Some bodybuilders chase trophies. John Jewett chases answers — and then teaches the whole sport what he finds. 📚
The Texas-based IFBB Pro is a four-time Olympian, a registered dietitian and the founder of J3 University, the education platform that thousands of coaches now treat as the industry standard.
And he is still competing. In August 2026, just weeks after turning 40, Jewett placed fourth in the Men’s Open at the Texas Pro — while also coaching two-time 212 Olympia champion Shaun Clarida.
This is his full story, updated for 2026: the powerlifting world champion who became the coach behind the coaches.
John Jewett Quick Facts
| Full Name | John Jewett III |
| Born | July 20, 1986 — United States |
| Age | 40 years old (in 2026) |
| Height | 5’10” (178 cm) |
| Contest Weight | ~233 lb (105.7 kg) in the Open class; competed at 212 lb earlier in his career |
| Off-Season Weight | Roughly 25 lb above stage weight |
| Division | Men’s Open Bodybuilding (formerly 212) |
| Profession | IFBB Pro bodybuilder, registered dietitian, coach and educator |
| Brand | Founder of J3 University (J3U) |
| Based In | Texas, USA |
| @johnjewett3 |
Early Life: Powerlifting Records and a Dietitian’s Degree 🎓
Jewett grew up in the hyper-muscular 1980s and 90s — Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone on screen, and black-and-white photos of Dorian Yates in the magazines. Bodybuilding, as he puts it, was implanted in his brain early.
He started lifting in high school at around 135 pounds, but his first sporting life was powerlifting, not bodybuilding.
Between 2005 and 2010 he collected multiple powerlifting world champion titles and set 12 world records — including a remarkable 706 lb bench press. 💪
Alongside the lifting, he studied. Jewett earned a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, and qualified as a registered dietitian.
When he finally turned to bodybuilding full-time, he started as an amateur middleweight, sucking down to about 176 lb to make weight. One huge growth year later he was back nearly 30 lb heavier — and in 2016 he earned his IFBB Pro Card at the NPC USA Championships.
Pro Career: From the 212 Division to the Open 🏆
Jewett’s early pro years were spent in the 212 division, battling at pro shows without a win. The breakthrough came in 2019, when he won the Tampa Pro 212 title.
That victory sent him to his first Mr. Olympia, where he shocked the division with a fourth-place finish in 2019.
The 2020 Olympia was tougher — 13th place. Jewett answered with a busy 2021: second at the New York Pro, fourth at both the Chicago Pro and Tampa Pro, and ninth at the 2021 Olympia.
Then came a deliberate growth phase. In 2023 he won the Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro in the 212 class — and then surprised everyone by skipping the 212 Olympia he had qualified for.
Instead, he tested himself in the Men’s Open, taking second place on his Open debut at the Legion Sports Fest Pro. The message was clear: his future was in the big class.
In 2024 the move paid off. Jewett placed third at the Toronto Pro, then won the Vancouver Pro — his first Open title — to qualify for the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
On the Olympia stage in Las Vegas he finished 11th in the Open, stepping on stage at around 233 lb — roughly 16 lb of stage weight added since his last 212 show.
His Olympia record now spans four appearances: 4th (212, 2019), 13th (212, 2020), 9th (212, 2021) and 11th (Open, 2024).
In August 2025 he added a fourth place at the Texas Pro, and — as the 2026 section below shows — he was back for more a year later.
The Coach Behind the Coaches: J3 University 🧑🏫
Ask today’s pros where coaches go to learn, and one name keeps coming up: J3 University.
Jewett founded J3U to teach evidence-based bodybuilding properly — a Level 1 physique coaching curriculum, an Applied Hypertrophy Optimization course, a Female Physique module, and training programs such as Hourglass, X-Frame and Olympia Prep. He runs the business with his wife, Roxy.
The weekly J3U Podcast has passed 200 episodes, and the testimonials come from the top of the sport — Classic Physique star Terrence Ruffin and Olympian Wesley Vissers are among the pros who credit the program.
