INTERVIEW: The Surprising Reality & Prep Behind Jujimufu’s Viral Stunt Videos
Jujimufu discusses the origins of his viral videos and the long hours of prep that goes behind each one.
Bodybuilder and fitness athlete Jon Call might be better known in the bodybuilding world by his nickname – Jujimufu. He’s a massive a jacked bodybuilder best known for his viral videos that often involve impressive flexibility and timing. More recently, he has dedicated himself to competitive bodybuilding – bringing him even more media attention as his physique improves. Now that he’s competing, how do his viral stunts play into his prep and does he fear setting himself back due to injury? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Jujimufu explains in detail his viral stunt origins, the work it takes to pull them off, and more!
Jujimufu is a rare kind of bodybuilder. He displays incredible acts of flexibility and motion. Not only that – but he also has a funny personality that he puts on full display. He brings more absurdism and fun into the bodybuilding world. It’s refreshing – so it’s no wonder why he’s amassed such a following over the years. Jujimufu was originally a viral bodybuilder who didn’t compete – but as of last year he has decided to put his hat into the ring. He’s been prepping for bodybuilding competitions and his already massive following is excited to see his new and improved physique.
During our conversation with Jujimufu, he explained to us that competition isn’t his end goal. He simply wants to give it a shot due to his love and passion for massive physiques. Ultimately, he is passionate about many forms of fitness including martial arts and gymnastic-type flips and tricks. So being a competitive bodybuilder isn’t the end goal – he’ll always want to dedicate himself toward the viral stunt videos he’s so well known for.
Speaking of his viral videos, we dug in deep exploring everything that goes on behind the short but popular stunt videos. Jujimufu explains the origins behind his viral status. Since a very young age he was in love with fitness. He has been training in martial arts since he was a teenager and transitioned that into gymnastic stunts such as the splits and flips we see today.
After succeeding as a functional athlete, he felt the desire to build more muscle and size. This began his journey towards a more bodybuilding lifestyle. Fast forward to today and Jujimufu caught eyes for having the physique of a bodybuilder but the nimble movements of a gymnast. It’s a combination you rarely ever see – and it helped him become an internet icon.
While his videos are usually short clips – Jujimufu reveals that there is a massive amount of prep work that goes behind each stunt. He often starts small – with a germ of an idea that he practices to see if it’s possible. As he practices, the idea becomes bigger and bigger. Eventually, it becomes a sort of short form stunt spectacular. It’s at this stage that he has to begin prepping the actual plan for the official video.
The prep for shooting the stunt might be a surprise to many. These aren’t videos he just records on the fly. He spends hours, even sometimes days, preparing for the shoot. He has to make sure the stunt is as safe as possible and also work to get all of the tools he needs to pull it off. This includes getting a small crew together to film – and often a collaborator athlete to bring even more fun and exposure to the clip.
All in all, Jujimufu explains that a one minute stunt video might take hours of prep before it’s done. If you include his earlier practice work – it’s actually a total of days of prep. In a sense, this explains the difference between someone like Jujimufu and the copy cats who just try a stunt on the fly. That’s where the unnecessary injuries happen that cause more conservative folks to worry about the growing trend of viral stunt videos.
Jujimufu is an athlete and doesn’t want to get hurt. So he makes sure to take his videos seriously like they were a job. That means prep time and lots of it. You can watch him explain his entire process in detail by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
