This grandfather has defied the odds.
Now champion, Grandad-of-six, John Morgan Jones says:
“People look at me and say ‘No, you’re not 70’. They think I’m around 50.“But I don’t walk around with my shoulders or arms showing. I just look like a normal guy on the street but I can design my body better than other 70-year-olds,” he told WalesOnline.
The former radio presenter originally took up the sport while he was in his 40s but quit when he realized the prevalence of steroids.
“I like the challenge and I love the workout. Sometimes I ache after some training but it’s a nice feeling. I like being on stage. I just love it. An awful lot of young men in the gym have told me I’m an inspiration.”
John returned to bodybuilding returned to it his 60s and began competing in British Natural Bodybuilding Federation (BNBF) events which institute rests and are strictly “natural” bodybuilding events.
On November 4 John won a world title at the Drug-Free Athletes Coalition World Finals in Miami and was crowned champion in the over-70s category.
The win was the second in a matter weeks for the father-of-four, having triumphed in the same category at the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation (BNBF) championships in Birmingham on October 1 – a title he has claimed three times previously.This win allowed John to qualify for a chance to compete in the United States. He trains nearly every day of the week, spending hours in the gym working on his upper body or legs, and works with a dietitian to build muscle tone. Everything he eats is carefully weighed and prepared.
John says, “I like a challenge. Everything I do, whether it’s walking or cycling, I’m competitive. Sometimes that is against myself and sometimes against others. I normally decided by April if I am going to compete the following year. One I’ve decided to tell people I know I’m going to do it so I have that focus. I say once I have told people I’m not going to go back on it.”
His diet is so strict he stuck to eating the same meals every day for around 10 weeks while in preparation for competition. This includes cutting out most salt, sugar, bread, milk, potatoes, cakes, and sauces.
Breakfast would typically feature two boiled eggs washed down with a black coffee with no sugar. This is followed by a lunch of 100g of chicken, 100g of broccoli, and 100g of beans and then 200g of baked potato with no sauce or butter and a drink of water.
For a snack John indulges in two rice cakes and half a banana. The banana is a vital source of potassium, needed to keep John’s heart going and other muscles contracting properly.
Then after training in the gym he will tuck into 100g of green beans, a piece of salmon, and 100g of chicken breast along with more water.
John, who played league football in Anglesey for more than 30 years, says he was inspired by his father who worked as a strongman in an act in the 1930s.
He says, “People come up to you in the street and say congratulations. I’ve seen it all over Facebook.”
Of course he also says his achievements are a team effort and wouldn’t have been possible without help from his dietitian, trainer, wife and family.
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