
HG: If you get bored or stale surround yourself in new surroundings and positive people and this will lead to progress. If you train with different people you might pick up on one new thing and this could change everything for you. For me I learned my training was sloppy and have now improved my form.
JC: Other than training and living the Bodybuilder's lifestyle, what else do you like to do in your spare time? Do you get much time to relax?
HG: I'm a cinema man and I love my DVDs. I also eat carbs and I do love my food! I also love being with my family and close friends.
JC: Hunni, do you ever visit the MuscleTalk forums or other bodybuilding websites, and do you feel that people's knowledge of nutrition and training has improved since bodybuilding forums, like MT have become so popular?
HG: Yes I have visited the site a number of times. My views are that bodybuilding sites can help some people, especially people like me, but they can also hinder others, especially beginners. There is so much information that people can become bewildered and behave like experts themselves. This doesn't help the up and coming. There is too much technical information instead of foundation. Bodybuilding is like building a house; you need to build the foundation first. There is a lot of great information, but too much for beginners.
JC: Many thanks for taking the time to be interviewed and on behalf of all the MuscleTalk members, I'd like to wish you all the best in your future career.