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Kerrith Bajjo
Is ‘The Apex Predator’ the Next 212 Superstar?
By Ron Harris
Some pro bodybuilders vault to the highest levels of the sport straight out of the gate in their rookie year, while others are more like “slow cookers.” I’d put two-time 212 Olympia champion Shaun Clarida into that latter category. He placed out of the top 10 in his first two shows in 2014. It took him five tries to win the New York Pro, and six tries to win the Olympia after failing to place in the top 10 in his first two attempts. Connecticut’s Kerrith Bajjo is also a man who is warming up to greatness. He turned pro in 2017 as a Master, which rarely leads to success as a professional. It wasn’t until his fourth pro season that he finally scored his first win in Tampa, and since then he’s been on a steady climb. Bajjo has not only size and shape in his favor, but gnarly, nasty, grainy condition with striations and veins covering every inch of his flesh. He’s been in the top 10 at both 212 Olympia events he’s contested, and I genuinely believe he has the potential to win that title. I spoke with him as he was preparing for his third run at the New York Pro 212 title, which I would be more than willing to wager he will win.
One thing you had told me that really surprised me was that you are still not at the 212 weight cap. You won the Texas Pro last August at 198 pounds and were 202 at the Olympia, meaning you still have room to grow.
I’m in prep for the New York Pro as we speak. The weight still doesn’t come off easily, but I will be closer to 212 this time. I did put on a significant amount of muscle since December.
That’s impressive because you’re 41 years old. That’s not old for a bodybuilder anymore, but few are still making new gains after 40. They are maintaining and refining what they already built in their younger years.
My situation is different because I got a late start in bodybuilding. I have been weight training for a longer time, but I only started training religiously like a bodybuilder nine years ago at age 32. My first routine was taken from the Internet, and I copied Arnold’s exact routine. I got in insane shape as a natural athlete, and soon I learned how to eat more for size. It wasn’t too different from how I was already eating, just more of it. My body was primed and ready. I like to think that I had maximized my human potential before I even got into bodybuilding.
What did get you into bodybuilding? I know you were a very decent track athlete in school.
Ever since I started flirting with gym memberships at 17, people were telling me to look into it. At a gym called Body Fit, I met a legendary natural bodybuilder named Morris “Mo” Mendez. He had won six Mr. Universe titles and had been in tons of magazines. I had seen him and wondered, who is this jacked dude that comes in with a different hot girl every week? Mo told me I had great potential and should compete. I wasn’t interested in getting up onstage in little trunks and posing. It was only long after competitive sports had been over for years that I reconsidered. My first contest was in summer of 2014, a four-week prep by Chris Tuttle.
You have a history with the New York Pro, as you’ve done it twice before, taking eighth in 2018 and then third in 2019. There was almost a riot that time because Eduardo Correa was making a comeback and looked fantastic, but the win went to Ahmad Ashkanini from Kuwait. There were more than a few Brazilians in attendance, and they were pissed.
I felt I should have been second place. I still had my gyno, so I get it, that’s a thing they can score you down for. But in terms of size, shape, symmetry, and condition, I think I had Ahmad beat dead to rights. It is what it is.
You have to qualify somewhere for the 2023 Olympia and there are plenty of shows to choose from. Can I assume you picked the New York Pro because you have unfinished business there?
I live on the Connecticut/New York border, and Teaneck, New York is only a 45-minute drive. The Night of Champions was a very prestigious contest for decades, and the New York Pro is an evolution of that event. There’s a legacy aspect to it. Winning it is a big deal. Juan Morel used to refer to it as “our Olympia,” which is how a lot of Northeast bodybuilders view the New York Pro. I love the crowds in places like Texas, Atlanta, and Tampa that I’ve competed in, but there’s nothing like a New York/New Jersey audience. There’s a gritty rawness about that part of the country.
I know the Arnold Classic is old news now, but as a 212 pro and someone who has competed against Shaun Clarida several times, how exciting was it to see him place fifth and come within a few points of beating two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy, a guy with 120 pounds on him?
I love Ramy, but I’m always gonna stick up for the little guy. I wanted him to go out there and obliterate all opposition. Still, fifth place in the Open at the second-biggest show in the world is very impressive. He more than held his own, and I think he even beat the whole lineup in a couple of poses. It sent a message that 212 guys are here to stay, and we can get in the ring with anybody. I had actually applied to be in that Arnold but never heard back.
Do you want to do an Open show?
That is going to happen, and probably this year. I would sneak into a smaller Open show, maybe Puerto Rico.
Would you show up looking the same way you usually do, or would you intentionally try to come in bigger and fuller?
I always think I look way better the day or two after a contest, much fuller and with very minimal loss in conditioning. I do notice when I add that much weight that fast, I do lose posing endurance. It’s not like I would try to come in 20 pounds heavier, but maybe 5 to 6 pounds up from what I normally compete at.
Congratulations on joining the Redcon1 team! Great decision on their part. How did that happen?
