How often have you heard that professional bodybuilders look massive and strong only from the outside, but actually have non-functional and weak muscles? This sport is constantly criticized for its futility, as if the big muscles have nowhere to use in real life, and they look somehow awkward. Finally, in addition to the external form, bodybuilders no longer strive for anything, unlike powerlifters working at maximum weights or wrestlers who are constantly improving the technique of fighting. Well, Johnny Jackson is a bold counterargument in such attacks from the public and the media, reflecting all the splendor of your favorite sport. Today he is one of the strongest people on the planet with the total weight of the “base three” - an incredible 1,023 kilograms!
short biography
The future athlete was born on January 30, 1971 in one of the towns of the state of New Jersey, USA - Hammonton. In many interviews, Johnny Jackson avoids questions about childhood or marital status. Of course, everyone has the right to privacy. He began to get involved in bodybuilding at a very early age - 8 years old, when his first training was held. Since then, our hero became obsessed with this sport, conducting his training with his brother. The latter, unfortunately, died in 1998, which was a real shock for the athlete, radically changing his life. According to Jackson himself, at that moment he promised that he would not abandon bodybuilding, would participate in tournaments and begin to earn fabulous money, as his brother wanted. Moreover, the hall protected him from "street" problems.
The first success in sports
In addition to the phenomenal experience in bodybuilding, Johnny Jackson is a happy owner of good genetics, which allowed him to achieve excellent results faster, and even with a beautiful shape that does not suffer from asymmetry. So, the first success of the young man was the school championship in bench press, where a barbell weighing 138.3 kg succumbed to him. Let us clarify that Jackson was 16 years old at that time, and he studied in the 9th grade. In addition, he even played American football for the school team, which only confirms this man’s love for sports, which has survived to this day.
Debut on stage was 1998, when the Junior Nationals tournament was held. He played in middle weights, but Johnny failed to take the honorary first place, because the judges gave him silver. All this made the athlete take a more serious approach to training and nutrition, so that hard work brought wonderful gifts.
PRO career
Jackson received the status of a PRO-level bodybuilder only when he turned 30 years old at NPC competitions. That day became very important for him, because the hero of our article became the winner of the absolute category. Critics and judges sounded eulogies about wonderful muscular symmetry and, of course, good study and relief. He was also lucky to be on a par with the most popular bodybuilders of that time: Lee Priest, Ronnie Coleman, Ahmad Haidar and many others.
The next major step in Jackson's career was Olympia 2003, where the best bodybuilders in the world performed. There he took 11th place, which did not make the athlete very happy. Since then, Johnny has not missed this tournament, with the exception of the failed 2009. Jackson never won the highest award in the world of iron sports, but every year he tries to work harder and get the best and best form.
Character and life principles
Jackson always surprised the audience with his frankness and adequate views on the situation of certain things. Plus, according to his friends and colleagues, Johnny never tried to grab the stars from the sky, and he sets his goal for today is very possible and affordable - to enter the top five at Olimpia. He himself claims that there is no point in hoping for the first three, because the athlete still does not have the proper form. And this can not be called pessimistic, because this is the real philosophy of life, which every day motivates him to more hard work and a strong desire to progress.
Johnny's career is similar to a roller coaster, where rapid ups are sharply replaced by deplorable falls, and successful performances come in place of defeats and vice versa. There is a rumor among the people that the magnificent throne of “Mr. Olympia” for Jackson is just a mirage in the desert, which is gradually moving away from it, no matter how difficult it is, and no matter how strictly it approaches nutrition programs. The most important thing for Johnny Jackson is self-expression and success, which is what most people on our planet strive for. Of course, not everyone succeeds, but John is not going to give up.
Johnny Jackson - Workout
In the athlete's training program, we will not find anything new, since it is largely similar to other techniques of professional bodybuilders. The basis of power loads are basic exercises, as well as frequent work on the pump, so that the muscles build up blood and become bigger, tighter and stronger. He does not consider approaches to exercises, since he works to the point of exhaustion. Often uses supersets, and the number of exercises themselves reaches 6-8 per workout. Finally, Johnny works, as you might guess, fractionally, that is, he divides the days into working out the back, chest, and the like. In general, nothing new.
