The biography, life, and accomplishments of Peter Cichonski
Peter Cichonski is a Polish/French American International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA)/Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) natural bodybuilder born on July 17, 1962. Cichonski competes in the Men’s Bodybuilding Open, Masters, and Grand Masters categories. In addition, he’s a chiropractor, and he has a multi-media contract with Generation Iron and Iron Man Magazine.
At 2021 Natural Olympia, Cichonski won a bronze medal in the Men’s Bodybuilding Grand Masters class.
Below is a complete breakdown of Peter Cichonski’s profile, stats, biography, training, and diet regimen.
| Full Name: Peter Cichonski | ||
| Weight | Height | Date Of Birth |
| 160 lbs | 5’9″ | 7/17/1962 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Men’s Bodybuilding – Open, Masters, Grand Masters | 2010 | Polish/French American |
Biography
On July 17, 1962, Peter Cichonski was born in Gardner, Massachusetts. He started weightlifting at the age of 15 after getting involved in baseball and soccer. Cichonski was hit in the face playing baseball his senior year of high school, which shifted his focus on weightlifting.
A couple of years later, at age 19, Chichonski entered his first bodybuilding show – 1981 AAU Mr Massachusetts and again in 1982. Although both competitions weren’t drug tested, Peter Cichonski knew he wanted to compete in a drug-free organization. Cichonski met a crossroads where he had to choose between staying natural or becoming enhanced. For Cichonski, the answer was simple. He was only interested in nutrition, exercise, and his health. Therefore, he vowed to be a lifetime natural bodybuilder.
Peter Cichonski sees natural bodybuilders as more than a sport. But as a lifetime of building and refining his physique. Moreover, he sees competition as an artist. And every time he competes, he’s displaying his art gallery.
Peter Cichonski has been competing for decades. He has attended more than 50 competitions and was inducted into the PNBA Hall of Fame in 2019. In addition, he’s a writer/contributor for Iron Man Magazine and a podcaster.
Competition History
Below is a complete breakdown of Peter Cichonski’s competition history.
- 2021 PNBA Natural Olympia Pro GM – 3rd
- 2021 Mr America Pro Masters – 3rd
- 2021 PNBA Team USA Pro Masters – 2nd
- 2021 PNBA Wolfpack Classic Pro GM – 2nd
- 2020 PNBA Natural Olympia Pro GM – 2nd
- 2020 PNBA Team USA Pro GM
- Pro GM – 1st
- Pro Open – 2nd
- 2020 PNBA Muscle Beach
- Pro GM – 1st
- Pro Open – 2nd
- 2019 PNBA Natural Olympia Pro GM – 1st
- 2019 PNBA Natural Universe Pro GM – 1st
- 2019 PNBA Muscle Beach Pro GM – 1st
- 2019 PNBA Team USA Pro GM – 1st
- 2019 PNBA World championships Greece
- Pro Masters – 2nd
- Pro Open – 5th
- 2018 PNBA Natural Olympia Pro GM – 2nd
- 2018 PNBA World Cup Pro GM – 1st
- 2018 PNBA Team USA Pro GM – 1st
- 2017 PNBA Natural Olympia Pro GM – 2nd
- 2017 PNBA Team USA Pro GM – 1st
- 2017 OCB Cape Cod Open – Champion
- 2015 – INBA Natural Olympia
- Open – 3rd
- GM – 3rd
- 2015 INBA Team USA
- Open – 1st
- GM – 1st
- 2015 OCB Cape Cod Open – 5th
- 2014 INBA Natural Olympia
- Open – 3rd
- GM – 1st
- 2014 INBA Team USA
- Open – 2nd
- GM – 1st
- 2014 OCB Cape Cod open – 4th
- 2013 OCB Cape Cod Open – 3rd
- 2013 UNBA USA Muscle Classic Open – 1st
- 2013 UNBA Natural Universe Open – 2nd
- 2013 ANBF Natural California Open – 1st
- 2013 IFPA Pro Masters World Challenge – 9th
- 2012 IFPA Pro Masters World Challenge – 8th
- 2012 OCB Bay State – 3rd
- 2010 OCB Spirit of America – 1st
- 2010 INBA So. California – 2nd
- 2003 Musclemania World Championships – 6th
- 2002 ANBC Jr Nationals
- Open – 1st
- Masters – 1st
- 2001 INBA Iron Gladiator – 2nd
- 2001 ANBC Sin City – 2nd
- 1990 ANBC Natural California – 5th
- 1990 ANBC Natural Nevada – 1st
- 1988 NPC Natural Massachusetts – 4th
- 1988 ANBC natural Massachusetts – 4th
- 1987 ANBC Natural Rhode Island – 1st
- 1987 ANBC Berkshire Classic – 1st
- 1987 ANBC Natural Massachusetts – 2nd
- 1986 ANBC Natural New England – 3rd
- 1986 AAU Constitution State – 2nd
- 1985 AAU Constitution State – 5th
- 1985 AAU Tri-State – 2nd
- 1982 AAU Mr. Massachusetts – Participant
- 1981 AAU Bay State – Participant
Peter Cichonski’s Training
Peter Cichonski focuses heavily on recovery and builds his program around that. Therefore, he does a four-day split, training one body part once a week. Below is how a typical workout schedule looks for Cichonski.
Tuesday: Chest and Back
*Note: Apply blood flow restriction bands on dips and tricep dumbbell kickback.
