I began working out like everyone else to feel better about my build because I was always a skinny kid. Once I started seeing some good progress I decided to do some reading and asking the guys at the gym that knew what they were doing questions. From there I just built a bank of knowledge that is always growing. Once I got to the point where my physique was considered ‘big’ by most the people I saw at the gym I began getting the question ‘are you a bodybuilder?’ I grew tired of explaining to people that I wasn’t a bodybuilder but had often thought about competing so I decided to throw my hat into the ring and compete in a natural show.

2 weeks out from the NGA Natural Mr. California I sent in my entry form and prepped for the show. I ended up winning the whole thing and won my pro card.

Russel Perkin's Photography

What gets you motivated?

I’ve always been a highly motivated individual when it comes to keeping in shape but after competing in my first pro show and seeing what amazing physiques I was up against I am incredibly motivated to improve. It was the worst feeling I’ve ever had in regards to competition of any sort knowing that I had to go out there on stage all day with no shot at all to win or even place in the top 5.

I decided at that moment that I would make great improvements and never be in that position again.

So what is the bodybuilding training routine that you use to achieve that killer physique?

I go back and forth between power-lifting (4-8 reps including a heavy double or 1 rep max on the major lifts) and a hypertrophy routine where I aim for weights that I fail in the 12-15 rep range. This back and forth has kept my body guessing and working at full capacity. I’ve made great progress and look forward to what progress I make in the future.

Sample Routine Split

• Monday – Quads and Hams
• Tuesday – Calves and Forearms, Abs
• Wednesday – Chest
• Thursday – Deadlifts and Back
• Friday – Shoulders and Traps
• Saturday – Bis and Tris
• Sunday – Off day

When on contest diet, I do cardio daily for 20-25 minutes at medium intensity. I will also throw in a day or two of HIIT cardio as well to switch it up.

When trying to cut down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?

I prefer to do MISS for most of the week but throwing in a few days of HIIT is also a good way to keep your body working hard. Your body can get into a lull when doing sustained cardio for long periods of time and will not burn as many calories.

Switching it up has kept my metabolism burning nicely.

What exercises for abs do you frequently use?

My favorites are the ab wheel, cable crunches on my knees, trunk rotations with cables/weight stacks, leg lifts (preferably weighted). I do a whole range of exercises tho, but the ones I just listed tend to be my most often used exercises.

I do abs 2-3 times a week typically on one of my upper body part days (chest/back/shoulders/arms).

What is your Diet like?

Sample diet plan on a typical cut:

I like to push my first meal of the day off as long so that it gives me that much more food I get to eat the rest of the day. I have no problem dealing with hunger in the morning as my stomach doesn’t start craving food till later in the day. However, when dieting, I find I get very hungry by the end of the day and if I’ve eaten all my food for the day it’s a miserable time. By saving more meals for later I can feel fuller going to bed and sleep better because of it. I’ll give an example of a sample diet, however my diet/meals fluctuates depending on my goal numbers for the day. The numbers I eat change from week to week depending on my weight loss progress.

• Meal 1: 1030am – Protein bar, several rice cakes or slices of wheat bread, banana/apple
• Meal 2: 1230pm – Grilled chicken breast, baked sweet potato, and several almonds.
• Meal 3: 3pm – Several more rice cakes or slices of wheat bread, Shake: 1 scoop of whey protein
• Meal 4: Post workout shake: 2 scoops whey, 2 scoops waxy maize starch, 1 scoop glutamine powder
• Meal 5: 830pm – Grilled/baked fish (tilapia, halibut, red snapper, mahi mahi, sword fish, ahi tuna), baked sweet potato or brown rice, and/or sautéed broccoli
• Meal 6: 10pm – Shake: 1 scoop of whey, several almonds.

I keep a food log so that I know real time where I am at for the day on my numbers and add/subtract foods accordingly to meet the desired diet numbers. It helps eating rice cakes/wheat bread because they can easily be added and removed from my diet.

What do you think about ketogenic diets for cutting?

Answer: They are fine if that’s what works for you. I cut out carbs completely and lost 5lbs in 2 days and freaked out. I need to have a certain amount of carbs in my diet in order to not lose too much weight too quick. But, people with slower metabolisms have to do a keto diet in order to get the results they want.

