Many times bodybuilders are stereotyped as all-show and no-go. Unfortunately, a lot of times, this is true. Who wants form without function? One bodybuilder that breaks the mold is powerbuilder Johnnie O. Jackson. I had the pleasure of training Johnnie for the RAW Unity meet in Corpus Christi, Texas. His previous best was three years ago; he deadlifted 815lbs (equipped). He easily deadlifted 832 RAW on his second attempt. However, the attempt was red lighted because he pulled the weight so easily and got overzealous and dropped the weight at the top after locking it out. He came back to easily hit it on his 3rd attempt, having the highest deadlift of the meet and a huge lifetime PR. His previous PR was equipped, and the recent one was RAW, so it makes this accomplishment that much sweeter.

He trained deadlift with me one day a week at Metroflex Gym. On the other days of the week, he did bodybuilding training. If he decided to go full-bore at powerlifting, there is no telling how strong he could be. He is also no spring chicken. He competed his lift at the ripe, young age of 40 years old, making this one of the most incredible feats of a Masters deadlifter ever. To bring his deadlift up, we really had to bring up his glutes, hamstrings, and speed while making sure he stayed consistent. The first few weeks were a bit rough but Johnnie got better and better as time went on. He is a very tough man with a great work ethic. Now, he is focused on bodybuilding. Look for some big things in both iron sports in the near future.

Here is a training video of Johnnie deadlifting 805lbs:

Here is the training in Johnnie’s words: