From a top-10 finish at Mr. Olympia to stepping away from the bodybuilding scene, that’s the story of Justin Compton, a man who rode serious momentum throughout the 2010s.

He stepped away from the sport, retiring, in a move that raised more questions than answers. Years later, he has finally come forward to explain why.

Sitting down with Muscle & Strength, Justin explained that it all began in 2016, when an infection he developed turned septic. He went to the hospital after it was too late, and had to spend two weeks there recovering. What he never really realised was that he also had a shoulder injury

“It started hitting me in a way cuz I’m left-handed. I couldn’t make a right turn with my car. I physically couldn’t drive. Like, I’m trying to drive like this to try to turn. So, like, that was all — I’d say that was the end of January. So I’m dealing with this septic infection. Then I deal with the shoulder,” said Crompton.

With time, the pain increased tremendously, but he kept himself sane with medication. However, according to him, he should have undergone the surgery back then:

“ I ended up getting the surgery in 2023, I think, or 2022. So, like, seven years, I sat there and dealt with pain in my shoulder for seven years cuz I just kept thinking, like, it would come and go.”

This was the reason why he was looking to compete in 2017, but since his health had already declined significantly and he had lost substantial muscle, he chose to back out.

However, that was not the end of his struggles. He struggled with Pneumonia, Gallbladder Scare, depression, and much more.

What’s Justin Compton's Training Philosophy?

During the time he was competing, Justin Compton had an amazing physique that rivaled the greats of that era. Many wondered about his philosophy, and in 2020, he revealed it during a conversation with Muscle & Fitness.

“High volume with heavy weights and very little rest time. Every set should be very demanding. Just because the poundage is light doesn’t mean the weight is supposed to feel light. It should always feel heavy,” he revealed.

After back-to-back scares, he returned to training but never tried competing again.

What do you think? Would you choose recovery over fame?

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Joyita Das