Jaclyn Caracappa is a Wellness competitor who trains at Bev and Steve’s gym, and she’s a Tier Operator for Redcon1. She was a fan of mine and we became friends, and it was her who let them know about me. Eduardo, Ryan, and Matt were taking a look at me while Aaron was still away. Then Aaron got out, and the rest is history. Thank God. They really look out for me and validate my efforts. I’ve used their products for a while. Total War® has been my go-to pre-workout formula for at least three years now.
Any Redcon1 products you just started using that you like?
Yes, Big Noise®, the non-stim pre-workout formula for a crazy pump. I combine that with Total War® and it’s just insane.
Have you tried the new Total War® Black Ops, which seems like a nuclear version of the product?
It’s so powerful that I save it for those days when I don’t think I have it in me. It’s 400 milligrams of caffeine per serving. It delivers more focus and energy than any other pre-workout that I’ve ever tried. I caution people not to take if past early afternoon or you might have trouble sleeping. Unless of course you take their Sleep Gummies!
I am happy to see Redcon1 bringing back more top competitors. I love Kai Greene, but I seriously doubt we will ever see him onstage again.
I saw him not long ago at the Redcon1 Gym in Boca Raton, and he absolutely could get up there. He had a sleeveless hoodie on, and I asked him if he realized his quads were popping out of his shoulders. People have thrown his name around as a possibility for the Masters Mr. Olympia, but he would still do very well in the Mr. Olympia. Easily top five in the world.
They dropped the age for the Masters Mr. Olympia from 45 to 40, so you could do it now. Would you?
Not yet. I did entertain the idea for a minute, but I still have something to prove to myself. I believe I can win the 212 Olympia. There’s no doubt in my mind that if I put it all together, I can own that title. Until I’ve given everything to that, I won’t set foot on the Masters Olympia stage.
I’d like to really switch gears and get into something all of us can relate to, which is relationships. There have been champions like Shawn Ray who intentionally stayed out of any serious relationships until he was retired from competing, while others like Lee Haney won all their titles as married men. Some say women are a distraction from reaching your goals in the sport, others feel they can be an integral part of your success. What’s your best advice to the young men out there struggling with that choice? I ask because I know your wife Lori is a critical component of your career.
Number one, if you’re not already in a relationship before you start doing this bodybuilding thing, don’t start one. If you’re in a relationship, you need to explain to your partner that you are embarking on this journey, and you want her to be part of it. Luckily when Lori and I met, we were already both NPC competitors. We actually met at a contest. While she doesn’t actively compete now, she’s very involved in all aspects of my bodybuilding career. You need to find someone who’s on the same page as you. Otherwise, it won’t work out. Lori is with me through the wins and the losses. On those days I don’t feel like training, she nudges me and says hey, you’ve got to go to work. If you don’t have someone like that from the get-go, it’s going to be very difficult to make it work once you’re already in progress toward your goals.
I haven’t seen many relationships that work when one person is the dedicated bodybuilder and the other lives the life of a regular person. They just wouldn’t understand why you need to train and eat so much, and it would get on their nerves eventually and that’s when the nagging and arguments begin.
I’ve seen some of my bodybuilding friends in that situation, and they always broke up eventually. I tried to warn them all at the start that very few women would be ready to be with a man who lives our lifestyle. It’s completely foreign to them, like trying to put a left shoe on a right foot. You might manage to get it on the foot, but go try to walk in it. Or try to run. I guarantee you will trip and fall, or in the case of our discussion, the relationship will fail.
You also want someone who will support your goals in general, not get jealous or belittle them.
Cortisol is the enemy of bodybuilding, whether you’re trying to gain muscle or lose fat. You want to keep stress out of your life as much as possible. I think most men would agree that a bad relationship creates a very stressful home environment. I am very lucky and grateful for Lori, because she really “gets it” and wants me to succeed even more than I do. She gets more emotional when I win than I do, and also more emotional when I lose.
Thanks for Bodybuilding Relationship Advice 101 from Kerrith! But seriously, I truly believe 2023 is going to be a critical year for you, one in which you level up and will be considered one of the very top 212 men in the world.
Thanks, and I am going to prove you right. I’m working harder than ever to make it happen.
Instagram @kerrith_bajjo
YouTube: Kerrith Bajjo
Contest History
2015 NPC Atlantic States - Second Place, Light Heavyweight
2016 NPC Universe - Fifth Place, Light Heavyweight
2017 NPC Universe - Over 35 and Overall Champion
2018 New York Pro - Eighth Place, 212
2018 Tampa Pro - Fourth Place, 212
2019 New York Pro - Third Place, 212
2021 Chicago Pro - Third Place, 212
2021 Tampa Pro - 212 Winner
2021 212 Olympia - Eighth Place
2022 Tampa Pro - Second Place, 212
2022 Texas Pro - 212 Winner
2022 212 Olympia - Seventh Place
Kerrith Bajjo’s Redcon1 Stack
TOTAL WAR® Pre-workout
MRE LITE® Whole-food Protein
BIG NOISE®Non-stim Pre-workout
Use Redcon1 discount code APEX20 at redcon1.com
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. Facebook Instagram
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Kerrith Bajjo
Is ‘The Apex Predator’ the Next 212 Superstar?
