Johnnie Jackson

Full name: Johnnie Otis Jackson

Date of birth: January 30, 1971

Height: 5’8”

Off-season weight: 278

Contest weight: 250

Current residence: Hurst, Texas

Years training: 29

Occupation: Professional bodybuilder and MuscleTech athlete

Marital status: Married to Rebecca

Children: Johnnie Jr., 14; Jonessa, 15; and a baby on the way

Hobbies: Bowling, landscaping, going to movies

How did you get into bodybuilding? “My older brother Willie was really into bodybuilding, and I wanted to be big and strong like him. I competed once at age 16 and then didn’t do it again for almost 10 years.”

Who inspired you when you were starting out? “Lee Haney truly was Totalee Awesome. Later it was Flex Wheeler. I loved his aesthetics, and it killed me to see him ruin his shape and lines when he got too big toward the end of his career.”

Top titles: ’01 NPC Nationals, light heavyweight, 1st, and overall; ’06 Montreal Pro, 1st; ’07 Atlantic City Pro, 1st

Favorite bodypart to train: Back

Favorite exercise: Deadlifts

Least favorite exercise: “Anything for calves or abs—boring!”

Best bodypart: “My chest—it would easily overpower everything else if I let it.”

Most challenging bodypart: “Calves. I can say that by far I’ve put the most effort into them for the least results.”

Obstacles overcome: “Divorcing my first wife and having my kids move back east to New Jersey was the most difficult thing I have ever had to deal with, even worse than losing various loved ones over the years.”

Do you have a quote or a philosophy you try to live by? “I have two: Treat others the way you would like to be treated, and respect your elders.”

How do you stay motivated? “I want to be the best bodybuilder in the world, and I also want to make a good living at my chosen sport. I guess you could say glory and money.”

How would you describe your training style? “Power bodybuilding sums it up pretty well. It’s very similar to the way Ronnie [Coleman] trains.”

Training split: Monday, chest and biceps; Tuesday, legs; Wednesday, off; Thursday, shoulders and triceps; Friday, back; Saturday, light biceps and triceps; Sunday, off

Favorite clean meal: “Salmon. I can eat it plain, with no seasoning or marinade.”

Favorite cheat meal: “Pizza from Bruni’s Pizzeria in Hammonton, New Jersey, where I grew up—the best pizza in the world as far as I’m concerned.”

What’s your favorite supplement, and why? “I love MuscleTech’s NO Vapor drink before workouts. It provides plenty of energy to sustain me through all the heavy weights, cardio and even anything I might have to do after the gym.”

Goals in the sport: “I want to win at least three more shows, one of which has to be the Mr. Olympia. Any pro bodybuilder who says he doesn’t want to be Mr. Olympia is full of it!”  IM