The Iron Journey: An Exclusive Interview with IFBB Pro Pete Ciccone
The ancient philoso
pher Lao Tzu once said, “The one that is virtuous knows virtue by experience.” At the 2013 Master Nationals, Pete Ciccone experienced somethings that were nearly two decades in the making, hearing his name announced onstage as the winner and bringing home his IFBB Pro Card.
Now, the new IFBB Pro and current owner of 619 Muscle has his sights set forward once again as he enters his first off-season with an IFBB Pro Card under his belt! Ciccone is more determined than ever to prove he has what it takes to stand onstage next the world’s most elite physiques.
Recently I had a chance to talk with Pete and get to know one of the most knowledgeable competitors in the industry, and you can read it all here in this RxMuscle exclusive.
Q.) Before we talk about your recent win at Masters Nationals, I'd like to take a look back to when you first began training. Like many of us, you were first introduced to weight training through football. Were you immediately bitten by the bodybuilding bug or did the love of training take time to develop?
A.) Actually, my first introduction to weights was through my father. My Dad was a Steve Reeves fan, and although he never competed himself, my Dad exercised regularly, and had a very muscular physique when I was in my early teens. I looked up to him as a role model, and envied his muscular forearms, biceps and triceps.
In contrast, I was a chubby young adolescent. Through my Dad, I was introduced to bodybuilding as a method of changing the look of my body. As I began exercising with weights, my body began to change; I relished the feeling of control and power over my physique that I got from training.
I began to buy all of the iron magazines of the late 80’s, FLEX, IronMan, Muscle & Fitness, MMI...I read them all, every issue, cover-to-cover, studying the training, nutrition and supplement articles, soaking up all I could about this new sport, my new passion – Bodybuilding.
As I began to change the look of my body, my love for the art and the science of our way of life solidified.
Q.) How long was it after you began weight training before you discovered the sport of bodybuilding?
A.) As I began training (around the age of 13 years old), using my Sears & Roebuck plastic, water-filled weights, it wasn't long before I picked up my very first FLEX magazine – Mohamed Makkawywas on the cover(Egyptian champion bodybuilder from the 80’s). I think it was in 1985? This issue, and the FLEX with Shawn Ray on the cover, after his win at the Nationals, this was my first introduction to the sport of bodybuilding.
Q.) What bodybuilders inspired you early on in your career?
A.) I was a huge fan of Shawn Ray; I also looked up to Kevin Levrone. Their physiques were (and still are) amazing to me...as far as work ethic, drive and passion, I'd have to say Richie Gaspari, early on. He reminded me of myself. He was around my height, Italian, and everything I read or watched about Richie spoke to his "intensity" and his tremendous hunger, his drive and work ethic. I admired those qualities immensely. Of course, Arnold's story inspired everybody in our sport, I think.
Q.) What made you decide you wanted to step o
nstage for the first time?
A.) My best buddy and training partner, Derik Farnsworth, IFBB Pro, trained at my gym back in Massachusetts. He had competed as a teen and was working with one of our mutual friends at the time, who was guiding him to compete in an upcoming show. I was already two years into bodybuilding myself, and thought thatsomeday I'd be good enough to step on stage myself.
We were all around 19 at the time. Derik and our friend, Paul, encouraged me to enter an upcoming contest, teen division. I entered the teenage division, beat Paul, won my class, the overall and the "most-muscular" award. I came home with three trophies for one show! I was hooked!
Q.) At this point, your competitive career has spanned well over a decade, and you've established yourself as one of the most knowledgeable competitors in the industry. Looking back to that first contest, were you able to imagine yourself in the future becoming an IFBB Pro?
A.) That first contest was back in 1989! (Shh!Damn!) Honestly, no. From that first show, which I won, throughout my competitive career, spanning over 35 amateur shows, I always put my primary goal as beating the PETE of my last show.
Competitions for me were truly a battle against myself. Sure, I had dreams of turning pro one day, but let's be real, the IFBB Pro Division in the sport of Bodybuilding truly is the "elite class" of athletes in our sport. I never looked that far down the road in the early days of my competitive career.
It was not until the 2009 USA's when I placed 5th that my wife, herself an IFBB Pro, MerizaDeguzman-Ciccone, pointed out that there was not that much difference between me and the guys above me. With the right program, the right coaching, and ongoing commitment to the work, she said, "You could be pro, too, Pete."
Her faith in me and my physique reinvigorated my competitive passion.
Meriza said, "It's time to hire a coach, Pete." We both figured, if I could get to the top 5, I might just have the potential to do even better! I was lucky enough to hire HanyRambod as my coach for the 2010 USA Championships.
