Meet Marod Jackson of Fountain Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marod Jackson.

Hi Marod, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always loved playing basketball and was on the team a few years but wasn’t very good. After I graduated high school, I began playing basketball a lot more and started working out. As I got better, UCR Womens basketball team let me become a team manager/practice player and they taught me a lot of small details about basketball that really transformed how I see the game if basketball. As my passion for basketball grew, so did my passion for lifting because it made the game easier. That’s where my passion for dunking came too. When I first started, I was barely touching the net but after a few months of only hitting the gym I began touching the backboard and I told myself as I saw that growth that I could dunk one day. I was very on and off over the span of a few years telling myself I could do it and doing specific training splits to increase my vertical but those splits didn’t last very long because I was busy with school or other stuff. However it came towards the end of COVID where I really dedicated myself to working on my body that I saw massive growth in my training. I still couldn’t dunk a basketball, but I was able to do a tennis ball and other smaller items. As a result, it sparked my passion again and since then I have been very consistent with training and eventually got to my first dunk and other trick dunks.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No it wasn’t a smooth road. Many times life has gotten in the way. I didn’t start working out until college, I was studying to become an engineer so school took up a lot of time, and sometimes I just felt burnt out. Time management and balance became very crucial aspects in my life.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Most of my content now consists of health and fitness. I focus more on athletic movements and mobility. I like to say the best athlete is one that can stay healthy. I’m most proud of seeing my workouts and content affect people that I know or see and it actually helps them grow and help them achieve their goals. I think what sets me apart from others is that my background really isn’t from basketball and weightlifiting. I started off as a runner and transitioned to these things later than most. However, I was able to put in the time and learn a lot about what I do now and I’m able to pass that information I learned to others so they can grow faster than I did hopefully.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
All my friends have supported me the entire time. I think special recognition should go to the UC Riverside women’s basketball team and staff because they played a big role in me learning a lot about basketball. As far as training and weightlifting there’s a lot of creators such as Isaiah Rivera that I was able to learn fundamentals from and tailor my workouts to what works for me.

One thing I would also like to mention is that there are a lot of good creators and information out there but one of the most important things I’ve learned is that if you don’t like what you’re doing, whether that be an exercise or whatever, it’s much harder to stay consistent and work towards the goal or bigger picture.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_mar0d?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@_marod?_t=ZT-8xXEsPbSdS3&_r=1