I am excited to have been invited by Lou Messina to be a part of East Coast Muscle, and put my official web page here. As an avid reader of East Coast Muscle, I am honored to join the staff and be able to contribute my passion for bodybuilding and help others achieve their own personal fitness goals. There is no feeling more gratifying than achieving personal fitness through hard work and smart training. This is why I look forward to sharing my knowledge in training, proper biomechanics, and diet and nutrition (including contest preparation.) I have extensive experience to share, so please logon anytime.

Let me start by telling you a little about who I am. I was born in California in 1962. My parents divorced when I was four years old. My mother remarried when I was eight, which lead us to relocate, but still in California. I played baseball and started freestyle wrestling. During junior high school and high school, I obtained California Interscholastic Federation status wrestling in the 165-pound weight class. In my junior year, I placed fourth in the state. After that, I had an accident in a match, which left me with a herniated disk in the low back (L4-L5 vertebrae). It was that injury that sent me to the weight room to rehabilitate. This back injury ended my wrestling career, and my college scholarship.

My first gym was a small, moderately equipped gym, owned and operated by a husband and wife team. A veteran lifter, named Jim, took me under his wing and taught me the ropes. I started lifting every day after school, in place of wrestling. After graduating from high school at eighteen years old, I moved to southern California to live with my Dad. I started lifting there, frequently visiting Venice Beach Gold's Gym.

I competed in my first bodybuilding show, Mr. Westchester, at the age of nineteen. At the time, I didn't know anything about the presentation aspect of competing, I even used black shoe polish mixed with baby oil for my tan. The following year, 1982, I went back to the Mr. Westchester, winning the overall title. I continued competing until 1987 after winning the Mr. Orange County title. I took a break from bodybuilding due to a hectic work schedule and a new married life. During my break from weights, I took up Hapkido Karate from 1987 to 1993, earning a red belt.

I returned to the weight room in 1994. I started competing in 1996 with Mr. Los Angeles, taking third place in the light-heavyweight class. I won again in 1999 taking second place, again in the light-heavyweight class. In 2000, I went back to the Mr. Los Angeles to win the heavyweight class. My personal goals are set high. I am planning on continuing the bodybuilding circuit until receiving by pro card.

Currently, Allison and I own the personal training and consulting business "Team Johnny." My clientele mainly consist of serious lifters wanting to prepare for competition. I look forward to chatting with you all in the Discussion Forum. I hope to share my discoveries with you and hand you some valuable keys to unlock doors, hopefully making the journey of bodybuilding somewhat smoother.