How's Anthony Pasquale?

[Poker face Ace]

Haven't heard any new on the guy but its very odd for someone to just drop his passion like that so fast. Makes no sense

[HTW]

Rip....

[BrickHead]

I think he might have realized hobbies are not worth dying for.

[Todd Lincoln]

He's a very interesting and eccentric person. Would be cool if Dave could hunt him down for an interview and see what he's up to these days.

[Timbo89]

Working with Hany Rambod last I heard. Doubt he'll ever compete again.

[Curt James]

Haven't heard any new on the guy but its very odd for someone to just drop his passion like that so fast. Makes no sense

How do you know it was fast? He walked away from the contest, but he may have had misgivings for a long time.

[Geoff Roberts]

Pretty sure I was the last person to interview him. I did the interview about a year ago while working or PBB. Here it is:

Geoff Roberts: Why did arguably the best amateur bodybuilder in the country disappear weeks before potentially winning his pro card?
Anthony Pasquale: Honestly, at the time I myself didn’t really know why. It wasn’t health or legal issues like people speculate; and it wasn’t fear of losing.
AP: 10 days out I “cheated” on my diet with a Quest Bar. The first time in my life I ever did such a thing, and at that moment I said I obviously don’t want to win bad enough. I hold myself to that standard. Anything but my ABSOLUTE best effort isn’t good enough. At least not for me.
GR: Did you cheat because you were having an extreme craving or for some other more in depth reason. Possibly self-sabotage due to not being 100% into the sport anymore?
AP: As for offering no explanation, I felt being honest and saying I don’t want to do the show was the best thing to do. I didn’t fake an injury or illness like most would. However, I felt offering an explanation would imply I sought approval for my decision, and I was quite secure in my decision.
It became clear to me after several months my decision was based on losing the love and passion for the process. I am not one of these guys who sprints to the mirror every day or loves smashing weights all day. I love the grind, but on a personal level.
GR: I think one of the main reasons people made such a big deal about it outside of the obvious fact that you are an amazing bodybuilder, is the similarity to Seth Feroce’s “disappearance” due to health reasons. I am glad to hear that was not the case with you.
AP: Seth and I have mutual friends, I know little of his situation, but I sense we were both fueled by our passion. When you lose that it’s hard to push the conditioning to that level someone like him or I can reach. If it was enjoyable more people would do it.
GR: Photos on Facebook show you looking huge and shredded still. How would you compare your training/eating/drugs now compared to when you were competing?
AP: I changed everything in 2014. I started working with Hany Rambod which pretty much no one will have known up till now. Comparing my physique from 2012 till now is quite comical. I would pulverize the previous versions of myself. Especially in the legs and back. If I had to put a weight on it, I would say about 12 pounds. A real 12 pounds, the kind you can easily see in pictures.
GR: Holy shit. That must look seriously impressive. How is Hany’s approach different than Dave Palumbo’s?
AP: In my time with Hany I would basically say Hany doesn’t have an approach. It’s based more on the individual at each phase. It changes as you change. The biggest difference I would say is Hany is all about making sure you are your biggest and best right before the show. No sooner.
With Dave I was big and would come down in weight, Hany I was an average 250 16 weeks out and stage ready at 240ish
GR: Did you have to resort to keto when you were with Dave?
AP: Dave and I did not utilize keto very much. For me it was not necessary.
GR: It sounds like you are doing everything a competitive bodybuilder would do, including getting into near stage ready condition despite not competing. Is that accurate?
AP: My conditioning 8 weeks out from the 2014 USA’s would’ve embarrassed everyone else in the super heavyweight class. I am just being honest. Of course that’s easy to say from the seat and not being on the stage, but I am objective. I had intentions of doing the show, and at 4 weeks out I decided I had no reason to do it. It doesn’t mean that much to me. Crazy? I don’t know, if your dreams when you are 23 are the same as when you’re 30, I think that’s crazy.
Bodybuilding is about BUILDING muscle and DIETING, problem is 99% of these guys don’t keep building and never really even diet. Of course it’s easy to get on stage when you’re fat and have 6 veins showing
GR: True. All the more reason you should go out and kick their asses. I told everyone on our board you would have made Trigili look small and fat in that super heavy class had you done the show. I think I was right.
AP: Honestly, I have no clue how I would compare to most of those guys. You never know till you stand next to people. I know I don’t have the shape some of these guys have, but shape only brings you so far. Hard work beats shape all the time, and hard work shows up on stage.
GR: Those lights are good at showing who worked hard and who did not, that’s for sure. How close are you following the sport today?
AP: Early in the year I was following the big shows. Last few months not really very close, I will surely watch the Olympia though. I enjoy seeing those guys go at it.
GR: Will we ever see Anthony Pasquale on stage again?
AP: Three months ago I would’ve said absolutely, as I sit here today I would say it is highly unlikely. However, I admit life does cause people to do crazy things. I suppose anything is possible. I truly wish I loved it like some of these guys. I guess we all wake up eventually and get tired of kicking the shit out of ourselves.
GR: I can certainly understand that. What about working in the industry? Would you be interested in a supplement deal that puts you in ads and requires you to show up at events, anything like that?
AP: I recently signed with a company, Black Ops Labs. They will be hitting the U.S. market sometime this fall. I’m fortunate to have signed with a company who sought my input for the products and does not require me to compete. I am there to educate.
GR: That is awesome news. Congratulations. Does that mean we will being seeing a little more of you now, here and there?
AP: I am quite a homebody BUT I think I will be at numerous expos in 2015. Interacting with fans is something I did enjoy and do miss.
GR: Cool. Hopefully we cross paths at one of those expos. Do you have any final words, shout outs, or message for the fans?
AP: Hmmmm….to my supporters, thanks. I don’t surf the forums but the few times I have its pretty awesome to see 95% of the things said about me are positive. My final words are to my fellow bodybuilders…be smart, be safe and listen to your body.

[Poker face Ace]

So he broke his diet once by eating a quest bar and said this sports not for him as he's 4 weeks away? C'mon AP, I know your stronger than that

[Geoff Roberts]

So he broke his diet once by eating a quest bar and said this sports not for him as he's 4 weeks away? C'mon AP, I know your stronger than that

It seems like he never really loved bodybuilding, he was just good at it. The quest bar was just the straw that broke the camels back I guess...

[Poker face Ace]

Kinda sucks as he was the favorite to win. Atleast he should of got his pro card and called it a day.

It seems like he never really loved bodybuilding, he was just good at it. The quest bar was just the straw that broke the camels back I guess...

[data4]

I dont know his whole story but I would imagine he was the guy with freaky potential so folks were pressuring him from all angles to compete. He probably landed in the sport by default of his genetics. No doubt a freak and could have gone as far as he wanted but he didnt want to clearly.

[Geoff Roberts]

Kinda sucks as he was the favorite to win. Atleast he should of got his pro card and called it a day.

I personally think that he would have smoked the USAs that year. He looked absolutely crazy.