John Brown Bodybuilder

You probably heard of NFL superstars Equanimeous, Amon-Ra, and Osiris. Aside from having Egyptian names, they are the children of John Brown bodybuilder, one of the most prominent athletes during the 1980s.

John Brown is an elite American bodybuilder from West Sacramento, California. Brown had a lot of achievements during his peak. However, the racist culture in the country made his successful career unnoticed. He tried flexing his muscles in Europe, where bodybuilding fans and enthusiasts differ from those in the USA.

But this didn't stop his bodybuilding career. He continued joining different bodybuilding competitions until 1991. Known for his muscular physique, he also stood out among other bodybuilders because he was tall, standing at 6'5".

Even at a young age, John Brown ended up in the top spot, even if the other competitors were more experienced than him.

Early Life​

John Brown was a typical American. He was a regular art student, not until he became 14. Given his height and muscles, he believed he should excel in different sports. His first interest was in football, but he realized the sport wasn't for him.

Because he was experiencing too many defeats in football games, Brown made his muscles bigger by lifting weights. A stranger made him decide to switch sports. People advised that he has a good physique for bodybuilding.

Brown didn't know that this sport would make him more recognized rather than playing football. Though without a trainer, John Brown learned the basics of bodybuilding at 16 from reading different magazines. He also had no access to his bodybuilding equipment, so he used the gym at Compton Community College to train.

His first bodybuilding competition was with Mr. Watts, where he competed with people of different ages. Though younger than most of the other competitors, John Brown ended up being in third place.

Bodybuilding Career​

Many bodybuilding enthusiasts scouted John Brown, which made a massive leap in his bodybuilding career. He shifted to the regional level, where he competed with Mr. America and won both Mr. Western America and Junior Mr. America in 1979. His previous titles were Teen Mr. Los Angeles in 1976 and Orange County Classic in 1978.

The succeeding years were another victory for John Brown. He continued to win more titles. John held the Mr. Universe title in 1981 and 1982. His height proportioned to his body physique earned him the title of Mr. America - Tall in 1979.

John Brown had the perfect symmetry of a tall man. He trained hard to achieve muscular shoulders, a tiny waist, and diamond-shaped thighs. Because of his height, he also won a title at the 1980 World Championships - Tall.

Aside from the mentioned bodybuilding competitions, he ranked top spots in Junior Mr. USA, Mr. California, Canada Pro Cup, World Grand Prix, Night of Champions, World Pro Championships, Detroit Pro Championships, Grand Prix Melbourne, Ironman Pro Invitational, and San Jose Pro Invitational.

John Brown even brought the popularity of the sport to Europe. He made the Europeans fascinated when he competed in Holland. Brown made his performance unusual. Instead of posing and flexing his muscles for Mr. World, he accompanied it with cool music and pop and lock dance steps.

For him, he revolutionized the way bodybuilders pose for a competition. Until now, many bodybuilding enthusiasts have been impressed by his physique during his peak. With his height, 28-inch waist, massive pecs, and appropriate weight, people respect his legendary career.

Training Regimen​

When John Brown was just starting, he had limited money to do workouts. But this did not prevent him from training. Instead, he made a bench press and used the weights other people gave.

His pecs were the best part of his muscular body. He does barbell and dumbbell bench presses to achieve the build of his chest. These exercises help develop both arms and chest. Cable flyers are also best for working on chest muscles. He also does dips to improve his chest and shoulder muscles. Not only it makes the muscles strong, but it also develops muscle mass.

As for the arms, the first six weeks of training are crucial. Barbell curls of up to 6 sets of 6 reps can benefit the upper arms. John Brown also joins it with incline barbell curls of 6 sets of 6 reps. After six weeks, arm workouts are joined with lying tricep extensions and incline pushdowns of the same number of sets and reps.

During his younger days, he trains daily for at least an hour. Now that he has aged, he trains each muscle group six days a week.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, dedicate time to training back and leg muscles. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays focus on the upper body, including the arms. Perform a minimum of 20 reps for each muscle group.

He does super setting to help his metabolism and improve his muscles more.

Diet and Nutrition Plan​

Like many bodybuilders and athletes, John Brown stocked up on protein in his body on his training days. This nutrient gives him the strength and muscle recovery he needs for the training sessions. He usually gets his protein nutrient from red meats during dinner time. They eat red meat in double servings to give them the protein they need when they wake up.

Aside from meats, he and his kids also take protein shakes. Brown has developed his protein shake formula called Cane Protein. These drink supplements are served to them at least twice a day.

Their meals at home also include a source of sugar–a juice or a slice of cake for dessert. For some, sugar is one of the most avoided foods in bodybuilding. But for Brown, having sugar in their meals gives them the calories they need for training.

If you're an athlete, you need essential nutrients to supply your body's need for strength and endurance during training. Protein, calories, and fats are essential nutrients your body should have. It supplies energy during training sessions and helps repair torn muscles after training.

Keeping The Mind Strong​

According to John Brown, he had a mindset of working better than the other bodybuilders. He believed in his abilities and would outwork everyone in the competition. Brown knows all information about his opponents–their stats and training regimen. And because of his mindset, he could work on where he was lagging.

It was because of his experience with racism. During the 70s and the 80s, racist culture was prominent. Many people do not believe in the abilities of black Americans. John Brown proved them wrong.

He compared European bodybuilding competitions, where black and white bodybuilders are equal. He turned down a magazine photoshoot that didn't want him on the cover because he was black.

Inspiring Others to Succeed​

The first people that John Brown inspired were his sons. Like him, they are also athletes. But this time, in NFL. His three sons have made their names in the league because of their skills in the sport and their father's help during training.

Aside from his sons, the way he dealt with racism during his time was something people looked upon him. He never bargained himself or lowered his self-value just to have a magazine cover or be interviewed by someone. And because he was famous then, people still chose him to be interviewed and appear in different bodybuilding magazines.

He inspired many athletes never to stop pushing themselves to reach their best. If their opponent is strong, they must be stronger than them. People should look into them as the best among other competitors.

Everyone has their own set of skills, but being limited to what you're already good at will not develop you as an athlete. You should be competitive and has a mindset of owning every competition. If other athletes are good at a skill and you're not, learn to develop yours.

Conclusion​

John Brown did not hinder his success. During his entire bodybuilding career, he won several titles and high ranks, proving that he is one of the industry's best and most elite athletes. He even passed his passion to his children, who are now NFL superstars. Because of his experience in bodybuilding, no wonder his children inherited his athletic spirit as well.