By Ron Harris
Some pro bodybuilders vault to the highest levels of the sport straight out of the gate in their rookie year, while others are more like “slow cookers.” I’d put two-time 212 Olympia champion Shaun Clarida into that latter category. He placed out of the top 10 in his first two shows in 2014. It took him five tries to win the New York Pro, and six tries to win the Olympia after failing to place in the top 10 in his first two attempts. Connecticut’s Kerrith Bajjo is also a man who is warming up to greatness. He turned pro in 2017 as a Master, which rarely leads to success as a professional. It wasn’t until his fourth pro season that he finally scored his first win in Tampa, and since then he’s been on a steady climb. Bajjo has not only size and shape in his favor, but gnarly, nasty, grainy condition with striations and veins covering every inch of his flesh. He’s been in the top 10 at both 212 Olympia events he’s contested, and I genuinely believe he has the potential to win that title. I spoke with him as he was preparing for his third run at the New York Pro 212 title, which I would be more than willing to wager he will win.
One thing you had told me that really surprised me was that you are still not at the 212 weight cap. You won the Texas Pro last August at 198 pounds and were 202 at the Olympia, meaning you still have room to grow.
I’m in prep for the New York Pro as we speak. The weight still doesn’t come off easily, but I will be closer to 212 this time. I did put on a significant amount of muscle since December.
That’s impressive because you’re 41 years old. That’s not old for a bodybuilder anymore, but few are still making new gains after 40. They are maintaining and refining what they already built in their younger years.
My situation is different because I got a late start in bodybuilding. I have been weight training for a longer time, but I only started training religiously like a bodybuilder nine years ago at age 32. My first routine was taken from the Internet, and I copied Arnold’s exact routine. I got in insane shape as a natural athlete, and soon I learned how to eat more for size. It wasn’t too different from how I was already eating, just more of it. My body was primed and ready. I like to think that I had maximized my human potential before I even got into bodybuilding.
What did get you into bodybuilding? I know you were a very decent track athlete in school.
Ever since I started flirting with gym memberships at 17, people were telling me to look into it. At a gym called Body Fit, I met a legendary natural bodybuilder named Morris “Mo” Mendez. He had won six Mr. Universe titles and had been in tons of magazines. I had seen him and wondered, who is this jacked dude that comes in with a different hot girl every week? Mo told me I had great potential and should compete. I wasn’t interested in getting up onstage in little trunks and posing. It was only long after competitive sports had been over for years that I reconsidered. My first contest was in summer of 2014, a four-week prep by Chris Tuttle.
You have a history with the New York Pro, as you’ve done it twice before, taking eighth in 2018 and then third in 2019. There was almost a riot that time because Eduardo Correa was making a comeback and looked fantastic, but the win went to Ahmad Ashkanini from Kuwait. There were more than a few Brazilians in attendance, and they were pissed.
I felt I should have been second place. I still had my gyno, so I get it, that’s a thing they can score you down for. But in terms of size, shape, symmetry, and condition, I think I had Ahmad beat dead to rights. It is what it is.
You have to qualify somewhere for the 2023 Olympia and there are plenty of shows to choose from. Can I assume you picked the New York Pro because you have unfinished business there?
I live on the Connecticut/New York border, and Teaneck, New York is only a 45-minute drive. The Night of Champions was a very prestigious contest for decades, and the New York Pro is an evolution of that event. There’s a legacy aspect to it. Winning it is a big deal. Juan Morel used to refer to it as “our Olympia,” which is how a lot of Northeast bodybuilders view the New York Pro. I love the crowds in places like Texas, Atlanta, and Tampa that I’ve competed in, but there’s nothing like a New York/New Jersey audience. There’s a gritty rawness about that part of the country.
I know the Arnold Classic is old news now, but as a 212 pro and someone who has competed against Shaun Clarida several times, how exciting was it to see him place fifth and come within a few points of beating two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy, a guy with 120 pounds on him?
I love Ramy, but I’m always gonna stick up for the little guy. I wanted him to go out there and obliterate all opposition. Still, fifth place in the Open at the second-biggest show in the world is very impressive. He more than held his own, and I think he even beat the whole lineup in a couple of poses. It sent a message that 212 guys are here to stay, and we can get in the ring with anybody. I had actually applied to be in that Arnold but never heard back.
Do you want to do an Open show?
That is going to happen, and probably this year. I would sneak into a smaller Open show, maybe Puerto Rico.
Would you show up looking the same way you usually do, or would you intentionally try to come in bigger and fuller?
I always think I look way better the day or two after a contest, much fuller and with very minimal loss in conditioning. I do notice when I add that much weight that fast, I do lose posing endurance. It’s not like I would try to come in 20 pounds heavier, but maybe 5 to 6 pounds up from what I normally compete at.
Congratulations on joining the Redcon1 team! Great decision on their part. How did that happen?