Where Charles Glass became the legendary hands-on coach of champions inside Gold’s Gym, Jewett has become the closest thing the internet age has produced: a champion’s coach who publishes the whole playbook.
His highest-profile student arrived in April 2025. Shaun Clarida, a two-time 212 Olympia champion who had coached himself since the death of his longtime coach John Meadows in 2021, chose Jewett to run his training.
The partnership delivered immediately: Clarida finished second at the 2025 212 Olympia behind Keone Pearson, then won the Open title at the Japan Pro that November.
Jewett also coached the late Christina Bitner during her IFBB Pro Women’s Physique career — a reminder that his reputation was built athlete by athlete, long before the Clarida headlines.
Training and Nutrition Philosophy: Science Over Sensation 🔬
Jewett’s coaching philosophy can be summed up in one line: apply the scientific method to your own physique. Assess, adjust, measure the response, adjust again.
Training volume is controlled, not heroic. He favours fewer basic movements done with full intent — quality sets tracked with weights, reps and RPE — over junk volume that only creates fatigue.
Recovery is treated as a training variable: sleep, planned deloads, joint health and regular health markers all get monitored, because stalled progress is usually a recovery problem in disguise.
On nutrition, the registered dietitian in him shows. Jewett carb-cycles to match daily energy expenditure, using slight rotations rather than wild swings — “you don’t need to go from 1,000 to 150 grams of carbs,” as he puts it.
Fat loss is kept gradual, around 0.5–1% of body weight per week, and protein stays high and evenly spread through the day — the same principle behind our guide to the best protein powders for muscle gain.
His peak-week approach is famously calm: if an athlete already looks stage-ready, do as little as possible — and if something must change, change one variable at a time.
John Jewett in 2026 🔥
Jewett turned 40 on July 20, 2026 — in the middle of contest prep. His first show of the season was the 2026 Texas Pro that August, where he placed fourth in the Men’s Open behind winner Patrick Moore.
Five days out from that show he was openly sharing his 2,555-calorie prep diet with his followers — the transparency his audience has come to expect.
Weeks later he was in Las Vegas in a different role — coaching Clarida at the 2026 Mr. Olympia, where the “Giant Killer” took third in the 212 division as Pearson made it four straight titles.
With J3 University still releasing weekly education and his own competitive fire clearly unextinguished at 40, there has been no talk of retirement from John Jewett — only of the next improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
How old is John Jewett?
John Jewett was born on July 20, 1986. He turned 40 in July 2026 — during his prep for the 2026 Texas Pro.
How tall is John Jewett?
Jewett stands 5’10” (178 cm) tall.
What division does John Jewett compete in?
He built his name in the 212 division — winning the 2019 Tampa Pro and placing fourth at the 2019 Olympia — before moving to the Men’s Open in 2023, where he won the 2024 Vancouver Pro and placed 11th at the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
What is J3 University?
J3 University (J3U) is Jewett’s physique education platform, offering coaching courses, training programs and a weekly podcast dedicated to evidence-based bodybuilding. He runs it with his wife, Roxy.
Who does John Jewett coach?
His most famous athlete is two-time 212 Olympia champion Shaun Clarida, whose training he has directed since April 2025. Clarida placed second at the 2025 212 Olympia and third in 2026 under Jewett’s guidance.
Is John Jewett still competing in 2026?
Yes. He placed fourth in the Men’s Open at the 2026 Texas Pro in August 2026, at 40 years of age — his fourth-place finish there matched his 2025 result at the same show.
The Bottom Line ✅
John Jewett’s career is proof that the sharpest mind in the room can also be one of the hardest workers in it. A powerlifting world champion, a registered dietitian, a four-time Olympian and the founder of J3 University — he has done every job in bodybuilding, and done them all well.
At 40, still placing at pro shows and still coaching champions, the teacher of bodybuilding shows no sign of leaving the classroom — or the stage. 🏋️