John Meadows a Beloved Bodybuilder And Coach Has Passed Away at 49

We’re extremely sad to report on the death of bodybuilding and fitness legend John Meadows who reportedly died of a pulmonary embolism in his sleep on Sunday, August 8th, 2021, according to a source.

Meadows, who also went by ‘Mountain Dog,’ was 49 when he passed. 

He suffered a heart attack in early 2020 and was able to share his experience on YouTube, of which he explained that there were blood clots in his arteries. 

Watch: Bodybuilder John Meadows Describes Recent Heart Attack Scare

And while things may have seemed to have been alright for a little while, his sudden death came as a shock to the bodybuilding and fitness community. 

The following message was posted to Facebook by Brooke Nappo on behalf of Meadows’ wife Mary.

“Dear Friends & Family,I am posting this on behalf of Mary. This morning John passed away unexpectedly and peacefully in their home.

As you can imagine, this is a complete shock to her and the boys. She will update as soon as she can.

Please know she is very thankful for all the prayers and support she knows her and the boys will receive from you all.-Brooke Nappo”

Rare colon disease

Meadows suffered from a rare colon disease in his earlier years which affected his ambitions to compete as a top-level bodybuilder. 

It got so bad that his colon burst which almost killed him. After this experience, he knew it was time to call it quits and retired from the sport in 2017. 

Bodybuilding competition history

John Meadows competed in his first show at the very young age of 13. It’s safe to say he was hooked after that experience although he finished dead last to older competitors in the 13-17 age category. 

‘Mountain Dog’ went on to win several competitions before his health forced him to hang up his posing trunks. 

However, his sheer will and determination to push through obstacles and earn his Pro card were something to be admired.

Bodybuilding taught him a lot and allowed him to train many of the world’s best competitors including 212 Mr. Olympia champion Shaun Clarida. 

Meadows also frequently posted fitness-related content to his YouTube where he’d often collaborate with other industry figures.

You can see his contest results below. 

1997

Physique – NPC, Light-HeavyWeight, 2nd

1998

Junior USA – NPC, Light-HeavyWeight, 6th

1999

Jan Tana Amateur – NPC, Overall Winner

Jan Tana Amateur – NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st

USA Championships – NPC, HeavyWeight, 4th

2000

USA Championships – NPC, HeavyWeight, 8th

2001

Collegiate Nationals – NPC, Overall Winner

Collegiate Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st

USA Championships – NPC, HeavyWeight, 13th

2002

Eastern USA Championships – NPC, HeavyWeight, 3rd

Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 10th

2004

North American Championships – IFBB, HeavyWeight, 4th

2005

Los Angeles Championships – NPC, HeavyWeight, 4th

USA Championships – NPC, HeavyWeight, 13th

2007

North American Championships – IFBB, HeavyWeight, Did not place

2010

North American Championships – IFBB, Light-HeavyWeight, 12th

2011

North American Championships – IFBB, HeavyWeight, 9th

2012

Masters Nationals – NPC, Masters 40+ HeavyWeight, 2nd

North American Championships – IFBB, Masters 35+ HeavyWeight, 7th

North American Championships – IFBB, Masters 40+ HeavyWeight, 2nd

North American Championships – IFBB, HeavyWeight, 7th

2013

Masters Nationals – NPC, Masters 35+ Super-HeavyWeight, 3rd

Masters Nationals – NPC, Masters 40+ Super-HeavyWeight, 2nd

2014

Masters Nationals – NPC, Masters 35+ Super-HeavyWeight, 2nd

Masters Nationals – NPC, Masters 40+ Super-HeavyWeight, 4th

Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 6th

Team Universe Championships – NPC, Masters 35+ HeavyWeight, 6th

Team Universe Championships – NPC, Masters 40+ HeavyWeight, 5th

2015

Tampa Pro Championships – IFBB, LightWeight, 3rd

Team Universe Championships – NPC, Masters 40+ HeavyWeight, 1st

Team Universe Championships – NPC, Masters Overall Winner

Team Universe Championships – NPC, Masters MiddleWeight, 1st

Texas Pro Championships – IFBB, LightWeight, 5th

Vancouver Pro Championships – IFBB, LightWeight, 5th

2016

Arctic Pro – IFBB, LightWeight, 5th

Arnold Classic – IFBB, LightWeight, 9th

Charlotte Pro – IFBB, LightWeight, 6th

Chicago Pro Championships – IFBB, LightWeight, 10th

Europa Dallas – IFBB, LightWeight, 4th

Toronto Pro – IFBB, LightWeight, 10th

2017

California Pro – IFBB, Did not place

Muscle Mayhem Kansas Pro – IFBB, 14th

The bodybuilding community mourns the passing of John Meadows

Many have paid tribute in honor of John Meadows’s life through social posts. He was well-liked by anyone he crossed paths with and his contributions will be forever impactful. 

Renowned coach Chad Nicholls:

I’m not even sure how to respond to this – he was a great man and somebody I truly admired – everybody knows he was a great coach but he was an even better person a great man a great father an absolute heart of gold and somebody that will truly be missed