Big Jim Hoskinson is a top level 308-lb lifter. Jim has a huge 1100-lb squat under his belt, and he backs up that squat by benching and deadlifting over 700 lbs. Jim’s best total is 2500. He owns his own gym where he works with athletes, powerlifters, and people who are looking to get in better shape. Jim is kind of known as being a gentle giant…or at least that’s how I remember him. The guy has a burning passion for training not only himself but the members of his gym.
JA: Big Jim, first off, where the heck does that nickname come from? I just don’t get it.
JH: I’m not sure how that nickname came about because I’m not really that big. Powerlifters have called me Big Jim over the past few years and my family just laughs at it. I don’t really care what they call me. Most of the time I think it’s cool that people even talk to me.
JA: After seeing some of your recent numbers and seeing you squat in person, it seems like lifting comes very easy to you. Are you just genetically mutated or has this been a work in progress?
JH: Lifting does not come easy. Unfortunately, none of my athletic endeavors in life have ever come easy. I was always the guy who worked really hard. I’ve been competing in powerlifting aside from a few “for fun” meets for a little over four years. I consider myself a strong but poor lifter. I’m nothing but a work in progress.
JA: How much did you weigh when you started lifting? What did you total in your first meet?
JH: I started lifting as a result of a goal to walk again. I was 255 lbs when I started lifting. This is at the point when I had rehabbed myself enough to walk and train again. (I still walk pretty funny). I entered my first contest at 270 lbs and totaled 1950.
JA: Walk again? Can you explain what happened? How in the world did you rehab yourself from not being able to walk to being able to handle 1100 lbs across your back?
JH: It’s a fairly long story. Therefore, let me give you the short version. I used to be part of a Christian strength evangelistic team. They were called Team Impact. I was lifting a log over my head and lost my footing. The log came down on me, tearing my quads and rupturing the patella tendons in both my legs at the same time.
As far as rehab goes, I pulled the sled for 182 days straight for one mile at noon. After completing that, I started squatting and lifting under Louie Simmons’ guidance. I also received help from Garry Frank, Joe Ladiner, and Russ Barlow. I want to point out that Louie Simmons did not know me or the magnitude of my condition when he started helping me. I did not do anything to deserve his kindness or help. It is because of this help and direction that I have been able to achieve what I have in powerlifting. I will never be able to repay him, and I will be forever in his debt.
JA: Have you lifted in other federations? Have you lifted single ply?
JH: I’ve lifted in the APF, WPC, IPA, and APA, and I did train under Marc Bartley’s coaching for four months to do an unsanctioned raw meet. I loved it, and I will lift raw again.
JA: What kind of numbers did you do raw?
JH: I did an 840-lb squat that I walked out, a 535-lb bench, and a 700-lb deadlift. They were done with only a belt. The video of these lifts can be seen on www.southcarolinabarell.com as part of the article I did for Marc about this training cycle.
JA: When getting ready for a raw meet, how do you train?
JH: I trained for ten weeks solely under the guidance of Marc Bartley. I have the utmost respect for Marc as a lifter and teacher. He taught me kettlebells and the importance of deloading. I went on the same Westside routine that I have used, but on my max effort days, I did triples, not singles. I took a deload week after three weeks and then went into another three-week wave. I used 1- or 2-boards only on the bench and used chains with my bands on the squat. I didn’t use a box for the squat for the last six weeks of the lifting cycle. I spent time at the end of the max effort squat day to practice walking out with weight. I used more weight each week so that I would have confidence in my legs taking a step backward.
JA: That is an amazing story! Give me a run down of what a training week looks like for you?
JH: A training week for me centers on the limited time I have with my wife and son and my responsibilities for my two businesses. I do a morning conditioning session 3–4 days a week because I believe I have weak points and I don’t want to get above 308 lbs. I also seem to be growing the longer that I train in powerlifting.