Jaclyn Caracappa is a Wellness competitor who trains at Bev and Steve’s gym, and she’s a Tier Operator for Redcon1. She was a fan of mine and we became friends, and it was her who let them know about me. Eduardo, Ryan, and Matt were taking a look at me while Aaron was still away. Then Aaron got out, and the rest is history. Thank God. They really look out for me and validate my efforts. I’ve used their products for a while. Total War® has been my go-to pre-workout formula for at least three years now.
Any Redcon1 products you just started using that you like?
Yes, Big Noise®, the non-stim pre-workout formula for a crazy pump. I combine that with Total War® and it’s just insane.
Have you tried the new Total War® Black Ops, which seems like a nuclear version of the product?
It’s so powerful that I save it for those days when I don’t think I have it in me. It’s 400 milligrams of caffeine per serving. It delivers more focus and energy than any other pre-workout that I’ve ever tried. I caution people not to take if past early afternoon or you might have trouble sleeping. Unless of course you take their Sleep Gummies!
I am happy to see Redcon1 bringing back more top competitors. I love Kai Greene, but I seriously doubt we will ever see him onstage again.
I saw him not long ago at the Redcon1 Gym in Boca Raton, and he absolutely could get up there. He had a sleeveless hoodie on, and I asked him if he realized his quads were popping out of his shoulders. People have thrown his name around as a possibility for the Masters Mr. Olympia, but he would still do very well in the Mr. Olympia. Easily top five in the world.
They dropped the age for the Masters Mr. Olympia from 45 to 40, so you could do it now. Would you?
Not yet. I did entertain the idea for a minute, but I still have something to prove to myself. I believe I can win the 212 Olympia. There’s no doubt in my mind that if I put it all together, I can own that title. Until I’ve given everything to that, I won’t set foot on the Masters Olympia stage.
I’d like to really switch gears and get into something all of us can relate to, which is relationships. There have been champions like Shawn Ray who intentionally stayed out of any serious relationships until he was retired from competing, while others like Lee Haney won all their titles as married men. Some say women are a distraction from reaching your goals in the sport, others feel they can be an integral part of your success. What’s your best advice to the young men out there struggling with that choice? I ask because I know your wife Lori is a critical component of your career.
Number one, if you’re not already in a relationship before you start doing this bodybuilding thing, don’t start one. If you’re in a relationship, you need to explain to your partner that you are embarking on this journey, and you want her to be part of it. Luckily when Lori and I met, we were already both NPC competitors. We actually met at a contest. While she doesn’t actively compete now, she’s very involved in all aspects of my bodybuilding career. You need to find someone who’s on the same page as you. Otherwise, it won’t work out. Lori is with me through the wins and the losses. On those days I don’t feel like training, she nudges me and says hey, you’ve got to go to work. If you don’t have someone like that from the get-go, it’s going to be very difficult to make it work once you’re already in progress toward your goals.
I haven’t seen many relationships that work when one person is the dedicated bodybuilder and the other lives the life of a regular person. They just wouldn’t understand why you need to train and eat so much, and it would get on their nerves eventually and that’s when the nagging and arguments begin.
I’ve seen some of my bodybuilding friends in that situation, and they always broke up eventually. I tried to warn them all at the start that very few women would be ready to be with a man who lives our lifestyle. It’s completely foreign to them, like trying to put a left shoe on a right foot. You might manage to get it on the foot, but go try to walk in it. Or try to run. I guarantee you will trip and fall, or in the case of our discussion, the relationship will fail.
You also want someone who will support your goals in general, not get jealous or belittle them.
Cortisol is the enemy of bodybuilding, whether you’re trying to gain muscle or lose fat. You want to keep stress out of your life as much as possible. I think most men would agree that a bad relationship creates a very stressful home environment. I am very lucky and grateful for Lori, because she really “gets it” and wants me to succeed even more than I do. She gets more emotional when I win than I do, and also more emotional when I lose.
Thanks for Bodybuilding Relationship Advice 101 from Kerrith! But seriously, I truly believe 2023 is going to be a critical year for you, one in which you level up and will be considered one of the very top 212 men in the world.
Thanks, and I am going to prove you right. I’m working harder than ever to make it happen.
Instagram @kerrith_bajjo
YouTube: Kerrith Bajjo
Contest History
2015 NPC Atlantic States - Second Place, Light Heavyweight
2016 NPC Universe - Fifth Place, Light Heavyweight
2017 NPC Universe - Over 35 and Overall Champion
2018 New York Pro - Eighth Place, 212
2018 Tampa Pro - Fourth Place, 212
2019 New York Pro - Third Place, 212
2021 Chicago Pro - Third Place, 212
2021 Tampa Pro - 212 Winner
2021 212 Olympia - Eighth Place
2022 Tampa Pro - Second Place, 212
2022 Texas Pro - 212 Winner
2022 212 Olympia - Seventh Place
Kerrith Bajjo’s Redcon1 Stack
TOTAL WAR® Pre-workout
MRE LITE® Whole-food Protein
BIG NOISE®Non-stim Pre-workout
Use Redcon1 discount code APEX20 at redcon1.com
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. Facebook Instagram
DISCUSS ON OUR FORUMS
SUBSCRIBE TO MD TODAY
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VISIT OUR STORE
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
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Click here to view the article.
