Bodybuilder muscles way to victory

Masterton family man and gym owner Bevan Mackenzie has flexed his way to victory at the Wellington regional bodybuilding championships on his first attempt at the weekend.
Competing in the men's over 80kg class, Mackenzie took the stage at the Victoria University Memorial Theatre on Saturday night and walked away with the title despite not having participated in the competitive circuit for more than a decade.
"There were about 40 competitors there and it was of a higher standard than other shows I've seen," Mackenzie said.
"I've done a few shows when I was young back in the 90s but have really been cruising since then.
"I entered for a bit of fun so to win my section, I'm pretty happy with that."
It's an achievement he credits almost entirely to the support of his wife Rachel, whose idea it was for him to enter in the first place.
"She's been the greatest support to me, I really doubt I could have got there without her. I just adore her," Mackenzie, a father of one, said.
"It was her idea for me to enter it really, she thought I could use a training run and it panned out alright."
Mackenzie, the owner and operator of WaiWeight private gym on Bentley Street, underwent a strict six-week training regime in order to reach optimum condition for the event.
Pushed along by training partner Nathaneal Staines, he often carried out two weights sessions a day as well as a couple of hours of cardio.
"Nate has been a fantastic training partner, I've made more gains since I started training with him than I had in the last ten years," Mackenzie said. "We've just kept pushing each other to go that little bit further and the whole gym environment here has made it so much easier."
Despite the victory, he said, there is no burning ambition to continue chasing bodybuilding titles.
"I've qualified for the nationals but I have no intention of competing in them.
"I'm going to take time to focus on my family and help others reach their own goals, I've had my time for now," Mackenzie said.
"I'm won't say that I'll never compete again, I'll probably wait like five years and look at the masters or something like that."
Though he has plenty to keep him busy in the meantime including gearing Staines up for a shot at the North Island championships in September and keeping his ever-expanding business ticking over.