My workouts are five days a week with two ME days, two DE days, and an assistance day. These workouts are done at noon or 8:00 pm. They last between 2–3 hours. The morning session lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. My wife is studying to be a massage therapist and is really helping me with my stretching and recovery. In addition, it’s one more excuse to have some much needed time with her.
JA: What does a pre-meet squat cycle look for you?
JH: My squat cycle, as with my entire lifting cycle, has never had anything but a meet in mind. When I get done with a meet, I immediately set up my goals and schedule for the next meet. The shortest meet cycle that I’ve ever done is the one I just started for the meet on March 16. The longest was 15 weeks. I do between four and six meets per year. There are certain constants on my squat cycle that you might be interested in. One week from the contest I do 60 percent of my best equipped max raw with no belt for five sets of three every five minutes. The week before that I do 20 lbs lighter than my opener with no knee wraps for one rep. The week before that I do 90 percent of my meet goal for a double with no knee wraps, and the week prior to that I do my heaviest single that I can totally equipped. I hope I’ve been clear on this. There are so many other variables and assistance work involved with dynamic and max effort work, but what I shared with you are the constants of all my squat cycles.
JA: From reading some of the EliteFTS.com Q&As, it seems like you have a solid nutrition plan. What is your diet like?
JH: I eat the same thing except if I have to deliver drinks on my distribution company’s route or if I have to travel. My wife and I prepare the meals twice a week for the entire week. We eat out every Saturday night. It’s like a ritual. Other than that, I eat the same thing at the same time of the day every day. All meals are protein based with different forms of dairy, meat, or egg proteins. My complex carbs are in the morning and mid-day and are always natural rice, oats and grains, or sweet potatoes. My vegetables are in the middle and end of my day and include green beans or broccoli. My essential fats come from flax seed oil, olive oil, and nuts. I have an apple every day with my dairy protein, and I have certain supplements year round and certain supplements three weeks before a contest. I take certain herbs for health and circulation for my legs to help me repair the damage from my injury. My goal is never to go over 308 lbs. I only want to become leaner if I have to, but I will not let myself get above 308 lbs.
JA: Jim, could you tell us what an average day of eating looks like for you? Lay out a sample day for the readers of EliteFTS.com please.
JH: At about 4:00 am, I have a protein shake with a banana. Around 7:00 am, I have oatmeal, protein powder, and flax seed oil. Around 10:00 am, I have cottage cheese, fruit, and nuts. Around 1:00–2:00 pm, I have red meat, rice, and green beans. At 3:00 pm, I have my pre-workout drink and then I workout. At 6:00 pm, I again eat red meat or fish and sweet potatoes. At 9:00 pm, I have egg whites and grits, and at 11:30 pm, I drink my protein shake (no carbs) with water. At 12:15 pm, it’s bedtime. I only vary from this when traveling or when I have to make deliveries. I weigh between 303–308 lbs all the time.
JA: Your strict eating and dedication to staying healthy reminds me a lot of myself. Most powerlifters eat like big fat disgusting pigs.
JH: Here is a free look into my cell volumizing, fat destroying diet program. For those in the loop, it’s CVFD.
I wake myself up because I stop breathing from apnea at 2:00 am.
I smoke through two king-sized packs of peanut butter cups and some Little Debbies.
At 4:00 am, I have an acid reflux, artificial peanut butter cup, puke burp.
I wash that down with Twix Peanut Butter sticks and a king-sized fast break.
At 8:00 am, I have four egg McMuffins, two hash browns, a large OJ, and a large coffee
From 8:10–12:30 pm, I poop.
*My watch beeps every two hours telling me it’s time to eat again. This is a huge key to the diet. You must stay in an anabolic state at all times. This may sound like it conflicts with my bathroom time, but it really doesn’t. Eating while on the bowl may seem nasty to some, but I call it dedication.
At 10:00 am, it’s donuts, 4–5 sets of ten.
At 1:00 pm, I have some kind of gigantic samich (yes, samich). At this point in the day, my heart burn is so bad that my eyes are watering!