The key is finding out what works for you.

What is your supplementation like?

• Whey protein
• Waxy maize starch
• Glutamine powder
• BCAAs
• Multi-vitamin
• Fish oils
• Pre-workout NO drink
• Caffeine

Plans for the future?

Fitness modeling and more natural bodybuilding. I plan on competing as a pro again but I might do some amateur shows in other organizations to get more experience.

Favorite Bodybuilders?

Ronnie Coleman, Dexter Jackson, Cedric McMillan, Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Kevin Levrone, Philip Ricardo Jr.

Favorite Quote?

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got.”

Bodyspace: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Rsardinia/

How did you get started with bodybuilding?

I grew up playing Football and loving it. Football kept me healthy and active, and in High School I was introduced to the weight room where I saw dramatic changes in muscularity and strength quickly and naturally. I was slim, but muscular all the way through High School and early in my first 3 years of the Marine Corps when a co-worker entered me in the Iwakuni Japan Marine Corps Base Bodybuilding championships in 1992 without my knowledge and I was thrust into competition. I didn’t know how to pose, wore multicolored speedos, and didn’t shave my body hair and still managed to win my weight class. Getting that individual 1st place trophy and being on stage in front of the crowd got me hooked! 39 shows and 22 more 1st place trophies later, I still love the sport and feel nervous before each competition and have been drug free throughout my entire career. I was very fortunate to get involved with many Natural Organizations and become successful in each of them. I turned Professional in 4 different organizations and having a chance to do that in these organizations have kept me focused and motivated in the sport of bodybuilding – knowing that I don’t have to take drugs to become a professional bodybuilder or to be a successful by having other federations that features only Natural Athletes (for the most part) has prolonged my career in the sport.

What is your diet like?

In order to achieve the ultimate condition that my body could achieve without losing too much muscle mass, nutrition is definitely the number one ingredient for getting that desired look. I changed my preparation from a mere 4-6 weeks of dieting and cardio to  12-16 weeks and that made a major difference in my physique. The extra prep time allowed me to slowly get used to dieting (no longer eating cheeseburgers and pizza is very tough for me), and to hold on to as much muscle as possible, optimally losing no more than a pound or two a week. Any more weight loss per week will risk you stepping on stage or for a photo shoot looking smaller and flat from excessive muscle wasting. If you give your body the right amount of nutrients and calories to lose that one to two pounds per week, you will find yourself looking bigger and better naked (which is what counts our line of business) than you normally look in the off-season, even though your clothes will be a bit baggy on you by the end of your diet.

Nutritionally

I kept a high protein low fat and carb approach that included High (250grams), medium (125grams), and low carbohydrate days (50grams) rotated throughout the week dependant on my training and activity level. For example, if I had a double cardio day and a hardcore weight training session (Legs) I would have a high carb day. On the weekends when Im sitting around watching movies or football, I would have a low carb day. I would also have a cheat day once a week where I allow myself to eat anything, and also a day when I would throw in a steak for the red meat to help energize my muscles. Another important ingredient is Water, and I would drink around 1.5 to 2 gallons a day!

Where does your motivation come from?

Ive always been competitive, even as a child playing football and now as a Marine, I always want to excel in everything I do.  I get motivation from looking at other champions and wanting to reach their levels and to be a positive role model for my family, friends, and the Bodybuilding world in general.  When I prepare for competition, I always keep in mind that the competition is training just as hard – if not harder – than I am, and I have to push myself past my comfort zone in order to reach my optimal shape.

When trying to cut down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?

I prefer normal cardio like low impact incline treadmill, elliptical, or the rotating stair climber.  Being in the Marine Corps, there are times when I have to do extreme training, Cross-fit, and forced Marches which can affect my energy levels for weight training in a negative way, which is why I stick with the low impact cardio that keeps my heart rate at the fat burning levels, not muscle burning. HIIT has been very effective for most athletes, and I have tried it before and feel can be beneficial if implemented correctly, but for me I want to spend the majority of energy on lifting Heavy weights. Its the heavy, intense weight training that leads to bigger and denser your muscles, which can make you look more impressive onstage if you have great condition to go along with it.

What is your Diet like?

