Photo By Sgt. Alex Fairchild | U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jason Joseph, a military police officer with Provost...... read more read more
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CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan – The colorful stage lights flicker as the spotlight zones in on Cpl. Jason Joseph. The cacophony of audience chatter dies down as the sound of music rises. Spectators watch in awe as Joseph performs his routine: a carefully crafted combination of flexing and posing, perfectly choreographed to the music to showcase and accentuate every muscle he has built. The audience sees the routine, the confidence, the awards, and the muscles. What they don’t see is the pain, self-control, fortitude, and diligence that brought him to that very moment on stage.
Joseph grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida., and was often labeled the “skinny kid.” In high school, he played football, but was often injured and weighed too little to match up to the competition. Joseph decided to use these experiences as fuel to his motivation in his Marine Corps career and bodybuilding journey.
“I joined the Marine Corps in December of 2018, when I decided to challenge myself,” said Joseph. “Sports weren’t working for me, and I needed a challenge. I had always been interested in being a Marine and a first responder, so becoming a military police officer was perfect for me.”
As a military police officer, Joseph’s duty hours are anything but regular. He works the night shift, so he sleeps during the day and is up on patrol throughout the night. This schedule made his bodybuilding goals challenging, but he pushed through.
“I just found little ways to catch up on my sleep,” said Joseph. “Although it was difficult, I made it work: a couple hours to sleep before I go to the gym, and a couple more hours when I get back before I am back on duty. I also had to make sure to get my meals in when I could.”
Joseph explained that he officially decided to compete in a bodybuilding competition while he was on annual leave in April. He said that he had always worked out, but never intentionally for the goal of bodybuilding. When he made this decision, he weighed 210 lbs. After two months of strict dieting, training, and posing practice, Joseph finally weighed in at 183 lbs.
Joseph’s meals during contest preparation typically consisted of egg whites, plain chicken or beef, asparagus, protein powder, peanut butter and oatmeal. Each meal was planned and timed before and after workouts so his body could digest them properly.
“When you go through a preparation for a bodybuilding competition, you see the good, the bad, and the ugly of yourself,” said Joseph. “I noticed, as I ate less and less, that I’d become crankier with others. It was a mental battle that I had to fight every day. Being able to get through it without giving up was rewarding as soon as I stepped onto stage.”
Joseph’s first bodybuilding competition was in early July, at the Pan Pacific Okinawa Open bodybuilding competition. His first time stepping on stage earned him a second place medal, and a hunger to be better than ever. He decided he also wanted to compete in the Marine Corps Community Services Far East Bodybuilding Competition, two weeks after his first competition.
“Transitioning from celebrating the end of one competition to going back straight into preparation for the next was difficult,” said Joseph. “I was planning on satisfying all the food cravings I had struggled with during my first preparation, but I couldn’t. It was time for me to get back to work.”
Joseph explained that for those next two weeks, he worked to maintain and perfect the physique he showcased in his first show. He said he stuck to his rigorous training and diet, posing practice, and maintained higher levels of cardiovascular training.
Finally, it was time for the 22-year-old bodybuilder to step on stage again.
Joseph said that the nerves he experienced during his first competition were completely vanquished during the Far East Bodybuilding Competition.
“I got on stage with a newfound confidence in myself,” said Joseph. “The show was genuinely fun to compete in. I didn't let anything deter or distract me on that stage. I just wanted to show off my hard work.”
During the competition, Joseph performed his free posing routine that he had worked on for months. After all the posing routines were completed, the judges pulled the top five competitors out, including Joseph, for comparison and placements.
“I ended up getting third place in my category, and it felt relieving,” said Joseph. “There was a lot of competition on that stage, and it was eye-opening to me. In that moment, I was satisfied, but still hungry to be better. All that number means is that I need to work harder in the off-season. Every show, I just want to be better than I was in the last.”
In the future, Joseph has dreams to compete in bigger competitions in the U.S., and eventually earn his Internation Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Professional Card.
“I’ve grown to love bodybuilding because it's given me a higher purpose,” said Joseph. “You get out of it what you give to it. You come out stronger than you were before. You remember the reasons why you started, and you don’t let anything get in your way. You get to be a little bit better every day. I’m excited for the future, but now it's time to work.”
| Date Taken: | 07.22.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2022 02:47 |
| Story ID: | 426084 |
| Location: | CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 228 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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