At 3:00 pm, I have a large vanilla shake from Jack in the Box and a Jumbo Jack.
At 5:00 pm, I order Chinese food because of the high sodium content. This pushes my veins through the skin. They often look like they are going to burst!
At 7:00 pm, I consume one pint of Ben and Jerry’s. By the way, if you take the lid off of a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and then just discard the lid into the trash, it’s a sign that you are a fat ass. You had no intentions of ever just eating half. In fact, the thought probably never even crossed your mind until I just brought it up.
At 9:00 pm, I have one bag of peanut, peanut butter, and chocolate M&Ms. You take all three bags and dump them into a bowl. You just never know which treat you will get next.
At 10:00 pm, I pass out into a diabetic coma until 2:00 am. And REPEAT!
JA: Why have you decided to eat healthy?
JH: I’ve always eaten pretty healthy. I’ve owned a gym now for 16 years and have always lived a healthy lifestyle. I’ve only gone over 260 pounds progressively over the past four years because I’ve been powerlifting. I’ve gained weight because I wanted to, and I eat cleaner and cleaner trying not to gain anymore than the 308-lb weight class allows.
JA: Why do you feel the need to stay below 308 lbs?
JH: I do not feel that a person has to be bigger to be stronger. I feel the bigger you get, the less quality of life you have to a point. I did not start powerlifting on an applied serious level until I was 38-years-old. Until that point, my lifting was centered on my physique, and I participated in many endurance activities.
JA: Does this type of eating really help you on the platform?
JH: I don’t know if it helps me, but I don’t think it hurts me. I think that over a lifting cycle of several weeks, your eating routine should be just as disciplined. Any adjustments that should be made will be made over that course of time so when you get to the platform, it’s just like another workout. My eating the day before and morning of a contest is the same as every other day.
JA: Jim, what does your shopping list look like?
JH: Well, I’m blessed enough that my wife goes to the grocery store, and she’s beyond a list. My proteins are eggs, chicken, lean ground beef, t-bone steaks, tuna, and cottage cheese. My carbs are oatmeal, rice, and sweet potatoes. My essential fats are natural peanut butter, flax seed oil, almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. My vegetables are broccoli, green beans, and tossed salad. And my fruits are cantaloupe and apples. Diet green tea, diet root beer, and propel are my non-water drinks. I don’t drink very much milk. I have two protein shakes a day with skim milk, and aside from the occasional trip to the sushi bar, that’s about it.
JA: How would you advise a high school football player on how to gain 15–20 lbs?
JH: I’d first ask him to set a time to talk with me with his parents. I would tell them to get him off soda and fast food, cut out sucrose sugar, and consume clean carbs, whole milk dairy products, and an assortment of good protein. I personally do not eat pork or shellfish. I would tell them to stay away from fried food, but all meals should consist of a good protein and a good carbohydrate, even if you have to make the food and have him take it with him at lunch. I would add bananas and yogurt to his protein shakes. This is all under the assumption that he’s a fairly lean, athletic football player. Not knowing the details of his lifestyle, this would be a start.
JA: How do you advice clients on how to lose body fat?
JH: The first thing I do is tell them to cut out fried food, bread, sugar (sucrose), and whole milk dairy products. You replace the fried food that they’re eating with baked or grilled proteins, the whole milk products with non-fat dairy products, and the regular soda for diet soda. Get your sweets through fruits in the morning and start from there. If they show me that they can do this over several days, then I can help suggest an eating routine that includes protein based meals at certain times (staying away from pork) with natural, complex carbohydrates in the beginning and middle part of the day and essential fats with a protein in the afternoon and evening. I also have them drink a lot of water.
JA: Tell me about the gym that you own. Is that a place for just big fat power bears to lift, grunt, and spit?