However, something else is interesting here: Johnny is famous for his excellent shape of the trapezius muscles, which is an indisputable achievement of his career. Plus, all training takes place in hardcore mode: with large weights and crazy intensity, which glorified the hero of the article.
Trapeze Workout Program
The best-developed muscles Johnny Jackson possesses are trapeziums. They are many times superior to those of Ronnie Coleman or Lou Ferigno, and a number of other professional-level athletes. When he is at the peak of his form before the competition, this group of muscles seems to want to "come off", they bulge so much over their shoulders. But all this is not just the result of good genetics or steroids, as many beginners believe. Once an athlete for 3 decades worked hard to work out the trapeziums, while many other athletes “hammer” on the proper development of the desired muscles.
Today, the trapezoid training program includes 4 exercises, each of which takes a lot of time and effort:
- Shrugs on the Hammer.
- Shrugs on Smith's simulator with a barbell behind his back.
- Craving for the chin.
- Shrugs with dumbbells sitting.
Each of the above exercises, Johnny performs 4 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Life "Behind the Scenes"
As mentioned earlier, Johnny does not like to talk about his personal life, however, a few facts from the dossier allow you to learn a lot of interesting things about the everyday life of an athlete. Johnny Jackson conducts his training at the MetroFlex club (Texas), where he often works together with the famous Branch Warren. This improves the competitive effect between athletes, which plays an important role in preparing for various championships. In addition, Ronnie Coleman once trained in the same room, so every meter here is literally saturated with the spirit of iron sports, which is ruled by bodybuilders. You can see photos of many of them below.
Jackson's Achilles heel , according to his own statements, includes nutrition and proper diet. Even with a good appetite, he is extremely rarely able to eat large portions of food, which does not play into the hands of bodybuilders. Once, in his interview, he noted that each of us can train hard and do cardio exercises, but with a poor diet we can’t change the shape.
With regard to hard and surprisingly intense training, Johnny has always argued that the high pace and prohibitive weights on the bar give him true pleasure, because the love of iron that developed during long walks into the gym with his brother has been preserved to this day.
Next, we note interesting facts with his daily worries:
- The most important element of bodybuilding is a balanced diet.
- Favorite workouts relate to the study of the shoulders.
- Can afford a trip to a fast food restaurant (McDonald's, KFC and others) after the competition.
- A typical day starts at 4:30. The athlete goes to bed at 10-11 o’clock in the evening.
- The most important exercise of iron sports considers deadlift.
- He is proud to have undergone army training, which developed an ideal sense of discipline in him.
- In addition to bodybuilding, he is fond of American football and powerlifting.
- Favorite training group - DMX.
Jackson is not like other world-class athletes, because the style of his training is more old-school, and the strength indicators are much higher than many rivals on the stage. Unfortunately, the favor of the judges is not on his side, however, the public loves Johnny, and he enjoys visiting his Expo and stands.
Johnny Jackson - Strength Indicators
It is these data that delight the athlete's fans. So, here we come to the most interesting - power indicators that Johnny Jackson has. Bodybuilding can not always boast of high performance with weights of certain PRO-level athletes, but this will not work with our hero. The list will look like this:
- Bench press lying - 277 pounds.
- Deadlift - 377 kilograms.
- Squats - 374 kilograms.
- The total weight of the "base three" is 1023 kilograms.
Well, very impressive results with the following anthropometric data :
- Growth - 173 centimeters.
- Weight - 115 kilograms in competitions and 124 during the "off-season".
- Chest girth - 145 centimeters.
- Girth of the biceps - 58 centimeters.
- Waist - 81 centimeters.
Finally
Everyone can be the envy of Johnny Jackson's career, because at the age of 45 he has already been in the ranks of missile defense for 16 long years. Won titles, excellent shape and a crowd of ardent fans - what more could a true bodybuilder want?