Feature Story

Losing 33 pounds while surviving on canned tuna for weeks sounds like something from the plot of a Hollywood survival movie, but for Tom Hussey it is part of his yearly ritual when preparing for a bodybuilding competition.

This year, Hussey competed at the national level for the first time in the National Physique Committee’s USA Bodybuilding Championship held in Las Vegas, July 29-30, against other top bodybuilders from around the country.

Hussey’s wife, Erykah, and daughters, Oliviah and Gloriah, braved the desert heat to be with him during the competition, which was held on the campus of University of Nevada Las Vegas.

To compete in the nationals, considered the major league of bodybuilding, competitors must win a state or regional qualifier. Only about 25 bodybuilders were able to compete in the middle weight class with Hussey.  Achieving this level of athleticism is demanding, but Hussey manages to balance bodybuilding with a full-time Coast Guard career and being a husband and father.

Click each photo to enlarge:
SAN DIEGO -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Tom Hussey, a boatswain's mate stationed at the San Diego recruiting office, poses with his wife and daughters at a hotel in Las Vegas July 30, 2011. Hussey's family travelled with him to support him as he competed in the National Physique Committee's USA Bodybuilding Championship held in Las Vegas July 29-30, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Henry G. Dunphy.
SAN DIEGO -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Tom Hussey, a boatswain's mate stationed at the San Diego recruiting office, does tricep pull downs at the Marine Corp Air Station Miramar fitness complex in San Diego July 20, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Henry G. Dunphy.
SAN DIEGO -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Tom Hussey, a boatswain's mate stationed at the San Diego recruiting office, demonstrates an abs and thigh bodybuilding pose in Las Vegas July 30, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Henry G. Dunphy.
SAN DIEGO -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Tom Hussey, a boatswain's mate stationed at the San Diego recruiting office, demonstrates the front double biceps bodybuilding pose in San Diego, June 6, 2011 (Left) and in Las Vegas, July 30, 2011 (Right). U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Henry G. Dunphy.
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“Erykah probably thinks there’s something deeply psychologically wrong with me,” Hussey said. “But, the kids think it’s cool that their dad has big muscles. They’re probably my biggest fans.”

The preparation for Hussey’s first national-level competition began back in San Diego during the first week of June. This is when Hussey’s weight training increases in intensity.

This is also when the tuna comes into play.

“The most important part of this is diet,” he said, “I’d say it’s about 80 percent of being successful.”

Hussey explained that he has a zero carbohydrate diet during the weeks leading up to a show, relying on protein to provide his body with energy. He takes in approximately 400 grams of protein per day, usually in the form of a dozen cans of tuna seasoned with fat-free mayonnaise or mustard.

 “The idea is to lose weight while maintaining the muscle,” he said.

This accentuates the definition of the muscles, and makes the striations and vascularity more visible during judging.

The days are busy when Hussey is preparing for a competition. Starting at 6 a.m., he begins with a high-intensity cardio work out. Then, he goes to work at the San Diego recruiting office, where he specializes in recruiting for the Coast Guard Reserve. Next, it’s back to the gym for several hours of weight training. Then, it’s back home to the normal bustle of family life.

Instead of being overwhelmed by the demanding schedule, Hussey finds that he is able to thrive.

“There are a lot of rules you have to live by if you’re going to be a successful bodybuilder,” he said, “Rest, eat, manage your time, everything you do has to be by the clock. Having kids actually made me a much better bodybuilder.”

His daughters have picked up some of his passion for the sport.

“We went to one of Tom’s shows when Gloriah was about two,” Eyrykah said, “She was posing with Tom and yelling his name while he was on stage.”

Bodybuilding can seem like an unusual sport to take up. Hussey traces the origins of his passion for bodybuilding to his freshman year of high school, when his motivation to bulk up was self-preservation.

“I was a bully magnet. I was a good athlete, but I was a bully magnet,” Hussey said. “I was about 5 feet tall and 95 pounds, so I was a easy target for real ‘tough guys.’”

Hussey decided to get strong to give his tormentors some of their own medicine.

“We had an old weight set in the basement that my mom used to lift on. The book that I learned all the basic movements from was Weightlifting for Women,” he said. “It had all the standard stuff in there, but it was women from the 80’s in their leotards and fluffy socks.”

His determination was apparent, he put on 25 pounds of muscle in the first year of training.

“I never got to get my revenge on any bullies, though,” said Hussey,  “The funny thing is, bullies are cowards too, so nobody ever wants to fight you once you get big.“

Since that summer when Hussey decided to bulk up, he has come a long way. He entered his first contest in Arizona in 1999. Eventually, he began placing in the top five in every show he entered. In 2003, he enlisted in the Coast Guard and was stationed in Kodiak, Alaska, after attending boatswain’s mate Class “A” school.

After a disappointing loss in Alaska in 2004, Hussey decided to dedicate himself to bodybuilding 100 percent. Since then, he has not lost a competition that he entered. Among his accomplishments are several first place wins in the Alaska State Championships, first place in the Western All Forces Bodybuilding Championship and induction into the Alaska Bodybuilding Fitness and Figure Hall of Fame.

This year, Hussey decided it was time to compete at the next level and test himself against the best bodybuilders in the nation.

The audience crowded into the concert hall in the sweltering evening of July 29 for prejudging. The chatter of vendors in the foyer was drowned out by rock music on the speaker system and cheers from the crowd as the competitors took the stage.

Each bodybuilder took center stage individually to have their physiques scrutinized by the panel of judges.

“When I’m on stage I’m trying not to pass out,” said Hussey, “Dehydration, the heat of the stage lights, full physical exertion and the enormity of the moment all play a factor in how you look and present yourself. I concentrate on smiling and then constantly going through all body parts in my mind and ensuring that everything is staying flexed at all times.”

“In some shows you can find yourself on stage for 20 minutes straight,” he said, “That can really test your endurance and strength.”

Despite his best efforts, Hussey was not ranked in the top five of his weight class to continue into the finals the following evening.

 “This has been an education for me,” he said the next day. “I am disappointed because this is the best I have ever looked, this is my top conditioning and I didn’t crack the top ten.”

Though visibly exhausted, Hussey did not seem to have lost his spirit.

“Usually after a show I stay out of the gym for awhile to give me some clarity on what I need to do,” he said. “Every time I do a show I have to look at myself and reevaluate where I’m at.”

Hussey placed thirteenth in the middleweight division, however just competing at the national level was a valuable experience for him and his family.

“I like having the kids see me do it,” he said, “It gives them a sense of what it takes to be a champion; the kind of dedication that you have to put into anything in life. “