Is ‘The Apex Predator’ the Next 212 Superstar?
By Ron Harris
Some pro bodybuilders vault to the highest levels of the sport straight out of the gate in their rookie year, while others are more like “slow cookers.” I’d put two-time 212 Olympia champion Shaun Clarida into that latter category. He placed out of the top 10 in his first two shows in 2014. It took him five tries to win the New York Pro, and six tries to win the Olympia after failing to place in the top 10 in his first two attempts. Connecticut’s Kerrith Bajjo is also a man who is warming up to greatness. He turned pro in 2017 as a Master, which rarely leads to success as a professional. It wasn’t until his fourth pro season that he finally scored his first win in Tampa, and since then he’s been on a steady climb. Bajjo has not only size and shape in his favor, but gnarly, nasty, grainy condition with striations and veins covering every inch of his flesh. He’s been in the top 10 at both 212 Olympia events he’s contested, and I genuinely believe he has the potential to win that title. I spoke with him as he was preparing for his third run at the New York Pro 212 title, which I would be more than willing to wager he will win.
One thing you had told me that really surprised me was that you are still not at the 212 weight cap. You won the Texas Pro last August at 198 pounds and were 202 at the Olympia, meaning you still have room to grow.
I’m in prep for the New York Pro as we speak. The weight still doesn’t come off easily, but I will be closer to 212 this time. I did put on a significant amount of muscle since December.
That’s impressive because you’re 41 years old. That’s not old for a bodybuilder anymore, but few are still making new gains after 40. They are maintaining and refining what they already built in their younger years.
My situation is different because I got a late start in bodybuilding. I have been weight training for a longer time, but I only started training religiously like a bodybuilder nine years ago at age 32. My first routine was taken from the Internet, and I copied Arnold’s exact routine. I got in insane shape as a natural athlete, and soon I learned how to eat more for size. It wasn’t too different from how I was already eating, just more of it. My body was primed and ready. I like to think that I had maximized my human potential before I even got into bodybuilding.
What did get you into bodybuilding? I know you were a very decent track athlete in school.
Ever since I started flirting with gym memberships at 17, people were telling me to look into it. At a gym called Body Fit, I met a legendary natural bodybuilder named Morris “Mo” Mendez. He had won six Mr. Universe titles and had been in tons of magazines. I had seen him and wondered, who is this jacked dude that comes in with a different hot girl every week? Mo told me I had great potential and should compete. I wasn’t interested in getting up onstage in little trunks and posing. It was only long after competitive sports had been over for years that I reconsidered. My first contest was in summer of 2014, a four-week prep by Chris Tuttle.
You have a history with the New York Pro, as you’ve done it twice before, taking eighth in 2018 and then third in 2019. There was almost a riot that time because Eduardo Correa was making a comeback and looked fantastic, but the win went to Ahmad Ashkanini from Kuwait. There were more than a few Brazilians in attendance, and they were pissed.
I felt I should have been second place. I still had my gyno, so I get it, that’s a thing they can score you down for. But in terms of size, shape, symmetry, and condition, I think I had Ahmad beat dead to rights. It is what it is.
You have to qualify somewhere for the 2023 Olympia and there are plenty of shows to choose from. Can I assume you picked the New York Pro because you have unfinished business there?
I live on the Connecticut/New York border, and Teaneck, New York is only a 45-minute drive. The Night of Champions was a very prestigious contest for decades, and the New York Pro is an evolution of that event. There’s a legacy aspect to it. Winning it is a big deal. Juan Morel used to refer to it as “our Olympia,” which is how a lot of Northeast bodybuilders view the New York Pro. I love the crowds in places like Texas, Atlanta, and Tampa that I’ve competed in, but there’s nothing like a New York/New Jersey audience. There’s a gritty rawness about that part of the country.
I know the Arnold Classic is old news now, but as a 212 pro and someone who has competed against Shaun Clarida several times, how exciting was it to see him place fifth and come within a few points of beating two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy, a guy with 120 pounds on him?
I love Ramy, but I’m always gonna stick up for the little guy. I wanted him to go out there and obliterate all opposition. Still, fifth place in the Open at the second-biggest show in the world is very impressive. He more than held his own, and I think he even beat the whole lineup in a couple of poses. It sent a message that 212 guys are here to stay, and we can get in the ring with anybody. I had actually applied to be in that Arnold but never heard back.
Do you want to do an Open show?
That is going to happen, and probably this year. I would sneak into a smaller Open show, maybe Puerto Rico.
Would you show up looking the same way you usually do, or would you intentionally try to come in bigger and fuller?
I always think I look way better the day or two after a contest, much fuller and with very minimal loss in conditioning. I do notice when I add that much weight that fast, I do lose posing endurance. It’s not like I would try to come in 20 pounds heavier, but maybe 5 to 6 pounds up from what I normally compete at.
Congratulations on joining the Redcon1 team! Great decision on their part. How did that happen?
