Philip Ricardo Jr. and his wife Mary Beth

Marine Master Sergeant Philip Ricardo, Jr., aka “Rico”, proved that he is still at the top of his game at what Rico called, “arguably the biggest Natural World Championship Bodybuilding show on the planet!”

The International Fitness and Physique Association (IFPA ) Pro Yorton Cup International Natural Bodybuilding Championships Division was held Saturday October 23, 2010 in Bethesda, Maryland, where Philip Ricardo Jr. won his third overall professional title in the last three months.

36 top natural professionals from all over the world including the United Kingdom and Jamaica were divided into three classes Lightweight up to 180lbs., Middleweight from 181-195lbs, and Heavyweights from 196lbs and over.

“I weighed in much lighter than expected, but also in much better condition than I showed at the TEAM USA show in VEGAS in September,” said Rico after the event, “I had to be in order to fair well against this line up of champions.”

After an exhausting early morning flight from California, where the Marine Master Sergeant is stationed at Camp Pendleton, polygraph, weigh-in, registration and the inevitable Washington D.C. traffic, the Ricardo’s were finally able to check into the Hotel at 8pm.
Prejudging started promptly the next morning at 8:30am, and Philip was still tired from the previous day’s events, but told us his physique was as conditioned as he’s ever been so he felt good.

“Right before pumping up, at around 9:30am,” Rico said, “I chugged about 6oz of my favorite pre-workout and pre-competition supplement BOOM! from The Body Evolution and I went to work to prepare for a grueling prejudging.”

The judges kept the athletes out on stage for about 30 minutes and worked them to the max. With thanks to BOOM! and Rico’s posing preparation he stayed strong and energized, which helped him edge out his closest competitors, Cleveland Thomas and Chidi Ekebere for the Lightweight title.

In the Finals, after joining the Middleweight and Heavyweight class winners, Panexce Pierre and Henry Graham, on stage to battle for the Overall title, Ricardo could see that it would be much tougher to edge these guys out due to their difference in size as he was at least 15 lbs. lighter than the Middleweight and closer to 25lbs lighter than the Heavyweight Champ.

“It was extremely close, but I was able to edge out the Overall Victory,” Rico commented, “as my conditioning won over the judges and the crowd to take home my third professional title of the year, and my second IFPA Yorton Cup World title.”

With the Olympia rapidly approaching Rico will have to maintain his conditioning for three more weeks in hopes of continuing the three-peat streak of Pro wins, as Rico said, “it only gets tougher from here.”
“Thanks to the Body Evolution for their support and quality products,” Philip Ricardo, Jr. said after winning the title, “that helped me get into the best shape of my life and beat out one of the toughest lineups of Natural Professional Bodybuilders in the World.”
Here are the final rankings from the 2010 Yorton Cup:
Men’s Pro Lightweight
1 Philip Ricardo, Jr. #257* (CA) $3,500
2 Cleveland Thomas #253 (FL) $1,000
3 Chidi Ekebere #249 (MO) $500
4 Daz Cooper #251 (UK)
5 David Hannah #246 (UK)
6 Wil Usher, Jr. #245 (MD)
7 Carlos Renfro #248 (NH)
8 Michael Battersby #247 (UK)
9 Victor Egonu #250 (MD)
10 Mike Halsey #255 (NY)
11 Larry Wizorek #252 (PA)
12 Frank Barnes #260 (MD)

Men’s Pro Middleweight
1 Panexce Pierre #265 (NJ) $1,500
2 Robert E. Johnson, Jr. (KS) $1,000
3 Butch Washington #279 (PA) $500
4 David Lovelace #280 (FL)
5 William Powell #256 (NC)
6 James Carron #262 (MD)
7 Isaac Scott, Jr. #261 (MD)
8 Mark Claxton #2678 (UK)
9 Carl Frady III #264 (VA)
10 Ben Sonnier #254 (MI)
11 Gregory Kerr #258 (MD)
12 Marco Pagnanelli #268 (CA)

