Axe & Sledge Athlete, Bodybuilder, Entrepreneur, Mass Monster, and Gym-Owner, Vincenzo “MASS” Masone, is looking to earn his Pro Card this year at the 2021 North American Championships.

Since the show is in Pittsburgh, Vincenzo had the opportunity to stop by the Axe & Sledge HQ to answer a few questions, film some content, and of course, get a lift in at Pump Town USA.

Keep reading to learn more about Vincenzo and see just what it takes to make a career out of bodybuilding!

MASS Stats

• Age: 28
• Height: 6’2”
• In-Season Weight: 270lbs
• Off-Season Weight: 310lbs
• Weight Class: Super Heavyweight Men's Bodybuilding

Question & Answer

Where are you from?

• I am from Port Jefferson, New York.

What got you interested in bodybuilding?

• Since I played a lot of contact sports growing up, mainly football, strength and size directly correlated with my advancement as an athlete.

• Although I lifted weights throughout high school and college, I actually became interested in bodybuilding after watching Pumping Iron, the famous docudrama about the early days of competitive bodybuilding.

• After watching that movie, when I was supposed to be studying, I dropped out of college the next day in pursuit of making a career out of bodybuilding and the rest is history.

When did you start training for bodybuilding and when was your first competition?

• I started weightlifting when I was about 14 years old, however I only started seriously training for bodybuilding when I was 19 years old. My very first competition was a year later, so I was 20 years old.

What’s the most difficult part of preparing for a bodybuilding competition?

• Although most would think that the diet and training are the most difficult part, in my opinion, maintaining quality relationships with my friends, family, and finance, is actually what I struggle with the most.

• Since bodybuilding is such a selfish sport, it can be difficult to keep relationships with others strong. However, I am beyond grateful for the support I receive from all of my friends, family, coach, finance, and sponsors.

What does your diet consist of? (in-season vs off-season)

• I eat pretty similar foods between my off-season and contest prep. However, I get one free meal pretty much every day during the off-season, whereas during contest-prep I hardly get any. My protein (~450-550 grams/day) usually stays the same amount between off-season and contest prep, but my carbs drop dramatically as I cut, whereas my fats stay the same or even increase. During the last few weeks of prep, I am basically on zero carbs, similar to a ketogenic diet.

• In terms of calories, I typically consume anywhere between 3,500 to 4,000 calories for a contest prep and during the off-season they can get as high as 6,000-7,000 calories. In order to reach that caloric target I incorporate a fair amount of cheat meals.

What’s your current training split?

• Day 1: Chest & Biceps
• Day 2: Back
• Day 3: Shoulders & Triceps
• Day 4: Legs
• Day 5: Off
• Repeat

What’s your favorite body part to train?

• Recently, I’ve really enjoyed training legs since they were a weak point for me and I was working hard to improve them for this competition season.

What's your favorite exercise for each body part? 

• Chest: Flat Dumbbell
• Back: Barbell Row
• Quads: Squats
• Hamstrings: Stiff-Legged Deadlift
• Calves: Seated Calf Raise
• Biceps: Preacher Curls
• Triceps: Skull-crusher (any kind)
• Abs: Crunches

What are your top three Axe & Sledge supplements?

• I love them all, but it’s hard to beat the MASS Stack, which consists of Hydraulic, Demo Day, and Seventh Gear.

What’s your top three American Made Nutrition supplements?

• My top three AMN supplements are Daily Cleanse, Omega-3, and Men’s Multivitamin.

What's your top two goals at the moment?

• In terms of bodybuilding, I want to earn a Pro Card this year (2021).
• In terms of business, I want to reach a total of 2,500 members for the gym.

What's' your go-to cheat meal?

• Since I am Italian, I enjoy pretty much any Italian food, but especially home cooked meals from my mom.

Do you have any hobbies outside of bodybuilding?

• I keep things pretty simple and relaxing outside of the gym. I really enjoy taking walks around my town with my dog and fiance, going to the beach, and vacationing.

If you could make any flavor of the Home Made Bar what would it be?

• A blueberry cobbler flavored Home Made Bar would be phenomenal, especially since my favorite Home Made powder flavor is blueberry muffin.

Why did you choose Axe & Sledge supplements?

• After leaving my previous supplement sponsor, I had a few different brands reach out to me, including Axe & Sledge. Although I had higher offers from other brands, I ultimately chose Axe & Sledge because of the people. Everyone in the company was very welcoming, friendly, and made me feel right at home every time I came to visit the HQ.

• Furthermore, Seth Feroce was a huge reason for me deciding to choose Axe & Sledge because he followed me on social media, interacted with me, and  personally reached out multiple times. You could tell that Axe & Sledge really cares about their athletes. Whereas other brand owners don’t put in that extra effort.

• After being an athlete for a few months now, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made. The support that Axe & Sledge provides is unreal and the products are incredible.

Where can people find you?

• Instagram: @vincezomasone & @south.shore.iron_npv
• South Shore Iron Website: https://npvfitnessandspa.com/