JH: My gym is different than most. However, for 11 years, I owned a big commercial gym, which evolved into a Powerhouse franchise. It did very well, but I had no fulfillment. I wanted to open a gym where there was no charge for personal training and nutritional advice, where the mission was to get somebody in shape whether they were 15 or 90 and where a person gets stronger physically, mentally, and sometimes spiritually. So I moved to Florida and opened this up and have been running it like this for seven years. I have moved the location a few times, but I’m in a small town with about 450 members. We average 200 workouts a day. We are open until midnight. Only my family works here, and the powerlifters have their own room totally equipped. It’s also open to athletes and hardcore lifters. I don’t believe in classes or frills. Everybody here is treated with respect, and I get involved with the members. I write and design all eating plans and workouts. I put in between 12–16 hours a day, Monday through Friday and 6–8 hours a day on the weekends. It provides me and my family with a comfortable lifestyle.
JA: What kind of programs do you write up for kids who train for athletics?
JH: This is a very broad question that I feel I can’t answer adequately in this format. I will tell you that my programs are extremely personalized around specific goals that my client and I are both committed to.
JA: Ok, I see you like role playing. I’m a 15-year-old boy. I’m an offensive linemen and I need to gain strength and size so that I can see more playing time next year. I also would love to play ball in college. So basically I want to be jacked! I’m 6’1”, 230 lbs. I also need to work on my quickness. I have no injuries, and I’m ready to work hard. What kind of program should I follow over the next few months so that I can stomp people on the field next year?
JH: First, I would make sure that I had a good idea of his past experience on the field and in the weight room. I’d have him work out four days a week with the fifth day a day where he could be on his own doing speed work in the form of different variables of sprinting, bleachers, and various other agility drills. His weight room work would consist of lower body and explosive work on day one and day three and upper body explosive work on day two and day four.
I would combine this with a basic nutrition plan and a disciplined stretching plan. As an example, day one would include band box plyo jumps, box squats, rack pulls, walking lunges, high rep leg extensions, and sled pulling. Obviously, I wouldn’t do all of these in the same day. I would rotate different amounts of them. On day three, I would do tire flips, Prowler sprints, side to side plyo’s, grappler, high pulls, good mornings, and kettlebell cleans. On day two, I’d have him bench and do various military presses and delt work with chains and dips. On day four, he’d do different forms of benching, upright rows, and different forms of upper back work. I’d have him do abdominals on two of these days.
JA: Do you have a team of powerlifters?
JH: I’m so proud to say yes, but I must admit to you that it’s a team of benchers. I have two powerlifters and 12 benchers. However, until six months ago, I had no team, just friends in the gym willing to spot me and my wife pulling the monolift lever.
JA: It sounds like an awesome gym. What is the name of it and where is it located? Do you have a website for the gym?
JH: The name is Ironworks Gym and it’s in Callahan, Florida. The website will be up sometime in March. On my website, you’ll be able to buy an assortment of supplements as well as the Stand Strong clothing line and various other items.
JA: What are your favorite exercises for the upper body?
JH: I don’t have a favorite upper body exercise, but the shoulders are my favorite muscle group to work in the upper body.
JA: What are your favorite exercises for the lower body?
JH: My favorite lower body exercise is pulling the sled.
JA: What are your current goals in powerlifting?
JH: My current goal in powerlifting is to accomplish a respectable total by USPF standards in a single ply meet.
JA: It is great to have you part of Team EliteFTS.com Best of luck to you and your family.
I look forward to seeing what you can do next. If there’s anyone you’d like to thank or acknowledge, please do so here.
JH: I want to first thank my wife for believing that I could overcome until I started to believe. I want to thank the members of my gym and the clients I have in my distribution business for giving me the opportunity to earn their trust. I’d like to thank Louie Simmons for taking the time to help me and for continuing to help me. I’d like to thank Marc Bartley and Jim Wendler for giving me advice when I needed it, even when they were busy. I’d like to thank Dave Tate for giving me a forum in which I can share information and help people, and I’d like to thank you for thinking I was even worthy of an interview.