Men’s Pro Heavyweight
1 Henry Graham #281 (Jamaica) $1,500
2 Russell Harleston #275 (NY) $1,000
3 Willie Brown #276 (MD) $500
4 Chris Nsubuga #278 (UK)
5 Layne Norton #266 (FL)
6 Chadwick Austin #227 (DE)
7 Damon Gillis #269 (DE)
8 Joe Wilson #271 (AR) BP $100
9 Victor Oliver #273 (MD)
10 Maurice Duckett #272 (VA)
11 Luther Bradford #274 (MD)
12 Craig Toth #270 (ID)

* Division Winner

About The Body Evolution
The Body Evolution’s Sports Supplementation line was specifically designed and added for individuals who want to take their diet and exercise to the next level. Packed with Power, these supplements are loaded with ingredients to create more power, strength, overall endurance, fat burning potentiation and recuperation. Whether you want that bodybuilder physique, energy as an everyday Mom, fitness model look or extremely powerful strongman strength; these supplements will help you reach your goals and more.

PICTURES OF TEAM USA  ARE ON PHILIP’s FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

The Body Evolution, leading nutrition and bodybuilding supplement company, stole the show at the Team USA Natural Bodybuilding Championships with wins from Team Athletes Philip Ricardo Jr., Heather Hansen, and more. The company’s pre-workout drink and favorite supplement amongst athletes, BOOM POWER RUSH, brought a Las Vegas “BOOM” with four BE athletes winning and two Overall titles, in a national competition that has rarely if ever been done. With such a “Power Rush”, watch out because you will probably see another “BOOM” at the 2010 Natural Olympia in November.

Ogden, UT (PRWEB) September 28, 2010 — When Jason Hansen, founder of health, fitness and bodybuilding supplementation company, The Body Evolution, came up with the product name, “BOOM Power Rush” for his company’s Pre-Workout drink two years ago, he must have been thinking. Because his Team Body Evolution, led by coach David Edgell and Team Captain PNBA Pro Bodybuilder Tyler Alexander, brought a really, really big BOOM to the stages of Las Vegas this weekend.

The Body Evolution brought five elite athletes to the stage on September 25th and stole the show, literally sweeping the house with a massive “Power Rush” of sorts.

At the ABA/INBA/PNBA Team USA Natural Bodybuilding Championships, it was all Team Body Evolution as Team Sponsored Athlete Marine Corps Master Sargeant Philip Ricardo Jr. aka “Rico” returned to the stage following his International Fitness and Physique Association (IFPA) Pro title win in July, and a previous 18 month absence because of his military deployment, to win the Team Mr. USA ABA/INBA/PNBA Pro USA men’s natural bodybuilding title. Results in the Men’s Pro division included: 2nd place: Peka Bennefield, 3rd place: Xavius Gayden, 4th place: Chris Jantz, 5th place: Marco Pagnanelli, and 6th place: Ace Baldwin.

Philip Ricardo, Jr. is no slouch to the world of Natural Bodybuilding being an 18-year veteran of the sport, winning back-to-back Natural Olympia Titles in 2007-2008, multiple PNBA Pro Championships, a 5-time IFPA Pro Champion, and winner of the National Gym Association (NGA) Professional Mr. Universe title.

“It was such a great feeling to win the 2010 Team USA Natural Bodybuilding Championships with my wife MaryBeth by my side, a few of my great friends who traveled out to see me from California, and the entire Body Evolution Team in attendance,” said one of the greatest natural bodybuilders of all time, Philip Ricardo, Jr. “Representing the Body Evolution Team as their Pro Male Bodybuilder and coming home with the Team USA title for them was my main goal for this event. I’m very pleased with how my training, Body Evolution supplementation, and overall preparation for this competition assisted in defeating five great Natural Pros. The icing on the cake was being awarded the ‘Best Poser’ trophy for the entire show! It was an unbelievable night and it’s awesome to be part of such a successful team of great athletes!”

Phil taking the lead and stepping off the stage for a posedown!

The night started with Team Body Evolution’s Amber Jones coming in with the most packed 103lbs. of physique you will ever see! Amber placed first in the figure short division and warmed up the stage for Body Evolution teammate Shannon Mullins (previous Ms. Rodeo Utah) who flared an impressive figure to dominate and win the Figure Medium class.

