Rob Tenerowicz Snags IPL APEX VII Pro Masters Athletic Title
In the competitive field of IPL Pro Men’s Athletic, few athletes embody perseverance and triumph quite like Rob Tenerowicz. Following his monumental victory at IPL APEX VII, where he secured his second Pro Masters Athletic title, Rob reflects on his journey with humility and determination. His commitment to excellence is not just about personal accolades, but also about fostering a supportive community within the sport. Recently featured on the cover of ATHLETIC Magazine, Rob continues to inspire as he gears up for the IPL Sunshine Classic in Destin, Florida. With each competition, Rob Tenerowicz proves that age is no barrier to success, setting a remarkable example for aspiring athletes across generations.
"…IT FEELS GREAT TO BE REWARDED FOR PUTTING IN THE WORK. AND WINNING IT FOR A SECOND TIME MAKES IT EVEN MORE SPECIAL."
BEN YOSEF: Congratulations on winning your second APEX Pro Masters Athletic title! It’s been 6 months or so since APEX VII, but how are you feeling about your win and retaining your reigning APEX Champion status?
ROB TENEROWICZ: It feels great! So much time, effort and commitment goes into preparing for an event like APEX, that it feels great to be rewarded for putting in the work. And winning it for a second time makes it even more special.
BY: Soon after APEX you also landed on the cover of ATHLETIC Magazine. What a cherry on top of a killer weekend! What was it like for you landing that cover?
"LANDING THE COVER WAS TRULY AN HONOR! TO NOW BE INCLUDED WITH PREVIOUS ATHLETIC COVER ATHLETES…IS QUITE HUMBLING."
RT: Landing the cover was truly an honor! To now be included with previous ATHLETIC cover athletes like Monaco, Meindl, Robinson, Kolodziej, and Daignault, to name a few, is quite humbling. They provide such great inspiration for all of us athletes.
BY: That cover was very well deserved and a long time coming! For your second and most recent APEX win, you went up against IPL newcomer and new Pro Patrick Curtis. I like to ask this question to all the Pros…when there’s a wild card athlete/new Pro involved…Do you think about who you might be competing against, do you worry about this or do you kind of just take it all in stride?
RT: Once I found out in which category Patrick was competing, I assumed he would get his Pro Card and we would end up competing against each other. I even said that to him back stage before he even set foot on the stage. Knowing that, along with knowing Patrick had a lot of prior experience competing, it just motivated me even more and put me in a mindset where I knew I needed to be “on” the entire time on stage and hit all of my poses. I was already in that mindset after competing with the now great Masters Bodybuilding Champion, Stephen Kendrick, so I just carried that into the Masters Athletic class against Patrick.
BY: At 2022 IPL APEX VI, you went up against John Kolodziej for that Pro Masters Athletic title. John arguably brought his career best shape to that show. You would eventually come away with the win by a relatively narrow margin of six points. And the following year at APEX VII you, of course, faced off with Patrick Curtis for the title. There you would come away with an even more narrow, 1 point victory. What was it like competing against John versus Patrick? Like, what did it feel like on stage against each of them? Or again, were you just taking it all in stride once you got out there?
"…IT’S REALLY JUST ABOUT EXECUTION WHEN I GET ON THE STAGE."
RT: I pretty much just do my own thing. I can’t control what the other competitors do, nor can I control what the judges do. At that point, I’ve practiced each of my poses and my T-walk, so it’s really just about execution when I get on the stage.
BY: Okay, this just in! [laughs] You are currently registered to return to the stage for the IPL Sunshine Classic in Destin Florida this fall! At that contest you will be facing off with new IPL Pro Scott Serig! How pumped are you about that contest and what do you know about Scott?
RT: Very pumped about the Sunshine Classic! I enjoy competing at the variety of venues around the U.S. afforded by being a part of the IPL! Regarding Scott…well, I know he’s another one of these youngsters against which I must compete! [laughs] From what I’ve read, he seems like a great person, which is usually the case with IPL competitors. Obviously, he’s a great competitor and in phenomenal shape. Knowing that just helps push me a bit harder to prepare.
"Obviously, he’s a great competitor and in phenomenal shape. Knowing that just helps push me a bit harder to prepare."
BY: “youngster!” Scott is 50 years old! [laughs] Reflecting on your journey as an athlete, what would you say has been the most challenging moment you’ve faced in your career so far?
RT: I can’t really think of one particular moment, but I have found that the older I get, the longer it takes for minor injuries to heal. This can negatively impact my training. Fortunately, I’ve been able to successfully work through them up to this point.
BY: Looking ahead to the Sunshine Classic, what specific aspects of your performance are you focusing on refining or improving?
"I’M DRIVEN BY THE CHALLENGE ITSELF. THE CHALLENGE OF CONTINUING TO COMPETE INTO MY 60S AND THEN MY 70S, 80S...MY GOAL IS TO MOTIVATE OTHERS…"
RT: As I’ve mentioned before, every show is an experiment. For the Sunshine Classic, I added more back lifts, modified my core exercises, and increased the frequency of hitting each muscle group. We’ll see on Oct 19 if these changes are for the better!
BY: Rob, it has been great having you back in the mags. Congratulations once again to you on all your success both on and off the stage! I’m looking forward to seeing you in a few months in Destin! That’s going to be an incredible weekend! Finally, after achieving such remarkable success in your career, how do you maintain your motivation and drive to continue pushing your limits in the sport?
RT: I’m driven by the challenge itself. The challenge of continuing to compete into my 60s and then my 70s, 80s… My goal is to motivate others to push themselves to be stronger and more fit. This was the motivation behind opening our own T-Fit Gym. And I get to see it playing out right in front of me every day! NATURALMAG
About the interviewer:
Ben Yosef
Ben is the Publisher of NATURALMAG and the President & Founder of the International Physique League.
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ATHLETIC Magazine Cover Story: 6X IPL Pro Champ Rob Tenerowicz Is 61 & At The Top Of His Game
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ATHLETIC Magazine – Quality Over Quantity
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NATURALMAG – Rob Tenerowicz Snags IPL APEX VII Pro Masters Athletic Title
“…It feels great to be rewarded for putting in the work. And winning it for a second time makes it even more special.”
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“That’s when the emotion comes in as well…just that feeling of accomplishment. I still sit back and can’t believe I’m an IPL Pro.”
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NATURALMAG – Rob Tenerowicz Snags IPL APEX VII Pro Masters Athletic Title
“…It feels great to be rewarded for putting in the work. And winning it for a second time makes it even more special.”
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