This past weekend held the 2022 Indy Pro – one of the bigger and more exciting IFBB Pro competitions in the spring. For fans of Blessing Awodibu, stakes were high. Would he improve after some lackluster showings and reclaim the hype as threat to the Mr. Olympia? Johnnie O. Jackson watched the entire show and has put together his official review of Blessing and the other top five athletes from this weekend. In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson gives a complete analysis and recap of the 2022 Indy Pro.

Beyond being an IFBB Pro bodybuilder and notable athlete in the sport, Johnnie O. Jackson also runs and promotes his own NPC bodybuilding competition. Due to this he is familiar with the ins and outs of the rules, guidelines, and regulations for NPC competitions. Recently, he was asked by a bodybuilder – why do NPC shows not provide prize money for winners? This led Jackson to wonder if NPC competitors are rewarded enough before turning pro. In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson debates the idea of prize money for NPC bodybuilders.

In 2020, the bodybuilding world rejoiced upon the return of the Ms. Olympia competition to the Olympia weekend. This came after the competition was discontinued for six years – with many believing it would never return. This is all part of Jake Wood’s passion and respect for Women’s Bodybuilding – and his plan to bring it back into popularity across the sport. While this is a great start, other massive competitions, such as the Arnold Classic, still refuse to put on a Women’s Bodybuilding competition. In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson comments on the lack of representation for Women’s Bodybuilding and the Ms. Olympia not being enough.

While not as popular as major untested leagues such as the IFBB Pro or Elite Pro leagues – natural bodybuilding has been seeing a resurgence, possibly due to the increased fears around athlete health. The leading league in the natural bodybuilding space, the INBA/PNBA, has touted the most rigorous testing to ensure a fair and natural competitive space to great success. But being natural today might be more complicated than in any other time in bodybuilding history. Why? In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson discusses misleading supplement labels and how that may undercut the goals of a natural bodybuilder.

The gym is a shared space which means that it’s important for gym members to be courteous of other people around them. This is true for even most pro bodybuilders – who despite their status still train in public (albeit more hardcore) gyms. And while some gym etiquette rules are obvious – there are some that might be more of a grey area depending on your personality and experience level. Johnnie O. Jackson witnessed something in the gym this past weekend that “urked” him despite not being objectively rude. In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson talks about individuals who over prepare in the gym and spread too much in a public space.

Professional bodybuilding is far different today than it was decades past. This is most noticeable in the number of divisions that exist today. At one point, there was only Men's and Women's bodybuilding. Now we have over 10 divisions ranging from smaller physique sizes like Bikini and Men's Physique through to larger sizes such as Classic Physique and Men's Open. New divisions bring in new perceptions which invite fans and athletes alike to compare physiques across divisions. Men's Physique in particular is often the brunt of jokes due to their board shorts and smaller size. In our latest Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson goes into detail on why this sort of "competition" between divisions is damaging for the sport. And dismissive jokes against other divisions should not take place - particularly by pro bodybuilders.

Late last year, Shaun Clarida made headlines by winning a Men’s Open bodybuilding competition at the Legion Sports Fest Pro. With his win, he is now qualified to compete in both Men’s 212 and Men’s Open. Since then, Clarida has signaled that he desires to possibly compete in both divisions at Olympia 2022. As this is a rare occurance, he planned to speak further with the Olympia team to figure out his options. Since then we have heard little on this story. In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson gets an update from Shaun Clarida – learning that as of now, the Olympia is only letting him choose one division.

Jake Wood made headlines in February 2022, when he confirmed that he is working on brining back the Masters Olympia to the IFBB Pro league. The Masters Olympia ran from 1994 to 2003 and then a brief return in 2012 with Dexter Jackson earning the final big win for the competition. Since then, the Masters Olympia has vanished. Now it seems that 2023 will bring back the prestigious competition – and Johnnie O. Jackson couldn’t be happier to hear the news. In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson explains why the Masters Olympia return is a big deal – and the true importance of the competition for the sport.

Johnnie O. Jackson is a bodybuilder who is put on a short list of some truly exceptional athletes. Alongside the likes of Branch Warren and Ronnie Coleman, Jackson is considered to be one of the most hardcore training bodybuilders alive. He’s also been dubbed the strongest modern bodybuilder. While strength and endurance are key factors in being able to train heavy and hardcore – the absolute most important factor is being able to have the motivation to continually train intensely every single day. In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson details how he stays motivated to train like a hardcore beast.

Towards the beginning of March 2022, Johnnie O. Jackson released an episode of Hardcore Truth discussing his past PED use habits in bodybuilding and a near-death experience during contest prep. Shortly after posting the episode, Jackson faced negative criticism for how he explained the story and the details behind the specifics of his PED use. Admittedly, discussing PED use specifics can be a slippery slope in terms of how this kind of information is absorbed by the public. The last thing Jackson wants to do is mislead fans in the bodybuilding. That’s why on this week’s episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson responds to the negative reactions to his near-death story.