The Body Evolution’s founder, Heather Hansen won her tall class to even out the playing field for Team Body Evolution. It was than a complete toss up for the Overall, finding these three beauties all together on stage with the other winners as they lined up to find out who would be the Overall title winner.

Heather Hansen, previous Mrs. Utah America, won the Figure Overall in the Figure Classic division, in her first ever National Figure Fitness competition, and the Overall title winner for the Team USA Figure Fitness, coming in perfect and dialed in all areas of the game earning her PNBA Pro status.

“I felt honored to be standing on stage with such outstanding women representing The Body Evolution, said Overall Team USA winner, Heather Hansen. “I believe any of our team members could have taken the title of Overall Figure due to our BE supplements, positive attitude, and dedication to the sport! It just happened to be my night!”

Heather is the first woman from Utah to bring home gold in the figure category at the Team USA.

Team Body Evolution’s Amara Kockler, a well known NGA/PNBA two time Pro figure competitor and trainer found herself taking home silver as she placed second in a tough, tough Pro class.

Rico, Amber, Shannon, Heather and Amara all qualified and made Team USA and will represent the USA at the ABA, PNBA, INBA World Natural Olympia competition to be held in November in Reno, Nevada where they will battle the rest of the World to see who truly is the best in the Natural Bodybuilding Sport.

The five teamed up with The Body Evolution and The Shop, the foremost companies specializing in supplementation, diet plans and training for professional athletes in powerlifting, natural bodybuilding, strongman and multiple other sports to create such a team. All have found The Body Evolution supplements to be their “leading edge” going into competition.

“After starting “BOOM Power Rush“, for the first time,” says Team USA Champion, Philip Ricardo, Jr., “there is no doubt in my mind that it ranks at the top of the supplement industry for Pre-Workout products. My energy was incredible and stable leading up to the ABA/INBA/PNBA Team USA show. I don’t crash after workouts, and I ‘BOOM’ just before going on stage to get that extra vascularity and pump. For the first time ever, I found a supplement that I can take consistently that is sugar-free and keeps the strength going for the brutal weeks leading up to a show.”

The Vegas “BOOM” of bringing these athletes to a national level and all placing is something that has rarely if ever been done. All five athletes plan on continuing training, supplementing and representation of The Body Evolution for years to come. With such a “Power Rush”, watch out because you will probably see another “BOOM” at the 2010 Natural Olympia in November.

In preparing for upcoming shows at Team USA, Natural Olympia and the Yorton Cup, my diet is basically looking like this:

1. 0600 - 8 eggs (1-2 yolks) 1 bowl of oatmeal (enough for about 30-50 grams of carbs…about 1 cup), multi-vitamin, and Krill Oil*.
2. 0830 - Body Evolution Evolve 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 BE Glutamine Empowered
4. 1300 - (after workout) Body Evolution Whey Protein shake with BE 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 BE Whey Protein  and Glutamine in water, Krill Oil*.

I take BE Krill Oil during precontest dieting up until the last two weeks. At that point I try to eliminate as much fat as possible from my diet.

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.

Article for Fitness and Physique Magazine
By Philip Ricardo, Jr.

Nothing looks more impressive on a physique than a set of ripped abdominals.  Whether you are a bodybuilder, Fitness competitor, or model, your stomach is always the focal point of your physique.  For most athletes your abdominals will be the barometer of just how in shape you are in.

There are many theories on how often to train your mid-section.  Many say you can train them everyday since they are quick recovery muscles – just as long as they are not extremely sore at the time.  Others say that you should train them like any other muscle to give them time to grow and recover.  There have been disputes on whether to use high repetitions with no weight versus weighted exercises for abdominal development.  Finally, some athletes may choose to train their stomachs only during their pre-contest phase rather than their off-season while others train their abs year round.

With the vast assortment of training advice available, which one do you choose?  Which routine fits your body type or your goals?  I will attempt to answer these questions by illustrating my own trial and error experiences throughout my 16 years of training and competing.

