Who is bodybuilder Tony Pearson?
TONY Pearson is an internationally recognised bodybuilding champion.
From his sporting success to what he does now - here's everything you need to know.
Who is Tony Pearson?
Tony Pearson, born January 11, 1957, is an American bodybuilding champion.
His bodybuilding championships included both individual and couples competitions.
The muscle man - known as The Jetman by fans - became a sporting icon thanks to his incredible physique and stage presence.
As a youngster, Tony, from Memphis, Tennessee, began hitting the gym in high school to help build his strength up while recovering from a wrestling injury, and was stunned by how quickly his body grew with weight training.
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Tony then threw himself into bodybuilding and started bulking up, before leaving for California in 1976, to chase his dreams of becoming a powerlifting pro.
It was there he met Arnold Schwarzenegger, who later became his mentor.
What competitions did Tony Pearson win?
Throughout his career, Tony scooped a host of awards for his extraordinary physique.
The retired bodybuilder won his first Mr Universe competition in 1979.
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He also earned several Mr America and IFBB titles internationally.
His incredible contribution to the sport also earned him a spot in the Muscle Beach Bodybuilding Hall of Fame at Venice Beach in 2007, joining the likes of Arnie, Frank Zane and Joe Weider.
Despite officially retiring in 1994, his latest achievement was his victory at the AAU Mr Universe Masters in 2020.
What does Tony Pearson do now?
After retiring from competition in 1994, Tony started his personal trainer business, sharing his knowledge of a 20 year career.
As of May 2023, Tony is still fighting fit despite retiring professionally nearly three decades ago.
What was Tony Pearson's workout plan?
Tony Pearson was known for his intense and disciplined approach to workouts.
According to reports, the muscle man trained twice a day.
Some of his training techniques included increasing the weight and intensity of his exercises to continually challenge his muscles and promote growth, following a carefully planned split routine - focusing on specific muscle groups on different days.
Other techniques included compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, and isolation exercises to target individual muscles and achieve maximum muscle definition.
In 2023, the Mr Universe title-holder also revealed the key tricks to .
The bodybuilding champion explained that most lifters make a crucial mistake when starting the exercise that doesn't allow for a peak contraction on the biceps - and that's keeping their elbows out in front of them.
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He noted that if this adjustment isn't made, the average gym-goer might curl the weight to the top by their chin and use their chest and torso to rest the weight.
With the elbows and arms out in front, the peak of the bicep muscle is forced to contract to hold the weight just beyond the chin.