Jaclyn Caracappa is a Wellness competitor who trains at Bev and Steve’s gym, and she’s a Tier Operator for Redcon1. She was a fan of mine and we became friends, and it was her who let them know about me. Eduardo, Ryan, and Matt were taking a look at me while Aaron was still away. Then Aaron got out, and the rest is history. Thank God. They really look out for me and validate my efforts. I’ve used their products for a while. Total War® has been my go-to pre-workout formula for at least three years now.
Any Redcon1 products you just started using that you like?
Yes, Big Noise®, the non-stim pre-workout formula for a crazy pump. I combine that with Total War® and it’s just insane.
Have you tried the new Total War® Black Ops, which seems like a nuclear version of the product?
It’s so powerful that I save it for those days when I don’t think I have it in me. It’s 400 milligrams of caffeine per serving. It delivers more focus and energy than any other pre-workout that I’ve ever tried. I caution people not to take if past early afternoon or you might have trouble sleeping. Unless of course you take their Sleep Gummies!
I am happy to see Redcon1 bringing back more top competitors. I love Kai Greene, but I seriously doubt we will ever see him onstage again.
I saw him not long ago at the Redcon1 Gym in Boca Raton, and he absolutely could get up there. He had a sleeveless hoodie on, and I asked him if he realized his quads were popping out of his shoulders. People have thrown his name around as a possibility for the Masters Mr. Olympia, but he would still do very well in the Mr. Olympia. Easily top five in the world.
They dropped the age for the Masters Mr. Olympia from 45 to 40, so you could do it now. Would you?
Not yet. I did entertain the idea for a minute, but I still have something to prove to myself. I believe I can win the 212 Olympia. There’s no doubt in my mind that if I put it all together, I can own that title. Until I’ve given everything to that, I won’t set foot on the Masters Olympia stage.
I’d like to really switch gears and get into something all of us can relate to, which is relationships. There have been champions like Shawn Ray who intentionally stayed out of any serious relationships until he was retired from competing, while others like Lee Haney won all their titles as married men. Some say women are a distraction from reaching your goals in the sport, others feel they can be an integral part of your success. What’s your best advice to the young men out there struggling with that choice? I ask because I know your wife Lori is a critical component of your career.
Number one, if you’re not already in a relationship before you start doing this bodybuilding thing, don’t start one. If you’re in a relationship, you need to explain to your partner that you are embarking on this journey, and you want her to be part of it. Luckily when Lori and I met, we were already both NPC competitors. We actually met at a contest. While she doesn’t actively compete now, she’s very involved in all aspects of my bodybuilding career. You need to find someone who’s on the same page as you. Otherwise, it won’t work out. Lori is with me through the wins and the losses. On those days I don’t feel like training, she nudges me and says hey, you’ve got to go to work. If you don’t have someone like that from the get-go, it’s going to be very difficult to make it work once you’re already in progress toward your goals.
I haven’t seen many relationships that work when one person is the dedicated bodybuilder and the other lives the life of a regular person. They just wouldn’t understand why you need to train and eat so much, and it would get on their nerves eventually and that’s when the nagging and arguments begin.
I’ve seen some of my bodybuilding friends in that situation, and they always broke up eventually. I tried to warn them all at the start that very few women would be ready to be with a man who lives our lifestyle. It’s completely foreign to them, like trying to put a left shoe on a right foot. You might manage to get it on the foot, but go try to walk in it. Or try to run. I guarantee you will trip and fall, or in the case of our discussion, the relationship will fail.
You also want someone who will support your goals in general, not get jealous or belittle them.
Cortisol is the enemy of bodybuilding, whether you’re trying to gain muscle or lose fat. You want to keep stress out of your life as much as possible. I think most men would agree that a bad relationship creates a very stressful home environment. I am very lucky and grateful for Lori, because she really “gets it” and wants me to succeed even more than I do. She gets more emotional when I win than I do, and also more emotional when I lose.
Thanks for Bodybuilding Relationship Advice 101 from Kerrith! But seriously, I truly believe 2023 is going to be a critical year for you, one in which you level up and will be considered one of the very top 212 men in the world.
Thanks, and I am going to prove you right. I’m working harder than ever to make it happen.
Instagram @kerrith_bajjo
YouTube: Kerrith Bajjo
Contest History
2015 NPC Atlantic States - Second Place, Light Heavyweight
2016 NPC Universe - Fifth Place, Light Heavyweight
2017 NPC Universe - Over 35 and Overall Champion
2018 New York Pro - Eighth Place, 212
2018 Tampa Pro - Fourth Place, 212
2019 New York Pro - Third Place, 212
2021 Chicago Pro - Third Place, 212
2021 Tampa Pro - 212 Winner
2021 212 Olympia - Eighth Place
2022 Tampa Pro - Second Place, 212
2022 Texas Pro - 212 Winner
2022 212 Olympia - Seventh Place
Kerrith Bajjo’s Redcon1 Stack
TOTAL WAR® Pre-workout
MRE LITE® Whole-food Protein
BIG NOISE®Non-stim Pre-workout
Use Redcon1 discount code APEX20 at redcon1.com
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. Facebook Instagram
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Kerrith Bajjo
Is ‘The Apex Predator’ the Next 212 Superstar?
