John Nguyen
John Nguyen is an American bodybuilder, famed for his muscular and shredded physique. His passion for bodybuilding started in college, and ever since then, John has been determined to continually improve his physique. But, life wasn’t always an easy ride for him.
Towards the end of high school, John became unhappy with his skinny frame. Consequently, he was left with low self-confidence. Until one day, that all began to change.
John took inspiration from his uncle who had earned success on the bodybuilding stage. From then on, John was determined to follow in his footsteps, earning success of his own.
Ever since then, John’s gone on to make a name for himself as a Men’s Physique Pro Bodybuilding Competitor – entering the IFBB Pro circuit in 2013.
This is his story.
Athlete Statistics
| Weight | 185 - 195lbs (83.9 - 88.5kg) |
| Height | 5'9" (175cm) |
| Year of Birth | 1996 |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | IFBB Men's Physique Pro, Model, Sponsored Athlete, Recreational Youth Specialist |
| Era | 2010 |
Accomplishments
Career Achievements
- IFBB Men’s Physique Pro
- Model
- Sponsored Athlete
- Recreational Youth Specialist
Competition Results
2017
- San Jose Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 7th place
- New York Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 12th place
- Pittsburgh Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 11th place
2016
- Dayana Cadeau Classic IFBB: Men’s Physique – 11th place
- Tampa Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 11th place
- Wings of Strength Chicago Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 10th place
- New York Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 7th place
- Pittsburgh Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 10th place
2015
- Dayana Cadeau Classic IFBB: Men’s Physique – 5th place
- Europa Atlantic City Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 4th place
- Tampa Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 9th place
- San Jose Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 7th place
- New York Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 13th place
- Pittsburgh Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 8th place
- Governors Cup IFBB: Men’s Physique – 3rd place
2014
- Ferrigno Legacy Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 3rd place
- Sacramento Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 6th place
- Europa Super Show IFBB: Men’s Physique – 16th place
2013
- Sacramento Pro IFBB: Men’s Physique – 6th place
- Titans Grand Prix IFBB: Men’s Physique – 10th place
- Mr. Olympia IFBB: Men’s Physique – 16th place
- Europa Super Show IFBB: Men’s Physique – 1st place
- Team Universe NPC: Men’s Physique Class B – 1st place
- Junior Nationals NPC: Men’s Physique Class C – 2nd place
- Junior USA Championships NPC: Men’s Physique Class C – 2nd place
- Gov. Cup NPC: Men’s Physique Class B – 2nd place
Biography
Starting Out in Fitness
John Nguyen’s sporting passions came to life from an early age. Born and raised in San Jose, California, he often took part in basketball, alongside track and field events – building a love for competitive sports throughout high school.
However, life became very different for John by the time his high school days came to an end. By this point, John turned his attention to playing computer games instead. Because of this, his passion for competitive sports had all but faded away.
From this point onward, John spent most days practicing for gaming tournaments. He often went without eating for hours on end, this didn’t take long to have a negative impact on his body. His poor eating habits quickly caught up with him, and it was at this point, John weighed just 105 lbs.
But then one day, John came to the realization that his gaming pursuits had led him to lose touch with fitness. As a consequence, his self-esteem was lower than ever, and he became unhappy with his skinny frame. From then on, John sought a change. He made it his burning desire to build a great physique – his passion for bodybuilding was then born.
Passion For Bodybuilding
After graduating from college, John enrolled at San Jose State University – working towards a degree in kinesiology. Throughout this time, he occupied his mind with studying, allowing him to consistently obtain good grades.
However, John ensured that fitness remained high on his priority list. Because of this, he was able to make significant progress at a fast rate – quickly becoming bigger and stronger while building lean muscle mass. Along the way, his excellent genetics proved to be highly beneficial – allowing him to build a proportional and conditioned physique.
But one day, those around him began to take notice of his progress. John’s uncle, who had competed on the bodybuilding stage previously, became impressed by John’s physique. It was at this point, he urged John to become a competitive bodybuilder – just like him.
John quickly got used to the idea, and was eager to follow in his uncle’s footsteps. From then on, he began preparations for his first competition, guided by his uncle who had been through it all before. As a result, John’s career as a bodybuilder began to quickly take shape.
Competition History
John started competing in 2013, appearing at the NPC Gov. Cup competition. Earning a 2nd place finish in the men’s physique class B category, John found instant success in his bodybuilding career.