As an athlete that has always had trouble developing mass, maintaining a trim waistline with decent abdominal development wasn’t a major concern for me until I started to move up in the competitive bodybuilding ranks.  Before that I would rely on my genetics and diet combined with the occasional crunches that I would have to do during my Marine Corps training to develop a “Six-Pack”.  However, it was apparent that some of my competitors seemed to have much more ab development and definition than I did, yet they were not necessarily leaner throughout the rest of their physique.  Even some of the bodybuilders with thicker waistlines seemed to display hard six-packs with well developed intercostals (the area on the outside of the abdominals that lead up to the lattisimus dorsi down to the hip bone) which were non-existent on my physique.  What could I do to achieve the top athletes level of development in their stomachs?  This is how my quest for fabulous abs began!

I started to research documented facts on abdominal training before I applied it to my own training.

Fact:

The shape of your abdominals is due to the tendons that stretch across the muscle. You cannot change a tendon’s shape, size, or location through training, so if you expect to mirror the same abdominals as another athlete with perfect abs don’t count on it.  However, you can develop and display exceptional abdominals of your own that may be even better than those that you admire…its all dependent on your personal genetics.

Fact:

Studies show that your body continuously learns to adapt and respond to stimuli.  If you do the same program for your abdominals , for example the same abdominal exercises and sets and repetitions, you would quickly adapt to this routine so that it would eventually become ineffective in terms of shaping your midsection. Variety is the key. Revamp your abdominal training program by varying the types of exercises, number of sets and repetitions, amount of resistance, and the speed of your contractions and you will keep your midsection in a state of confusion and reap more benefits.

Fact:

Your low-back pain health and abdominal training are related in some manner.  The internal obliques may be the key abdominal muscles for low-back health.  The abdominal oblique muscles attach to the connective tissue of the erector spinae muscles of the lower back. Strong internal oblique muscles reinforce the erector spinae fascia and pull it laterally. This reinforced fascia is therefore more efficient in supporting the spine.  Working the oblique muscles along with the rectus abdominus for improved low-back health can be very important preventative medicine for lower back pain.

These facts combined with years of inquiry of various athletes and trainers have led to the application of an efficient training regiment which allowed for great changes to my midsection.  My routine is as follows:

EXERCISE AND PERFORMANCE TRAINING TIPS

In designing an abdominal workout, choose between 5 to 10 exercises, combining spinal flexion, rotation, and lateral flexion exercises. Perform 8 repetitions of each exercise before going on to the next exercise. Every 2-3 weeks, you are advised to vary your workout (refer above for ways in which to vary your program). Strive for quality of movement with each contraction. Also, visualize your abdominal muscles contracting tighter with each exercise, stressing the importance of the contraction. Although it’s great to do these exercises with accompanying music, try not to let the music dictate the tempo of the exercise. Slow and controlled movement is always best. During all exercises for which you need to support your head, do so in a comfortable manner that does not allow you to force your chin towards your chest.

Although the abdominals are a troublesome spot for many people, the knowledge and tools you now have, will, with hope, highlight your abdominal exercise workout, while helping you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Which type of contraction is best for abdominal training?
One way to add variety to your ab workout is to vary the type of muscle contraction used (shortening, lengthening, and static). Doing a crunch, when you lift the torso off the floor, the abs are shortening; whereas, in the trunk-lowering phase the abs are lengthening. During hanging leg lifts, the abs are contracting statically and there is no visible trunk movement.

Is there an ideal sequence for working the abdominal muscles?
Some people would like to convince you that there is an ideal sequence for working the abdominals, i.e., theirs, if you just buy their product.

Do you work the abdominals when performing those hanging leg lifts from a chin-up bar?
Although the hip flexors are the prime movers in bringing the legs up toward the chest in this movement, the abdominals are statically (no movement) contracting in this exercise. Several studies demonstrate conclusively the involvement of the abdominal muscles in this skill (Flint & Gudgell, 1965; Guimaraes, Auerlio, Campos, & Marantes, 1991; Gutin & Lipetz, 1971). In the hanging leg lift, the rectus abdominis must rotate the pelvis posteriorly and stabilize the pelvis to allow the legs to move freely toward the chest. Since the legs are relatively heavy, the strain on the rectus abdominis is due largely to its role in stabilizing the pelvis. This exercise is quite strenuous for many individuals. Doing this exercise with straight legs places a heavy load on the lumbar spine, making this a “high risk” exercise for some individuals. Performing the hanging leg lifts with bent knees reduces this risk.