Thursday: Biceps, Triceps, and Abs
- Close Grip Bench Press: 4 sets x 4-12 reps
- Standing Bicep Curl: 4 sets x 4-12 reps
- Dumbbell Hammer Curl (Concentration): 3 sets x 6-10 reps
- Lying Skull Crusher: 3 sets x 6-10 reps
- Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 3 sets x 30 with 20-second rest in between
- Tricep Kickback: 3 sets with 20-second rest in between.
- Ab Crunch: 2 sets x 100 reps
- Lying Elbow to Opposite Knee Bicycle Kick: 2 sets x 100 reps
- Hanging Knee Raise: 2 x 100 reps
*Note: Apply blood flow restriction bands on standing dumbbell hammer curl and tricep kickback.
Saturday: Shoulders and Calves
- Seated Shoulder Press: 6 sets x 3-20 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets x 6-12 reps
- Lying Rear Dealt Raise: 3 sets x 6-12 reps
- Seated Posterior Rotator Cuff: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets x 30 reps
- Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Standing Toe Raise (Tibialis Anterior): 3 sets x 30 reps
Sunday: Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes
- Squat: 7 sets x 2-10 reps (30 reps w/300+ pounds included in the workout)
- Slight Bent-knee Deadlift: 4 sets x 6-8 reps
- Hip Thrust: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Reverse Hamstring Curl: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Leg Extension with Blood Flow Restriction Bands: 3 sets of 30 reps with a 20-second rest
Favorite Workout
Cichonski’s favorite exercise is the barbell squat since he believes it’s one of the best movements for your body. Below you can see a clip of Cichonski squatting.
Peter Cichonski’s Nutrition
Peter Cichonski follows the same meal plan both in-season and off-season. Cichonski stated:
“I have developed a nutritional protocol that is essentially the same both in-season and off-season. I follow a nutritional template that includes a modified ketogenic plan with a carbohydrate backload and intermittent fasting.”
Meal Plan
- Meal #1: 2:30 – 3pm: ketogenic meal
- Meal #2: 8 – 8:30 pm: lean protein with low carbohydrates the night before a morning workout. A second ketogenic meal if I’m not working out the next day.
*Note: intermittent fast between 9 PM and 2:30 PM the following day
Cichonski said:
“When putting meals together I pick a protein source for each meal and pair it with either carbohydrate or fat but not both in the same meal.
For my ketogenic meals, I pick a fatty protein such as salmon, or pork and combine it with a fibrous vegetable such as Brussel sprouts, broccoli, or asparagus.
With a low fat protein such as chicken or turkey, I will pair it with a starchy carbohydrate such as rice or potatoes.
by doing so you can turn your body into a hybrid fuel burner. Since both fat and carbohydrates are primary sources of energy and the body takes precedent to burn carbohydrates since there is very little storage for them any fats added to the meal will likely be stored rather than used for energy.”
Supplements
Peter Cichonski takes supplements for muscle recovery, mind-muscle connection, gut health/immunity/inflammation, and mitochondrial efficiency. Cichonski says:
“Each cell in the human body requires 90 elements to function most efficiently (60 minerals and trace minerals, 16 vitamins, 12 essential amino acids, and 3 essential fatty acids). I supplement with the following in the morning, midday, and evening since they each contain 80+ of these 90 elements: Wheat Grass juice, Quinton, and greens first Pro.”
Muscle Recovery
- Essential Amino Acids
- Whey Protein
- Proteolytic Enzymes (Serrapeptase)
Mind Muscle Connection
- Exogenous Ketones
- Ironman Magazine Pre-workout
- Medium Chain Triglycerides
Gut Health/Immunity/Inflammation
- Organic Ginger
- Kombucha (Probiotics)
- Digestive Enzymes
- Ion Biome
- Garlic Extract
- Maitake Mushroom Extract
- Quercetin
- Turmeric
- Essential Fatty Acids
Mitochondrial Efficiency
- CoQ 10
- Cetyl L-Carnitine
- D-Ribose
- Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Peter Cichonski’s Cardiac Rythm Cycle
Peter Cichonski is a firm supporter of natural light’s powerful effect on your cardiac rhythm cycle for optimal health. Cichonski declared:
“As a healthcare/Healthspan practitioner, I utilize circadian biology to maximize my body‘s ability to be programmed by natural wavelengths of light and energy. As food is consumed by the body so are wavelengths of light. Consuming natural light is akin to consuming natural food as the consumption of artificial light is equivalent to the consumption of artificially processed foods in the body.
I train outdoors with shorts and no shirt utilizing natural wavelengths of blue light to keep my body functioning at the right time, red light to maximize energy output from my mitochondria, and ultraviolet light to make vitamin D.
I regularly ground to the earth as well as use grounding products while sleeping and indoors to absorb negative ions to neutralize the buildup of lactic acid created from my workouts which maximize recovery.”
Personal Life
Peter Cichonski has been a healthcare practitioner for 30 years specializing in human biomechanics, active release technique, circadian biology, and chiropractor. He holds a doctorate and BS in human biology from the Southern California University of Health Sciences. Before joining the health field, Cichonski was a public accountant, holding a BA in accounting from Assumption University.
Peter Cichonski has been married for 29 years to his wife Jackie and has a daughter and son – Lindsey(27) and Garett (23).
In addition to competing in natural bodybuilding, Cichonski has competed in freestyle skateboarding, freestyle skiing, and mountain bike racing.
The Cichonski’s loves spending weekends walking the beaches of San Diego and spending summers on the shores of Cape Cod, MA, where they reside parts of the season.