Exclusive Interview with Former Mr. Classic Physique America champion and natural bodybuilder, Joe LaCerra in pursuit of another title at Mr. America 2026
Joe LaCerra will return to a familiar stage when he competes at the 2026 Mr. America on October 9–11, 2026 at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, NJ. LaCerra is looking to add another chapter to a bodybuilding career that has now spanned a decade. The South Jersey native has competed across Men’s Physique, Classic Physique, and Bodybuilding, but ultimately found his home in Classic Physique.
LaCerra earned his natural pro card in the division in 2018 before making history two years later by becoming the inaugural Mr. Classic Physique America champion in 2020. Now, LaCerra is preparing to return to Mr. America with another championship in his sights. Generation Iron spoke exclusively with LaCerra about his unusual path from martial arts to bodybuilding, how his approach to competition has changed over the past decade, competing naturally, and what winning another Mr. America title would mean to him and his family.
What Is The Mr. America?
The Mr. America is one of the historic names in American bodybuilding and has grown into the centerpiece of the Mr. America All-American Sports Festival.
The 2026 Mr. America All-American Sports Festival will take place at the Tropicana Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the festival will feature more than 1,000 athletes competing across over 20 sports and events.
The bodybuilding competition will be held Saturday, October 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring amateur and professional prejudging and finals.
LaCerra has a special connection to the competition. In 2020, he captured the inaugural Mr. Classic Physique America championship, an accomplishment he still considers the pinnacle of his bodybuilding career.
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Who Is Joe LaCerra?
LaCerra was born and raised in Mays Landing, New Jersey, but bodybuilding was not his first competitive passion. LaCerra is a father, husband, bodybuilder and coach to over 25 people.
He began training in Tang Soo Do at just four years old and spent more than 15 years practicing martial arts, eventually earning his 4th Degree Master Black Belt. After stepping away from martial arts competition, LaCerra began searching for another competitive outlet.
Weight training, which he had initially started in high school to improve his strength for martial arts and add muscle, eventually led him to bodybuilding.
LaCerra competed in his first bodybuilding show in 2016. Since then, he has competed in Men’s Physique, Classic Physique, and Bodybuilding. He earned his Classic Physique pro card at the 2018 ANBF South Jersey Natural and has gone on to win five natural professional shows in Classic Physique.
His biggest accomplishment came in 2020 when he became the first athlete to win the Mr. Classic Physique America title. Today, LaCerra manages Wolf Gym and is preparing to launch a new location in May’s Landing, New Jersey as owner.
Generation Iron’s Interview With Joe LaCerra
From Martial Arts To Bodybuilding
You started training in Tang Soo Do at just four years old and eventually earned a 4th Degree Master Black Belt. How much did martial arts shape the person and competitor you became?
Martial arts shaped me as not only a competitor but as a person due to the discipline learned from the art. The discipline and restraint you learn from martial arts sticks with you for life.
Your first bodybuilding competition came in 2016. Do you remember what it was like stepping onstage for the first time, and did you immediately know this was something you wanted to pursue seriously?
Stepping onstage for the first time was a whirlwind of an experience. It’s admittedly difficult to reflect on, as the lack of experience comes with an inherent lack of presence. I preach to all new competitors and my clients to stay as present as possible through the competing experience because it certainly goes fast.
Even with that lack of presence, though, I was immediately hooked and knew it was something I wanted to pursue long-term. The competitive fire that I lost from stopping martial arts was instantly reignited.
You’ve now spent roughly a decade competing. When you look back at that first show in 2016, what would surprise that version of Joe LaCerra most about where you are today?
2016 Joe LaCerra would be surprised about how I’ve integrated bodybuilding into my life. Early on in my competitive career, I used to obsess about bodybuilding to the point where everything else took a backseat. This is, of course, the wrong mentality to have for any sort of long-term success or enrichment.
Now, as a father, husband, and business owner, bodybuilding is still extremely important to me, but it has its proper place in my life hierarchy, which I ultimately think has made me a better bodybuilder than the obsessive mindset ever would have.
Finding Your Division
You’ve competed in Men’s Physique, Classic Physique, and Bodybuilding. What did you learn from competing in each division?
Competing in each division taught me about the criteria within bodybuilding. I encourage all amateur competitors to try different divisions if he/she is on the fence, as that is how you find where your body fits and where your heart lies, usually the same place because, as people, we generally enjoy what we’re best at.
What was it about Classic Physique that ultimately made you realize, “This is where I belong”?
I wish I had a better answer to this, but there’s an intangible to Classic Physique where I just feel completely in the zone when I’m onstage. There’s the obvious essence to Classic Physique that I love, and it’s where my physique is best suited as well. But at its core, I just feel like myself when I’m competing in Classic Physique. It’s where I belong.
Did competing in multiple divisions help you better understand your own strengths as a bodybuilder?
Absolutely. Competing in multiple divisions truly allowed me to understand the criteria and division differences firsthand.
The Road To Becoming A Champion
You earned your Classic Physique pro card in 2018 at the ANBF South Jersey Natural in your hometown. What made that particular victory so meaningful?
This victory was so meaningful for a couple of reasons. First off, it was in front of a hometown crowd, so the support was immense.
But more so, this victory was special because I finally decided to take the chance on Classic Physique after considering it for well over a year. I stayed in Men’s Physique because I thought I’d be “too small” for Classic Physique muscularity-wise. This victory was special because I finally trusted my instincts and took the confident leap into a new division. It certainly paid off!
Of all your accomplishments, winning the inaugural Mr. Classic Physique America title in 2020 stands out as a major milestone. What do you remember most about that competition?
Besides capturing the inaugural Mr. Classic Physique America title in 2020, the thing I remember most about that show was the fact that it was able to be held during the apex of the COVID time period. This was more than just another show. It was about coming together and lifting the human spirit through hard work and dedication.
