Vince Taylor
July 31. 1999

Vince Anthony Taylor is an icon in bodybuilding, the current Guinness Book of World Record Holder for the most IFBB bodybuilding wins. Born August 25, 1956, I talked to Vince at the 1999 NPC USA in Santa Monica, California, two weeks after he has won his 20th IFBB victory, the Master's Olympia.

His 20 IFBB victories include the 1989 Night of Champions 1st; 1991 Pittsburgh Pro 1st; 1991 Danish Grand Prix 1st; 1991 Italian Grand Prix 1st; 1991 Spanish Grand Prix 1st; 1991 Swiss Grand Prix 1st; 1991 Finnish Grand Prix 1st; 1992 Ironman Pro 1st; 1992 Pittsburgh Pro 1st; 1992 Arnold Classic 1st; 1993 San Jose Pro 1st; 1994 Ironman Pro 1st; 1995 Niagara Falls Pro 1st; 1995 Grand Prix Ukraine 1st; 1995 Grand Prix France 1st; 1995 Grand Prix England 1st; 1996 Masters Olympia 1st; 1997 Masters Olympia 1st (40+) & overall; 1998 Arnold Masters 1st; 1999 Masters Olympia 1st;

Vince Taylor, interviewed by Ron Avidan.

  • RA: So I hear that you are the #1 IFBB contest winner?

  • VT: I've got 20 victories as of 2 weeks ago, and had 19 for over a year in which I was tied with Kevin Levrone. I held the record for a year and six months before that by myself. Kevin started getting on a roll, and finally caught up with me. People started saying 'Kevin is the all time IFBB contest winner, currently tied with Vince Taylor. No, it should of been the other way around. Vince Taylor is the all time IFBB leader, tied with Kevin! I had 19 six months before he had 14, and then he reached 19 and I was tied with him. Now I am at 20, looking for 21 next year.

  • RA: Which contest?

  • VT: Probably the Master's Olympia again. The Master's will give me the 21st victory.

  • RA: I heard Lonnie Teper of Ironman Magazine predicted you would not win the Master's Olympia in 1999?

  • VT: Lonnie is about the only one who would do that. Him and J.J. Marsh are probably drinking or smoking the same stuff. I was not sore about it at all. I read about it in the magazine, and kind of thought 'What is he trying to prove?' But they both honestly believed it, and I told each one of them, just bring your 'Twinkies', it's going to be a long day.

  • RA: Well. Both of them are eating their 'Twinkies' now.

  • VT: That's the best part about it. You do not have to say much. You just look at Lonnie and say 'Now Swami, come up with another prediction. I love it!'

  • RA: What did you think of the Master's Olympia this year, held with the Jan Tana show?

  • VT: I love the fact that Jan Tana was able to get it. I love the venue where it's at. She says she is going to do it for a few more years, so I think it's great. The problem is the money's not there. I guess it will never be there. The opportunity is there because it's just a motivational thing! Once it catches on, it's going to be good. I will be there every year as long as they have it. The other guys, who are turning 40 now, they're starting to look in this direction, so it will be a different kind of camaraderie because these guys at 40 come into the show, they're not like the young guys, you know, everybody's having a problem with each other. We get there, it's a camaraderie thing, having fun, people respect what were doing. The expectation level is not as Ronnie Coleman / Flex Wheeler physique we have to find, so that is fantastic. Almost up to standards, and I am setting the standards. I think we could elevate each year. That's good, so if we can just keep people involved, support it, it's going to be a good show.

  • RA: People say you are one of the best posers on stage. What do you think?

  • VT: I let the people give me that title which I love, because it's one of my forte in bodybuilding. Everybody has something, so they dubbed me with the posing thing, but ironically, you never see me winning a posing round in a show, and that's what bothers me, makes me wonder 'What is posing good for?'. Is it for the audience or is it good for me after the show is over. So right now I am into what the audience wants more so than what the judging panel wants. That's not a way to go, but if I can't win a posing round after getting standing ovations back to back, why bother to try and impress the judges, so I try to impress the crowd. And give them something to walk away with.

  • RA: Do you plan on competing in both the regular and Master's bodybuilding contests in the future.

  • VT: That I am! Three years ago, they would not let me do it! Prior to me turning 40, everybody else could do it. Just before I turned 40, I made it known when I turned 40, I am going to do both contests for 5 years, and dominate. As soon as I turned 40, it was 'Uh, Vince, you have to choose one or the other'. And that's what they did to me for the first couple of years until Arnold decided in 1998 that I can do both contests. So on Friday night, I was able to do the Master's at the Arnold, win that, and on Saturday night, do the Arnold, and finished in the top three. And then they said 'Vince is back!'. Back? I didn't go anywhere, you just closed the doors, you would not let me compete. Then the following year, they just dropped the Mater's Olympia. So my whole thing is 'Keep Vince Taylor popular'. Be the Master's champion. You are 43! Be that, let people wonder why you are there. That is a plus for me. Be competitive in the top 10, currently I think I am in the top 10, so that is something I wanted. I want people to say 'Damn, Vince Taylor, he's 43, he's doing all of this, that's fantastic." Don't expect me to win it. I am not going to beat Ronnie or Flex. But I can be a Vince Taylor in my own domain. And now they are taking that away from me. But I don't care. As long as they bring it out, I will do it. And when they finally open up the door, I can do both, make a little money on the weekend. Money and the trophy.

  • RA: How long do you train at the moment?

  • VT: My training has not changed. I train twice a day, six days a week. Have done it all my life, or basically in the last ten years in this game. I think my only difference is that I hooked up with a nutritionist for the first time, Diana Dennis. Getting ready for the Master's with her help this year proved to be something that was well worth it. I was in the best condition a lot of people have said that they have ever seen me in. I used to have a close net. I dieted alone, I trained alone. I did everything alone, just me and my wife. This time after ten years, it's time to get out of the boundary. Things have got to change. And by stepping out and learning how to eat six to eight meals a day instead of three, it worked. So now I have six months of training with a high influxuation of carbohydrates and protein, up those calories to maximize my nutrition, something I have never done. Watch for me at the 2000 Arnold! I predict it! Each year I get better and better.

  • RA: How are your nutritional needs?

  • VT: Again, I am not a big eater, never have been, used to eat three meals a day. With Diana, I have changed to six meals a day with a protein shake and carbohydrate drinks. It's an accumulation of calories, and in eight weeks, it turned my whole physique around. Totally. I am just waiting to see, optimistically, I am a very pessimistic person, within the next six months, what is going to happen to my physique, and if it is 5% better for the Arnold, that's a blessing. I'll be happy with that. I'm just waiting to see what will happen!