Philip Ricardo Jr. recognizes he has work to do.
Philip Ricardo Jr., a professional natural bodybuilder, had an outstanding performance in the 2021 Natural Olympia on the second weekend of November 2021. He left with a gold medal in Men’s Bodybuilding Grand Masters, and a bronze medal in Men’s Bodybuilding Open – Paul Krueger came out on top; however, Ricardo Jr. did walkaway with a Harley Davidson after winning the drawing, so he’s likely a happy camper.
Although Ricardo Jr. fell short of the gold medal in the 2021 Natural Olympia, he’s won on multiple occasions. He won back-to-back in 2007 and 2008 and again in 2015 and 2019.
Despite his incredible performances, he recognizes that the competition level has increased substantially since his earlier days in the sport. Here’s what he had to say on social media:
“Despite my placing (Gold in Grandmasters Bodybuilding & Bronze in Men’s Open) and winning the drawing for the Harley Davidson. (Thanks Douglas D Grant and the entire GainsInBulk Team) I recognize that I am definitely not the athlete I was years ago in this sport. The level of competition has increased leaps snd [sic] bounds and I feel fortunate to have done as well as I did. I have work to do if/when I ever compete again for sure.”
You can check out his full post below.
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Training for Natural Olympia
Philip Ricardo Jr. put in work to prepare for the 2021 Natural Olympia, and in hopes of being victorious, he entered late into Mr. America 2021. Unfortunately, this competition shortened his preparation for the show. Still, it showed the length he’s willing to go to win – entering late into a competition does put the athlete at risk of being “off-peak” when performing. But, at the same time, it can catapult them into full preparation mode for the upcoming contest.
Below you can catch a video of Philip Ricardo Jr. training for the 2021 Natural Olympia.
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How Philip Ricardo Jr. Got Into Bodybuilding
Philip Ricardo Jr. feels like he has a lot of work to do to compete at peak level in natural bodybuilding. Although this veteran has had an inspiring run so far in the past decades he’s been competing.
According to “Muscle and Strength,” Philip Ricardo Jr. got into natural bodybuilding when a co-worker secretly entered Ricardo Jr. into the 1992 Military Friendship Day Iwakuni Japan bodybuilding event. Admittedly, Ricardo Jr. lacked experienced and didn’t know how to pose, wore multicolored speedos, and didn’t shave his hair. Yet, despite being unaware of his admissions into the competition and his novice mistakes, he won that competition. The rest is history.
He’s considered to have one of the best natural physiques on the planet. To the point that his critics call him a “fake natural bodybuilder.” Ricardo Jr. takes the speculative remarks in stride and expresses that he sees them as a compliment in his latest GI exclusive interview.
Aside from competing at the highest level of natural bodybuilding, Philip Ricardo Jr. is a devout Christian, retired U.S. Marine, husband, and father. We can’t say for sure how his future will unfold. But we do know Philip Ricardo Jr. is an established veteran. And he’s earned many accolades in his natural bodybuilding career.
Generation Iron would like to congratulate Philip Ricardo Jr. on his performance at 2021 Natural Olympia and thank him for his service. We wish him the best of luck in what the future holds for him.
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