This past weekend held the Arnold Classic 2022, it was an exciting event that returned to its normal full form after two years of shortcomings due to the global pandemic. The event is considered to be the second biggest competition of the bodybuilding season, second only to the Mr. Olympia itself. So of course, a bodybuilding show of this size is not without its controversies – with many debating whether William Bonac or Brandon Curry should have won first place. In this week’s episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson gives his analysis and opinions on the top six placings at the Arnold Classic 2022.

Whether it be due to complete coincidence or some underlying common pattern, the bodybuilding world has lost many young men and women athletes over the past year and a half. In this week’s episode, Johnnie O. Jackson wants to shed some light on the true risks in bodybuilding as we try to make sense of the many tragic deaths in the sport. But rather than dig up more pain for friends and families who have lost loved ones – Jackson turns inward to reveal his own health battles during his career as a bodybuilder. In the latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson reveals his near death experience and his experience using PEDs.

What separates a pro bodybuilder from everyone else? Genetics? Certainly to some degree. Drugs like steroids? This is a misleading factor in the true success of a bodybuilding athlete. The true difference between a bodybuilding legend and the many aspiring who miss the mark comes down to focus. A bodybuilder like Phil Heath or Ronnie Coleman combine all of their strengths into one singular focus beyond what any normal person perceives possible. That’s how they became Olympia legends. In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson breaks down the importance of focus and tips on how to improve your mental sharpness while training.

Welcome to the Hardcore Truth – our new podcast and digital series staring one of the strongest pro bodybuilders in the world – Johnnie O. Jackson. Known for his incredible physique, strength, and hardcore training sessions with Branch Warren, Johnnie is gearing up with a mic and camera to share his most valuable lessons from a career in bodybuilding and strength training. This week, Johnnie O. Jackson breaks down the Arnold Classic 2022 lineup and predicts who will land the top 5 placings.

Welcome to the Hardcore Truth – our new podcast and digital series staring one of the strongest pro bodybuilders in the world – Johnnie O. Jackson. Known for his incredible physique, strength, and hardcore training sessions with Branch Warren, Johnnie is gearing up with a mic and camera to share his most valuable lessons from a career in bodybuilding and strength training. This week, Johnnie O. Jackson goes into detail on how to properly build a healthy nutritional foundation for your bodybuilding needs.

Welcome to the Hardcore Truth – our new podcast and digital series staring one of the strongest pro bodybuilders in the world – Johnnie O. Jackson. Known for his incredible physique, strength, and hardcore training sessions with Branch Warren, Johnnie is gearing up with a mic and camera to share his most valuable lessons from a career in bodybuilding and strength training. This week, Johnnie O. Jackson breaks down his background of powerlifting training and bodybuilding training – and how you can use both to enhance your physique to optimal levels.

Welcome to the Hardcore Truth – our new podcast and digital series staring one of the strongest pro bodybuilders in the world – Johnnie O. Jackson. Known for his incredible physique, strength, and hardcore training sessions with Branch Warren, Johnnie is gearing up with a mic and camera to share his most valuable lessons from a career in bodybuilding and strength training. This week, Johnnie O. Jackson helps break down how to decide which bodybuilding division is best for you.

Welcome to the Hardcore Truth – our new podcast and digital series staring one of the strongest pro bodybuilders in the world – Johnnie O. Jackson. Known for his incredible physique, strength, and hardcore training sessions with Branch Warren, Johnnie is gearing up with a mic and camera to share his most valuable lessons from a career in bodybuilding and strength training. This week, Johnnie O. Jackson dispels the myths and misconceptions about sponsorships and earning money as a pro bodybuilder.

Welcome to the Hardcore Truth – our new podcast and digital series staring one of the strongest pro bodybuilders in the world – Johnnie O. Jackson. Known for his incredible physique, strength, and hardcore training sessions with Branch Warren, Johnnie is gearing up with a mic and camera to share his most valuable lessons from a career in bodybuilding and strength training. This week, Johnnie O. Jackson goes in-depth about his notoriously known hardcore training style, how he developed it, and how it defined his career.

Welcome to the Hardcore Truth With Johnnie O. Jackson - our new podcast and digital series staring one of the strongest pro bodybuilders in the world - Johnnie O. Jackson. Known for his incredible physique, strength, and hardcore training sessions with Branch Warren, Johnnie is gearing up with a mic and camera to share his most valuable lessons from a career in bodybuilding and strength training. For our premiere episode, Johnnie O. Jackson goes in depth on the right time in life to start training. How young is too young? Is there too old an age to keep lifting? And the surprising benefits of weightlifting at a young age.