Jon Marshall was not a varsity athlete at Arizona, but he is a champion. Marshall, a former Arizona student who also worked in the athletic department, is a champion power lifter.
Marshall is a 17-time national champion with a number of also accolades. He also does this completely drug free.
Marshall has qualified for the Natural Athletes Strength Association Grand Nationals thanks to his performance at the Western States Nationals in May. The Grand Nationals are in Des Moines, Iowa on July 14 and 15.
This contest is for natural power lifters, those who do not use performance-enhancing drugs, and are broken up into different categories based on age and weight. Competitors are judged on the total weight of three lifts, bench press, squat and dead lift.
Marshall’s path to both power lifting and personal training began when he was just 11 years old. His father hired him a strength coach to improve his performance in football and wrestling.
“Training with him led me into personal training,” Marshal explained. “I wanted to help give back what my coaches gave to me.”
His coach competed as a power lifter and inspired Marshall to give it a try himself.
Marshall competed in his first power lifting competition in eighth grade and was hooked. He was the lone middle schooler competing in a high school competition and finished fourth.
“From there I was hooked,” said Marshall.
Since then he has won those 17 national titles, four world titles and was named five-time United States Lifter of the Year.
His first year out of high school he returned to his alma mater, Yuma’s Kofa High School to help train the team and that was the start of his training career. From there it was off to Arizona where he studied under then Director of Strength and Conditioning Dan Wirth.
“I learned so much from him,” Marshall explained. “Getting to work with him and all the athletes was a great experience.”
Marshall left Arizona one year shy of a degree when he got a chance to manage a fitness club of his own.
“It was a tough decision,” Marshall admitted. “However, I had the chance to do what I always wanted to do.”
For several years Marshall has been the manager of the Snap Fitness on River and has helped open other clubs around Southern Arizona. Marshall continues to train clients as well.
While his competition training regimen is about pure power, his training philosophy is quite different. While Marshall can certainly improve someone’s bench press or help them develop power for sports, the workouts he runs most of his clients through bypass the traditional power lifts for a more streamlined, full body approach.
Marshall is looking for sponsors to help him get to the nationals in Iowa. Sponsors not only get a tax-write off, but will get some promotion for their business.
To sponsor Marshall, or to learn more about his clubs and personal training service call him at 293-1584 or e-mail him at tucsonsnap@aol.com.
- Brad Allis
- Arizona Insider - WildcatSportsReport