By Ron Harris
Some pro bodybuilders vault to the highest levels of the sport straight out of the gate in their rookie year, while others are more like “slow cookers.” I’d put two-time 212 Olympia champion Shaun Clarida into that latter category. He placed out of the top 10 in his first two shows in 2014. It took him five tries to win the New York Pro, and six tries to win the Olympia after failing to place in the top 10 in his first two attempts. Connecticut’s Kerrith Bajjo is also a man who is warming up to greatness. He turned pro in 2017 as a Master, which rarely leads to success as a professional. It wasn’t until his fourth pro season that he finally scored his first win in Tampa, and since then he’s been on a steady climb. Bajjo has not only size and shape in his favor, but gnarly, nasty, grainy condition with striations and veins covering every inch of his flesh. He’s been in the top 10 at both 212 Olympia events he’s contested, and I genuinely believe he has the potential to win that title. I spoke with him as he was preparing for his third run at the New York Pro 212 title, which I would be more than willing to wager he will win.
One thing you had told me that really surprised me was that you are still not at the 212 weight cap. You won the Texas Pro last August at 198 pounds and were 202 at the Olympia, meaning you still have room to grow.
I’m in prep for the New York Pro as we speak. The weight still doesn’t come off easily, but I will be closer to 212 this time. I did put on a significant amount of muscle since December.
That’s impressive because you’re 41 years old. That’s not old for a bodybuilder anymore, but few are still making new gains after 40. They are maintaining and refining what they already built in their younger years.
My situation is different because I got a late start in bodybuilding. I have been weight training for a longer time, but I only started training religiously like a bodybuilder nine years ago at age 32. My first routine was taken from the Internet, and I copied Arnold’s exact routine. I got in insane shape as a natural athlete, and soon I learned how to eat more for size. It wasn’t too different from how I was already eating, just more of it. My body was primed and ready. I like to think that I had maximized my human potential before I even got into bodybuilding.
What did get you into bodybuilding? I know you were a very decent track athlete in school.
Ever since I started flirting with gym memberships at 17, people were telling me to look into it. At a gym called Body Fit, I met a legendary natural bodybuilder named Morris “Mo” Mendez. He had won six Mr. Universe titles and had been in tons of magazines. I had seen him and wondered, who is this jacked dude that comes in with a different hot girl every week? Mo told me I had great potential and should compete. I wasn’t interested in getting up onstage in little trunks and posing. It was only long after competitive sports had been over for years that I reconsidered. My first contest was in summer of 2014, a four-week prep by Chris Tuttle.
You have a history with the New York Pro, as you’ve done it twice before, taking eighth in 2018 and then third in 2019. There was almost a riot that time because Eduardo Correa was making a comeback and looked fantastic, but the win went to Ahmad Ashkanini from Kuwait. There were more than a few Brazilians in attendance, and they were pissed.
I felt I should have been second place. I still had my gyno, so I get it, that’s a thing they can score you down for. But in terms of size, shape, symmetry, and condition, I think I had Ahmad beat dead to rights. It is what it is.
You have to qualify somewhere for the 2023 Olympia and there are plenty of shows to choose from. Can I assume you picked the New York Pro because you have unfinished business there?
I live on the Connecticut/New York border, and Teaneck, New York is only a 45-minute drive. The Night of Champions was a very prestigious contest for decades, and the New York Pro is an evolution of that event. There’s a legacy aspect to it. Winning it is a big deal. Juan Morel used to refer to it as “our Olympia,” which is how a lot of Northeast bodybuilders view the New York Pro. I love the crowds in places like Texas, Atlanta, and Tampa that I’ve competed in, but there’s nothing like a New York/New Jersey audience. There’s a gritty rawness about that part of the country.
I know the Arnold Classic is old news now, but as a 212 pro and someone who has competed against Shaun Clarida several times, how exciting was it to see him place fifth and come within a few points of beating two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy, a guy with 120 pounds on him?
I love Ramy, but I’m always gonna stick up for the little guy. I wanted him to go out there and obliterate all opposition. Still, fifth place in the Open at the second-biggest show in the world is very impressive. He more than held his own, and I think he even beat the whole lineup in a couple of poses. It sent a message that 212 guys are here to stay, and we can get in the ring with anybody. I had actually applied to be in that Arnold but never heard back.
Do you want to do an Open show?
That is going to happen, and probably this year. I would sneak into a smaller Open show, maybe Puerto Rico.
Would you show up looking the same way you usually do, or would you intentionally try to come in bigger and fuller?
I always think I look way better the day or two after a contest, much fuller and with very minimal loss in conditioning. I do notice when I add that much weight that fast, I do lose posing endurance. It’s not like I would try to come in 20 pounds heavier, but maybe 5 to 6 pounds up from what I normally compete at.
Congratulations on joining the Redcon1 team! Great decision on their part. How did that happen?
