MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- A Marine sweats until there’s nothing left, lifts until the muscles in his body can’t move, maintains proper nutrition and the constant hydration helped earned Gunnery Sgt. Philip Ricardo a gold medal.
Ricardo, an intelligence collections analyst for 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, recently won three major titles of body building, including the gold medal at Natural Olympia Professional in Greece.
“It’s a big deal for me because it’s one of the biggest natural shows out there,” said Ricardo. “All my hard work and time paid off.”
The Brooklyn, N.Y.-native dedicates himself to countless hours in the gym daily. When training for a competition, Ricardo works out two or three times a day.
“He is very modest in light of the fact that he is so talented at what he does,” said 1st Lt. Megan Beling, Ricardo’s officer-in-charge. “He is really motivating to the other Marines, and when people have questions, he will provide advice to his best knowledge.”
“I’m a Marine first and bodybuilder second,” said Ricardo.
Ricardo currently keeps his focus on his upcoming deployment with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The 5-foot 9-inch ironman began body building in 1992 while stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni where his friend entered him into a body building show on base.
Ricardo was motivated by his peers to push himself and continued to compete in the sport.
The 36-year-old began studying and dieting to enhance his personal apperiance as well as practicing different poses for body building competitions.
Ricardo turned professional with the International Natural Bodybuilding Association in 2003.
To attain this level of professionalism in the sport, the bodybuilder maintains a strict diet to lower his body fat and keep it off for his competitions while building up muscle mass.
In the morning, Ricardo eats the eight egg whites, one yolk and plain oatmeal with nothing added.
“You have to keep the body fat low so you can see the muscle definition in the body,” said Ricardo. “I focus on low-fat, low-sodium, low-carbohydrate, high-protein foods and drinking lots of water.”
As the sun rises in the morning, Ricardo finishes his first cardio workout.
While other Marines eat lunch, he lifts weights in the gym and as the sun sets, he ensures there is time for his last cardio workout.
“The gyms here are great and they really support me and save me a lot of money,” said Ricardo.
However, when a show isn’t in sight, he doesn’t restrict himself to such a strict diet.
“After a show, I can gain 10 pounds in a day,” said Ricardo.
Immediately following a show, the 180-pound bodybuilder inhales what he missed out on during his months of training, Ricardo explained.
Although Ricardo is a champion of bodybuilding, he knows what comes first.
“This has been my most successful year,” he said. “Now all my focus remains on the deployment and mission accomplishment.”