We worked so hard on my physique, and I achieved the best condition of my career to that date in 2010. One of the most memorable moments of my competitive career was that contest, the 2010 USA's. During prejudging, the judges pulled out just two athletes – Al Auguste and me. They took us through three rounds of comparisons, just the two of us (a rarity in bodybuilding these days, to compare just two athletes). It was thrilling to be compared to an athlete the quality of big Al! In the end, the show emcee announced that I had missed winning the class and earning my pro status by one point! It was really at that point, after pre-judging, 2010, when I thought to myself, "I might have the potential to do this!"
Q.) You recently earned your Pro Card at Masters Nationals, but prior to that, you'd been competing at the National level for a number of years. Did you ever doubt the possibility that you would be able to finally break through and achieve pro status?
A.) Honestly, I knew in my heart, based on my 2010 placing, that my physique had the capability of winning, I just had to be able to bring my absolute best package to the stage one more time. I've continued to improve each year, but I had not been able to match my 2010 condition to date. I knew that if I could bring a similar condition to the stage again, I'd be very competitive in any light heavyweight class at the national level.
I had a heart-to-heart conversation with Don Long, IFBB Pro, who I had recruited to do my prep for Masters this year. Don also believed in my physique enough to take me on. He said, "Pete, I firmly believe that if we're perfect, you've got a really good chance of winning." And the rest, as they say, is in the history books!
I also firmly believe that 
I've still got a lot of mileage left and a lot of room to improve my physique. Now, as a pro, I don't ever have to worry about squeezing into the 198lb light heavyweights again. I can go full throttle, grow a bit, and get everything fuller, rounder and bigger! This year, and this prep for my first pro show is going to be a ton of fun! We ain't seen the best PETE CICCONE by any means...not by a long shot!
Q.) The life of a bodybuilder requires a great deal of sacrifice, dedication, and consistency, and that can sometimes lead to imbalances in other areas of our lives. How are you able to manage and balance the duties of being a father, husband, prep coach, business owner, and bodybuilder?
A.) I'm very blessed, sincerely. I've got an amazing wife who works side by side with me, supporting, tolerating, and sharing this lifestyle. She's a Pro, of course, a two-time Olympia level competitor, and prep coach. Together, Meriza and I work as a team to keep our household foundation solid. From that solid base of operations, I am lucky enough to do what I ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO DO...share my passion for this amazing way of life, the bodybuilding lifestyle.
Some would say I work a lot! I like to think I am blessed enough to do what I love, every day of my life. And, best of all, I get to share it with the special people in my life – my clients, my training partners, and most of all, my wife. So, what some would call imbalance, I look at as extreme wealth! No, not financial wealth, but the blessing of being able to do and share what I love each and every day of my life!
Q.) Recently you and your wife launched a supplement line specifically formulated for female athletes. At times the supplement market appears to be saturated with supplements that rely on heavy marketing gimmicks, but often fall short on results. What makes these supplements different? Why did you decide to formulate products specifically for women?
A.) You know, Meriza really is the figurehead and inspir
ation for Sexy-Strong, Premier Sports Nutrition for Female Athletes. I have shared her journey from a successful regional NPC amateur all the way into the IFBB Pro ranks, and then to the Olympia stage. Her drive and effort, and her "push" have always been inspiring to me.
As we worked together over her career as a top level IFBB Pro, I observed several key areas where she, and many of the girls we coach, seem to have real nutritional NEEDS that can be addressed with a comprehensive nutritional supplement plan, in order for them to get the most out of their training and their physiques.
We created Sexy-Strong's Premier Sports Nutrition products exactly to answer the needs of the female athlete. And, we spent a tremendous amount of time and effort to get the products to taste great! Because you and I know that if it doesn't taste good, the ladies will likely go without it! We're very excited. Feedback on all of the products has been tremendous! We're slow-growing it, but we're very pleased that the athletes who have tried Sexy-Strong products seem to love them!
Q.) If someone would like to contact you with training inquires, what's the best way to reach you?
A.) Thank you! Yes, for serious training guidance, or contest prep coaching, I can be reached via email at [email protected] or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/pete.ciccone.9or through my website 619muscle.com.
For guys like Pete, bodybuilding is like water; it’s essential to who he is, and it has trickled down into the deepest depths of his person to nourish his love of the sport. Bodybuilding isn’t a part of Pete’s life, Pete is bodybuilding. And through his hard work and good fortune he’s been lucky enough to do what he loves day in and day out. Two decades into our iron journey, each of us can only hope to be so lucky.
Subscribe to RxMuscle on Youtube
