jujimufu.JPG
An Alabama acrobat and weightlifter has garnered national attention as a contestant on America's Got Talent.
Jujimufu, whose real name is Jon Call, wowed judges in June with a routine where he lifted weights while doing the splits on two chairs. He later lifted judge Heidi Klum, prompting all four judges to give him a resounding "yes."
Call is a self-styled "anabolic acrobat" who has a hefty YouTube and Instagram following and his own fitness brand.
After making it through his audition, he'll be on tonight's "Judge Cut" episode of America's Got Talent at 7 p.m. on NBC.
Call, who lives in Huntsville, Ala., began "tricking" - performing acrobatic tricks - in 2002. He began making videos to teach others the tricks, and a few years ago, launched Acrobolix, a bodybuilding and tricking method that incorporates acrobatics and anabolic workouts.
The 30-year-old fitness leader is now an internet heavyweight, with more than 496,000 Instagram followers and nearly 30,000 YouTube subscribers.
Call blends his athletic ability with a playful goofiness that shows he doesn't take himself too seriously. In a recent Instagram video, he deadlifts 585 pounds five times before ripping off his pants (he's wearing another pair underneath) and dancing joyfully around his gym. The video garnered 150,000 views and more than 800 comments.
Call has been using the online name Jujimufu since age 14, when he signed up for AOL messenger and was forced to try a combination of letters to find a name that wasn't already taken.
He began training for Taekwondo when he was 13, joined a gym at 14 and fell in love with deadlifts and squats. According to his website, acrobolix.com, he resistance trains about six days a week, and during the summer and fall he "tricks" three days a week.
When he's not providing training services and managing Acrobolix, Call is a technical manager for a small biotechnology group.