TRAINING FOR RESULTS

Now that we’ve dispelled several popular myths and clarified some important issues about abdominal exercises, let’s verify some of the most effective means of training these muscles. Perhaps one of the most common and important questions asked about abdominal training is “How high up should you go in a crunch (or curl-up)?” Research suggests that the abdominals flex the spinal column for about the first 30 to 45 degrees of movement which is approximately equivalent to lifting your shoulder blades off the ground (Laban, Raptou, & Johnson, 1965; Plowman, 1992; Rasch & Burke, 1978; Ricci, Marchetti, & Figura, 1981). Beyond 30 degrees, the powerful hip flexors begin to take charge of the movement. Due to the potential pressure placed on the lower spine by the hip flexors, full sit-ups cannot be recommended. Plowman #(1992)# adds that bent knee, feet supported sit-ups may cause lumbar stress which could lead to harmful effects on the lumbar discs. Several studies indicate that supine crunches, with bent knees and unsupported legs, maximize abdominal activity and minimize hip flexor (specifically the rectus femoris) activity (Godgrey, Kindig, & Windell, 1977; Guimaraes et al., 1991; Libetz & Gutin, 1970; Walters & Partridge, 1957). Since the effectiveness of the abdominal exercises is within this small range of motion (30 – 45 degrees), more repetitions and exercises may have to be performed to appropriately challenge these muscles.

In the following sections, we will look at specific questions about training variables that can enhance the effectiveness of your abdominal workout.

Can I work the abdominal muscles daily?
Make sure you train them at least 3 – 5 days per week, with a daily workout being permissible. Unlike other muscles, you rarely fatigue the abdominal muscles enough so that they need an additional day to recover. This is because you are always working with the weight of your torso, in a limited range of motion, as compared to other exercises which may challenge the muscles with progressively heavier resistance. In practice, it actually makes sense to do some type of abdominal strengthening exercise on a daily basis to try and counteract the excessive tightening of your lower back muscles and hip flexors. Just because you may work the abdominals regularly, there should be no fear that these muscles will get too big. In fact, the abdominals are very thin muscles compared to other muscles, such as the deltoids, gluteals, hamstrings, biceps, and quadriceps. So, unless you are progressively overloading these muscles with additional external resistance, such as ab machines, it is unlikely that the abs will become “too thick.”

Then is it O.K. to use some resistance in working the abdominals?
Yes, but first make sure you are doing your abdominal exercises with correct technique. For effective abdominal training, emphasize body position and movement proficiency. Greater results will be attained with a focus on technique. Furthermore, do the exercises slowly, with control. How many times have you taught, gone to a class, or worked out at home using some high energy music, and then tried to adapt the abdominal workout tempo to the beat of the music? Focus more on the abdominal movement, trying to accentuate each contraction. In other words, “make every repetition count.” Try adding light handheld weights (2 to 4 lb) to several of the exercises only when you feel you really need that additional challenge.

I noticed that all of the top competitors were so lean and shredded that you could see every muscle fiber and striated tissue in every body part. Even the fitness and bodybI noticed that all of the top competitors were so lean and shredded that you could see every muscle fiber and striated tissue in every body part. Even the fitness and bodybuilding models had to have that dry, onion tight skin condition in order to display an anatomy chart looking physique in the magazines or videos.  This became my new goal…to achieve the ultimate condition that my body could achieve without losing too much muscle mass.

I changed my preparation from a mere 4-6 weeks of dieting and cardio to 8-12 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 onstage 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.

Welcome to my new website. Please check back often as it will be updated regularly.

You can also follow me on Facebook as I prepare for upcoming competitions.

Thanks, Philip Ricardo, Jr.