John then broke into the top 5 in his next four competitions, highlighting his potential on the bodybuilding stage. This included the NPC Team Universe and IFBB Europa Super Show competitions in 2013 – storming to 1st place in both instances.
However, John’s bodybuilding career wasn’t always an easy ride – with some of his worst defeats including the 2013 Mr. Olympia, where John finished in a disappointing 16th place. Despite this, John kept pushing forward, eager to achieve more success.
His hard work and determination paid off, finishing in 3rd place in competitions such as the 2014 Ferrigno Legacy Pro. Ever since then, John has broke into the top 10 on several occasions, highlighting his potential as a men’s physique Pro.
John Nguyen Nowadays
John’s undoubted commitment and passion for bodybuilding allowed him to build the great physique that he’s now renowned for. As a result of his hard work, his fitness career quickly took off – earning success on the bodybuilding stage in the process.
John eventually became a sponsored athlete, offering him the platform to keep pushing forward in his competitive bodybuilding career. Because of this, his drive and desire for continual improvement has allowed him to take any setbacks within his stride, to continually build upon his great physique.
Training
John’s workouts are always of a high intensity. He trains 5 – 6 days per week, working on at least two muscle groups each training day. John enjoys performing super sets, ensuring that his reps are performed with maximum muscle contraction.
John’s favorite body part to train are his lats. Additionally, his favorite exercise is the wide-grip pull up. Listed below are common exercises that he performs for each muscle group, along with his workout split:
John’s Workout Split and Common Exercises
Split
- Monday: Chest and Abs
- Tuesday: Legs and Calves
- Wednesday: Lower/Upper Back
- Thursday: Shoulders, Traps and Abs
- Friday: Triceps, Biceps, and Calves
- Saturday: Lagging Body Parts Day
- Sunday: Rest Day
Chest
- Flat Barbell Bench Press
- Machine Incline Press
- Decline Barbell Press
- Flat Pec Flyes
- Seated Incline Cable Flyes
Triceps
- Close Grip Barbell Press
- Overhead Extensions
- Tricep Pulldowns
- Kickbacks
Biceps
- Barbell Curl
- Seated Preacher Curl
- Dumbbells Concentration Curls
- Dumbbell Hammers
Back
- Deadlifts
- Bent-Over Barbell Row
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row
- Wide Grip Pull-Ups
- Front Pulldowns
- Seated Cable Rows
Shoulders
- Dumbbell Presses
- Dumbbell Front Raises
- Cable Rear Laterals
- Barbell Shrugs
Legs
- Barbell Squats
- Leg Curls
- Dumbbell Lunges
- Leg Extensions
- Leg Presses
Calves
- Seated Calf Raises
- Standing Calf Raises
Nutrition
John eats four meals per day, ensuring that his metabolism remains high. It is his desire to remain as lean as possible throughout the year, so he follows a clean eating diet in order to remain on track.
His overall meal plan looks something like this:
John’s Meal Plan
- 1st Meal: 3 Scrambled Eggs, Oatmeal
- 2nd Meal: Chicken, Brown Rice and Vegetables
- 3rd Meal: Chicken, Brown Rice and Vegetables
- 4th Meal: Salmon, Brown Rice and Vegetables
- Supplements: Whey Protein, Casein Protein, Glutamine, BCAAs.
Idols and Influences
Ronnie Coleman is one of John’s biggest influences. John respects the success that Ronnie has achieved within his bodybuilding career – following his example to achieve the same level of success.
Additionally, John’s uncle is a huge source of inspiration for John. As a competitive bodybuilder himself, he was the one person who guided John along his bodybuilding career, aiming for John to follow in his footsteps to earn his own success on the bodybuilding stage.
What we can learn from John Nguyen
John Nguyen’s desire to build a great physique meant that he was able to make quick progress to achieve just that. This didn’t go unnoticed by those around him, and as a result, his uncle inspired him to turn to the bodybuilding stage.
Ever since then, he’s become renowned for his muscular and well-proportioned physique, translating into success on the bodybuilding stage.
What we can learn from John Nguyen, is that consistency, hard work, and determination are all essential components to build a great physique. John followed these principles throughout his fitness journey, and by following his example – you can achieve the same.
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