What did it mean for you personally to become the first-ever Mr. Classic Physique America?
Personally, it’s the pinnacle of my bodybuilding career. We would not have other bodybuilding competitions without the Mr. America, so to be the first-ever Classic Physique champion means the world to me.
Ten Years Of Competition
You’ve now been competing for 10 years. What has changed most about your mindset since you were a young bodybuilder trying to establish yourself?
The biggest mindset shift I’ve gone through throughout my bodybuilding career comes down to prioritization. As mentioned above, I used to put bodybuilding as the top priority in my life and thus all other areas would suffer.
Now, I’ve learned to better prioritize my life as a whole so I can be the best version of me, which again has yielded me becoming a better bodybuilder than the obsessive 20-something version of me ever would have.
What’s something you understand about contest preparation today that you wish you had understood when you competed in your first show?
Specifically to contest prep, I wish that the version of me from my first show understood that contest prep is a collection of variables, some controllable and some not, that all need to be balanced for the best possible outcome.
I used to approach contest prep with more of an “all or nothing” approach, whereas now it’s more calculated and thoughtful, making one decision at a time based on the information present.
Preparing For The 2026 Mr. America
What are the biggest improvements you’ve been trying to make to your physique heading into this competition?
The goal in bodybuilding is simple: bring the best version of you! Specifically to my physique, my goal is always to present that with respect to the Classic Physique division.
I am always striving to bring up my upper body, as my legs have always been my dominant area. A key element in Classic Physique is symmetry, so my quest is to bring the most symmetrical version of me yet to the stage this year.
After competing for a decade, how different is your current preparation compared with the way you approached your early competitions?
My approach has been molded over the years as I’ve learned the best ways for me to execute training and nutrition programming. I am self-coached, so I am constantly learning and looking for ways to optimize my processes while not losing sight of what’s worked for me anecdotally over the years.
Is there a particular body part, detail, or aspect of your presentation that you’ve been especially focused on bringing up for Mr. America?
As stated above, the goal is to bring the best version of me, as that’s what we can control as competitors. I’ve been focused on bringing up my upper body as a whole to improve my symmetry, while also ensuring my usual strengths of conditioning and posing remain that way.
How important has posing become in your preparation as you’ve progressed through Classic Physique?
Posing and presentation is the icing on the cake. If you can’t display your physique properly for the judges, then you are leaving so much on the table.
What has been the most difficult part of this particular prep so far?
The most difficult part of this particular prep so far is that it’s almost over! I know that’s a cliché type of answer, but I truly am having so much fun with my contest prep process this year. I’m not ready for it to come to a close.
Mr. America will be my final show for my 2026 season, so I remind myself daily to stay present in the moment and enjoy every part of the process.
I will say, though, I am looking forward to a little less nutritional rigidity. Not because I am craving a particular food, but I am looking forward to sitting at a restaurant with my family without being worried about a food scale or macro-counting app. I look forward to being able to breathe and relax into that moment with my family.
The Natural Bodybuilding Journey
You’ve built your career competing as a natural athlete. What does competing naturally mean to you personally, beyond simply being a category or rule set?
Competing naturally, to me, is a testament to long-term health. My family means everything to me, and I would never want to gamble with something that has any fraction of a percent of shortening my lifespan, jeopardizing my time with them.
If my daughter decides to pursue bodybuilding competition one day, I want to be alive and healthy to step onstage with her!
What do you think people who have never experienced natural bodybuilding misunderstand about the level of discipline required to compete at a high level?
I think people misunderstand the discipline for high-level natural bodybuilding competition in the sense that people think you have to be “hardcore” and shut off the rest of the world to be disciplined.
Discipline is more a construct of processes and decisions rather than a mentality, in my opinion. I may look “hardcore” mid-set while I’m training, but that doesn’t mean I won’t stop my workout to have a conversation with someone.
After winning five natural professional Classic Physique shows, what do you believe has been the key to developing a championship-level physique within that environment?
The key to developing a champion-level physique is to stay focused on the processes, not the outcomes. Even after a win, it’s always, “What can I improve upon?” That work never stops because the second it does, you’re going to get lapped.
Joe LaCerra Closing Questions
You’ve spent 10 years competing, won five natural pro shows, earned a pro card in your hometown, and became the first-ever Mr. Classic Physique America. What would you say is still unfinished in the Joe LaCerra story?
The Joe LaCerra story is still unfinished in the sense that there are more improvements to be made. Even if I’m fortunate enough to capture the 2026 Mr. Classic Physique America title, the next day I will ask myself: “What can I do to improve?”
The story never ends because the work is never finished.
What would winning the 2026 Mr. America mean to you personally after everything you’ve accomplished over the past decade?
Winning the 2026 Mr. America would mean the world to me personally, of course, but not just from the standpoint of the title.
The last time I stepped onstage in 2024, our daughter, Josephine, was only one, but now with her being three, she understands the concept of “winning and losing.” Losing is, of course, part of any competitive endeavor, so while my ultimate goal is to win that title again, I understand that cannot be guaranteed, even though I’ve envisioned every aspect of show day from hearing my name called as the winner to hugging my wife and daughter right as I come offstage.
I want her to truly understand that the win is in the work. Your process, your work, and your character is what makes you a true champion, and the wins that come along the way are extra.
Finally, when fans see Joe LaCerra step onstage at the 2026 Mr. America, what do you want them to understand about the journey behind the physique they’re seeing?
I want everyone to understand that the journey behind the physique is non-linear. People often see a result and think that it was a straight line to get there. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Nothing worth doing comes easy, and there’s going to be plenty of challenges along the way. Stay the course, focus on your controllables, and do the work.
Image embed via Instagram @joe_lacerra