My diet basically looks like this for pre-contest:

• 1.0600 – 8 eggs (1-2 yolks) 1 bowl of oatmeal (enough for about 30-50 grams of carbs…about 1 cup) and multi-vitamin.
• 2.0830 – protein shake with 16 oz of with water and omega 3 fatty acid, CLA, or Flax Oil.
• 3.1030 – 1 can of tuna with mustard and 1 cup of brown rice and 5 grams of Glutamine
• 4.1300 – (after workout) Protein shake with Glutamine and yams and Vitamin C/E.
• 5.1600 – 2 chicken breasts, 1-cup brown rice or yam.
• 6.1900 – 2 chicken breast or fish (tuna, salmon, or whatever you like w/out oil) and broccoli and or green beans or salad w/balsamic vinegar or lemon juice.
• 7.2130 – Lean Sirloin or Flank Steak w/salad w/balsamic vinegar (eat Steak at least 2x per week.)
• 8.Bedtime – 1 scoop of protein powder and glutamine in water.

Off-season is similar except I add carbohydrates with all of my meals (mostly brown rice) and I would eat more steak and chicken thighs in some meals and an occasional pasta meal as well twice a week.

What is your supplementation like?

My supplements are broken down like this:
Protein Powders:

Due to my hectic schedule, this is my saving grace. I tend to eat a solid breakfast and pre-workout meal, then add a whey protein shake after training, and while I am training my clients in the evening I pound a shake that includes both whey and casein/miscellean protein so that I have a quick acting and slow digesting protein in my system to hold me over until I finish work. I will also have a casein/miscellean protein shake with L-Glutamine powder prior to bed to serve as an anti-catabolic shake, keeping me in an anabolic state while I sleep.
Creatine:

As a slow gainer, I need a supplement that helps with my muscle endurance and muscle hydration and Creatine is it! Creatine Monohydrate and Creatine Ethyl Ester have helped me to maintain size and strength, especially during precontest training. I tend to take 5 grams of creatine 30 minutes before weight training and immediately after, as well as taking 5 grams with a protein shake on non-training days. With the new Creatine, Nitric-Oxide, and Glutamine products on the market now, I find an even more effective pre-workout source that keeps me focused even when I am on a low carbohydrate diet and my energy is extremely low.
L-Glutamine:

As the most abundant amino acid in skeletal muscles, Glutamine is key during hardcore training and competition dieting. Depending on your bodyweight, I suggest taking anywhere from 5-10 grams of Glutamine divided into 5 gram doses prior to training, immediately after and/or right before going to bed on an empty stomach to promote natural growth hormone, which accelerates protein synthesis and positive nitrogen balance. Taking too much can overload your liver…especially if you are taking other supplements…so taking as little as 5 grams is enough to make a big difference in your recovery from hardcore training. Glutamine has also been sited to improve your immune system, which is key during extreme dieting when your body is susceptible to injury and illness.
Potent Fat-burner:

If you look at most fat-burners the ingredients are similar except for maybe one ingredient that is that products special formula which may separate it from the others. Find the one that works for you and use it not only for the thermogenic properties during dieting but also for the mental and energy boost if you need it…I know I do!!! Most fat burners contain caffeine, green tea, guarana, and tyrosine, so if you are trying to avoid these substances (especially caffeine) -Beware! There are fat-burners without out caffeine, but bottom line is if you need a kick-start to your day and your diet fat-burners are effective if used in conjunction with a proper diet and cardio. I use them twice per day…first thing in the morning and mid-afternoon. Please read the directions on all products to see if you need to take them on an empty stomach or with meals. When competing in Drug Free organizations beware of the ingredients to see if it is a banned substance (i.e.: ephedrine, which is banned…I found out the hard way!!!) as well as ensuring that you are not combining too many products with caffeine or other ingredients that may pose a health risk to you. Since I have a very busy schedule, I need the caffeine boost and I enjoy the energy rush first thing in the morning prior to my cardio sessions, and I can feel my body heat up like a furnace all day long because of it.

Plans for the future?

I took 2009 off due to my deployment to Iraq and the birth of my daughter, Ariana.  In 2010, I plan to come with the IFPA and PNBA starting in September through November.

Favourite Quote?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore is not an act but a habit” – Aristotle

Website: www.philipricardojr.com