Jaclyn Caracappa is a Wellness competitor who trains at Bev and Steve’s gym, and she’s a Tier Operator for Redcon1. She was a fan of mine and we became friends, and it was her who let them know about me. Eduardo, Ryan, and Matt were taking a look at me while Aaron was still away. Then Aaron got out, and the rest is history. Thank God. They really look out for me and validate my efforts. I’ve used their products for a while. Total War® has been my go-to pre-workout formula for at least three years now.
Any Redcon1 products you just started using that you like?
Yes, Big Noise®, the non-stim pre-workout formula for a crazy pump. I combine that with Total War® and it’s just insane.
Have you tried the new Total War® Black Ops, which seems like a nuclear version of the product?
It’s so powerful that I save it for those days when I don’t think I have it in me. It’s 400 milligrams of caffeine per serving. It delivers more focus and energy than any other pre-workout that I’ve ever tried. I caution people not to take if past early afternoon or you might have trouble sleeping. Unless of course you take their Sleep Gummies!
I am happy to see Redcon1 bringing back more top competitors. I love Kai Greene, but I seriously doubt we will ever see him onstage again.
I saw him not long ago at the Redcon1 Gym in Boca Raton, and he absolutely could get up there. He had a sleeveless hoodie on, and I asked him if he realized his quads were popping out of his shoulders. People have thrown his name around as a possibility for the Masters Mr. Olympia, but he would still do very well in the Mr. Olympia. Easily top five in the world.
They dropped the age for the Masters Mr. Olympia from 45 to 40, so you could do it now. Would you?
Not yet. I did entertain the idea for a minute, but I still have something to prove to myself. I believe I can win the 212 Olympia. There’s no doubt in my mind that if I put it all together, I can own that title. Until I’ve given everything to that, I won’t set foot on the Masters Olympia stage.
I’d like to really switch gears and get into something all of us can relate to, which is relationships. There have been champions like Shawn Ray who intentionally stayed out of any serious relationships until he was retired from competing, while others like Lee Haney won all their titles as married men. Some say women are a distraction from reaching your goals in the sport, others feel they can be an integral part of your success. What’s your best advice to the young men out there struggling with that choice? I ask because I know your wife Lori is a critical component of your career.
Number one, if you’re not already in a relationship before you start doing this bodybuilding thing, don’t start one. If you’re in a relationship, you need to explain to your partner that you are embarking on this journey, and you want her to be part of it. Luckily when Lori and I met, we were already both NPC competitors. We actually met at a contest. While she doesn’t actively compete now, she’s very involved in all aspects of my bodybuilding career. You need to find someone who’s on the same page as you. Otherwise, it won’t work out. Lori is with me through the wins and the losses. On those days I don’t feel like training, she nudges me and says hey, you’ve got to go to work. If you don’t have someone like that from the get-go, it’s going to be very difficult to make it work once you’re already in progress toward your goals.
I haven’t seen many relationships that work when one person is the dedicated bodybuilder and the other lives the life of a regular person. They just wouldn’t understand why you need to train and eat so much, and it would get on their nerves eventually and that’s when the nagging and arguments begin.
I’ve seen some of my bodybuilding friends in that situation, and they always broke up eventually. I tried to warn them all at the start that very few women would be ready to be with a man who lives our lifestyle. It’s completely foreign to them, like trying to put a left shoe on a right foot. You might manage to get it on the foot, but go try to walk in it. Or try to run. I guarantee you will trip and fall, or in the case of our discussion, the relationship will fail.
You also want someone who will support your goals in general, not get jealous or belittle them.
Cortisol is the enemy of bodybuilding, whether you’re trying to gain muscle or lose fat. You want to keep stress out of your life as much as possible. I think most men would agree that a bad relationship creates a very stressful home environment. I am very lucky and grateful for Lori, because she really “gets it” and wants me to succeed even more than I do. She gets more emotional when I win than I do, and also more emotional when I lose.
Thanks for Bodybuilding Relationship Advice 101 from Kerrith! But seriously, I truly believe 2023 is going to be a critical year for you, one in which you level up and will be considered one of the very top 212 men in the world.
Thanks, and I am going to prove you right. I’m working harder than ever to make it happen.
Instagram @kerrith_bajjo
YouTube: Kerrith Bajjo
Contest History
2015 NPC Atlantic States - Second Place, Light Heavyweight
2016 NPC Universe - Fifth Place, Light Heavyweight
2017 NPC Universe - Over 35 and Overall Champion
2018 New York Pro - Eighth Place, 212
2018 Tampa Pro - Fourth Place, 212
2019 New York Pro - Third Place, 212
2021 Chicago Pro - Third Place, 212
2021 Tampa Pro - 212 Winner
2021 212 Olympia - Eighth Place
2022 Tampa Pro - Second Place, 212
2022 Texas Pro - 212 Winner
2022 212 Olympia - Seventh Place
Kerrith Bajjo’s Redcon1 Stack
TOTAL WAR® Pre-workout
MRE LITE® Whole-food Protein
BIG NOISE®Non-stim Pre-workout
Use Redcon1 discount code APEX20 at redcon1.com
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. Facebook Instagram
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SUBSCRIBE TO MD TODAY
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VISIT OUR STORE
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