Jon Call, aka Jujimufu, has become a household name in the fitness industry, and I've been following his YouTube channel and Instagram page for many years.
What has made this American YouTuber so unique and successful is that he has combined bodybuilding and mixed technique acrobatics into something nobody else teaches.
Most people have accused him of taking steroids, seeing the signs that someone Is taking steroids due to his physique, unique style, and extensive online following.
So, to find out if there's any truth to this, our team spent about five weeks watching hundreds of videos and interviews to see what Jon Call has been up to.
Here's what we found.
Quick Summary
- Jujimufu isn't on steroids, and all his success has been attributed to his work ethic, and embarking on a clean diet that supplies his body with the required nutrients.
- Strength training, and flexibility workouts have played a crucial role in Jujimufu's body transformation over the years.
- Jujimufu also takes a lot of proteins, healthy complex carbs, and a lot of calories.
Does Jujimufu Take Anabolic Steroids?
One of the main reasons people believe that Jon Call has taken steroids is that he calls himself a self-proclaimed anabolic acrobat.
Yes, he uses the word anabolic, and people immediately believe that he has repeatedly admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs.
But it's important to understand what Jujimufu is referring to here.
Anabolism is a metabolic process that is primarily about processing protein [1].
And in terms of bodybuilding, this term is then further used to describe a metabolic state that supports muscle growth and maintenance.
So, what Jujimufu is referring to is that he's a bodybuilding acrobat, which is a rare talent.
Why Do People Believe Jujimufu Takes Steroids?
A reliable way to adequately research whether Jon Call is taking steroids is to look at five common side effects that he would have encountered over the years.
And because he is so active on social media, it gave me enough photos to do my research.
Here's what I found.
Extreme Vascularity
When the human body goes through a heavy exercise routine that pumps up the muscles, vascularity increases naturally. More blood pumps around the body, and those veins on top of muscles look like they're popping.
One side effect of steroids is causing that kind of vascularity even when you're not working out [2].
So, if Jon Call has regularly used steroids to achieve his physique, I would expect to find photos where he’s relaxing and still showing a lot of veins. Maybe he takes supplements for pump and vascularity while training.
Having gone through hundreds of photos online, I couldn't find such evidence.
Enlarged Breast Tissue
Gynecomastia is another common side effect of long-term anabolic anabolic steroid use [3]. This type of swelling and accumulation of fat around the chest resembles female breast tissue.
But, you have to keep in mind that this is very soft and different from those large pecs you see on bodybuilders like Jon Call. And if you look at photos from his early to the current physique, you'll see that those muscle gains never involved any flabby or fatty tissue.
It looks a lot more like rock-solid muscle mass.
Fast Bulking Process
Anabolic drugs are commonly called bulking steroids because they allow athletes to overcome natural limitations [4].
These drugs have been proven to speed up the muscle-building process meaning that bodybuilders can often achieve a physique in a year or two that would otherwise take five or more years.
Based on what Jon Call has shared in many interviews about working in a gym since he was 16 years old, I would not say that achieving a professional bodybuilder's appearance by his mid-twenties is a particularly fast bulking process.
Skin Conditions Like Acne
Scientific studies have shown that regular use of anabolic steroids commonly results in bodybuilder's acne [5]. The reason for this is very similar to what happens to teenage boys going through puberty.
Sudden changes and increases in testosterone cause overall hormonal imbalances, and that can cause spots, pimples, and even ulcerated acne.
But, when you look at photos of Jon Call from his teens, twenties, and all the way to now, you won't notice any evidence of skin conditions.
Hair Loss
And finally, there is another phenomenon tied to regular anabolic steroid usage and hair growth. Studies have shown that excessive use of steroids can lead to patchy balding and a receding hairline [6].
And one thing you can't say about Jon Call is that he doesn't have a full head of hair because it looks more like a mane.
None of his photos from the past show any sign that he had issues with hair growth either, so I wouldn't say it's a problem he's had to deal with.
Jujimufu's Body Transformation?
Jujimufu's story is quite incredible, and he shares it in many of his YouTube videos.
At just 15 years old, Jon Call started training for strength and flexibility.
He even decided he wanted to do the splits and achieved that by stretching for two hours every night.
"When I was 15, I had a goal: get the full splits to put it in my free kata for my Taekwondo training. I trained my flexibility every night for almost two hours…in two months I reached my goal."
- Jujimufu
He also talks a lot about how he was also working at his local gym by the time he was 16, and it became his second home for seven years. During that time, Jon Call was piling on muscle mass.
But it seems like the combination of stretching and martial arts like Taekwondo training led him down a path of becoming one of the most elite athletes in a unique way.
He has legendary flexibility and strength that he used to put on a great show for America's Got Talent. The kind of trickster acrobatics that he's able to do is nothing short of gravity-defying, and he has built the largest community of online tricksters around this unique concept.
Jujimufu's Stats And Accomplishments
- Born: December 9th, 1985
- Height: 5'10"
- Weight: 240 lbs
Jon Call has managed to combine amazing physical strength with the grace of being able to move his body like an acrobat or gymnast.
And it was his talents as the anabolic acrobat that got him on America's Got Talent in 2016.
He didn't win, but it certainly boosted his fame and status as a truly unique athlete.
Is Jujimufu's Transformation Possible Without Drugs?
Yes, you can build muscle like Jon Call without taking steroids. A natural professional bodybuilder has been doing this for decades, but it does require a lot more dedication as you need to slowly overcome natural human limitations.
What I mean is that no matter how well you plan your bulking routine and how good your genetics and diet are, you may hit regular plateaus.
It becomes a process of putting on weight, including muscle mass, until your BMI goes up too much.
Then you try to burn fat for a couple of weeks to create a better balance.
If you keep doing this for five to eight years, you'll end up looking like Jujimufu.
Let's take a look at that process a bit more closely.
What Would It Take To Bulk Up Like Jujimufu?
There are three key parts to bulking up like Jujimufu.
Diet
Jon Call has often talked about sticking with a very clean diet where every meal provides a perfect balance of carbs, protein, and fat. What this means is eating a lot of calories from healthy complex carbs and also eating a lot of protein [7].
Another important thing to consider is the calorie surplus needed to support working out five days a week.
You start with your basal metabolic rate and then add at least 20% extra [8]. But the more you lift and the longer your sets are, the more you'll have to push that calorie surplus up.
Supplements
Jon Call is very outspoken about taking full advantage of supplements. These include your typical whey proteins, as well as pre-workouts and fat burners for men that would help you burn fat in a cutting phase.
The other thing that might help amateur athletes speed up the bulking process naturally and legally is with a bulking stack that is designed to boost performance boost testosterone levels.
These typically use natural ingredients like vitamins for men, minerals, amino acids, and herbs to trigger higher testosterone production.
Tough Training
If you want to build muscle like Jon Call, then you're going to have to commit to spending at least an hour a day at the gym. That's one hour from Monday to Friday, where you will have to push your muscles a little bit harder every day.
But that's not all.
You'll need to plan to do this for the next five to eight years consistently, and that's mainly why so many people fail to get anywhere close to Jujimufu's physique.
Was Jujimufu Tested For Steroid Use?
I did an extensive search for Jon Call on all of the national and international bodybuilding and powerlifting competition sites, and as far as I can tell, there's only one competition he registered for.
He was due to take part in the 2021 Arnold Classic Amateur, but it looks like that never happened because Covid restrictions resulted in a lot of canceled events.
So, there is no competitive event where Jujimufu would have been subject to a steroid drug test to confirm if he recently used banned drugs.
FAQs
Has Jujimufu Shut Down All Social Media Posting?
No, Jujimufu hasn't shut down his social media posting. What happened in 2021 is that he announced that his friend Tom Boyden, who did all his video editing, had gone his own way after working together since 2013.
Does Jujimufu Have Health Issues Due to Taking Steroids?
No, Jujimufu doesn't show any signs of health issues from taking steroids. Long-term steroid use can lead to skin issues like acne, but also more serious problems like kidney failure, and Jujimufu doesn't show any such symptoms.
References:
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anabolic
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12500264/
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16227-enlarged-male-breast-tissue-gynecomastia
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10589853/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1633755/
- https://www.google.com/url?q=https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/anabolic-steroids&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1644938894810827&usg=AOvVaw0iuMg8GJ6T_iItvNJeefQl
- https://cehsp.d.umn.edu/sites/cehsp.d.umn.edu/files/2the_role_of_protein_and_carbohydrate_in_gaining_body_mass.pdf
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