FitOldies

I created this page mostly for your workout motivation. 

I want you to be convinced once again that it is possible to be in excellent physical form until old age and that adult sports can radically change your life for the better.

Here will be stories of people who devoted their lives to bodybuilding or calisthenics. And these are not only famous athletes. But also fitness enthusiasts like you and me, who achieved impressive results in body transformation thanks to their perseverance.

This page won’t be static. I will constantly add new characters to it. You can help me with this too. If you know athletes who deserve attention or if you want to tell me your story of transformation, please contact me.

I really hope that my little project named “FitOldies” will help you find the answer to the eternal question of how to find the motivation to workout.

My board of honor:

• Robby Robinson
• Ernestine Shepard
• Jeffry Life
• Andy Wilkinson
• Chester Yorton (R.I.P.)
• Andrei Didukh
• Sylvester Stallone
• Vladimir Smirnov
• Chuando Tan
• Russel Clark
• Jim Arrington
• Joseph Sinagoga
• Renee Landers
• Tony Lynch
• Dorian Yates
• Ian Duckett

Robby Robinson: born May 24, 1946

Robby, also known as The Black Prince, is one of the brightest representatives of the “golden era” of bodybuilding. He is the holder of the titles Mr. America, IFBB Mr. World, Mr. Universe, and the first-ever owner of Masters Olympia. He was on a par with such “icons” as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Denny Gable, Bob Birdsong and Franco Columbu. In the photo below, Robby Robinson is 76 years old. He continues to train regularly in the legendary Gold’s Gym, and remains one of the best workout motivation examples.

Ernestine Shepard: born June 16, 1936

Ernestine got a truly amazing shape for her age. Moreover, she does not hide the fact that she is already 86 years old. Also, she constantly emphasizes that namely regular physical activity helps to keep her body strong and fit. Ernestine is known as the oldest competitive female bodybuilder in the world. She even managed to get into the Guinness Book of Records in 2010 thanks to this. 

Ernestine assures us that there is no secret to her achievements. Only ambition, training, and proper nutrition. She takes about 1700 calories a day. The basis of her diet is boiled egg whites, chicken, and vegetables.

Jeffry Life: born in July 1938

Many of us saw pix of this elderly man with the body of a 35-year-old athlete. But far few of us know his history. 

Jeffrey is a doctor, a therapist. Until the age of 60, he knew nothing about sports and suffered from being overweight. But he did a truly heroic step when began to train, and lost 25 kg of weight. In addition, he got wedded to running and swimming. Really famous all over the world Jeffrey became by releasing the book “The Life Plan”, in which he tells how to prolong youth and slow down the aging of the body. 

«We can’t stop that aging process, but we can definitely manage it”, – sure Jeffrey.

Jeffry Life is another example of how you can completely change yourself in adulthood. This is a strong workout motivation. Do you agree? 

Andy Wilkinson: born in 1964

I know Andy personally. He isn’t a professional athlete. But bodybuilding and physical activity is the way of his life. Although Andy started training at a fairly mature age when he was already over 30. But, as you can see, he got great success in building muscles. Now he is 58 and young guys can envy his body.

Andy believes that apart from training it’s very important to keep a sleep regime, not be nervous and eat right. One of the principles of Andy’s diet is: “The older we get, the fewer carbohydrates we need”.

Wilkinson is the happy father of three daughters and grandfather of seven grandchildren.

Chester Yorton: born in 1940 – died November 21, 2020

Unfortunately, Chester Yorton is no longer with us. He passed away about two years ago. But he is a kind of legend, so I decided to spare a thought about him. The history of Chester is unique. He was in a terrible car accident in his youth and got serious raptures of the pelvis. In addition, doctors planned to amputate his leg. But Yorton didn’t give up. He began to train and achieved state-of-the-art results. In 1996 he defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger at the NABBA amateur Mr. Universe in London. Also, Yorton was dubbed “The Father of Natural Bodybuilding”.

Chester Yorton is an example of great willpower, courage, and determination. R.I.P.

Andrei Didukh: born in 1950

You won’t find this man on Instagram or Facebook. He doesn’t lift the barbells and he has no awards or medals. But in his 72 years, he makes people stare at his excellent physical form and relief athletic body.

Andrei is an alpinist, a rock-climber. His secondary name is “Spiderman”. Because he easily conquers rocks without piton belay and shows the craziest tricks. Andrei’s main secret to longevity is very simple: «Move as much as it’s possible!». He trains daily for at least 3 hours, and eats little. Also, there is no sugar or starch in his diet.

Andrei says that he feels like 30 years old man. What could be better than this workout motivation!

Sylvester Stallone: born July 6, 1946

Everybody knows him. This is a man with many names – Rocky, Rambo, Judge Dredd. Of course, I talk about Sylvester Stallone. He’s an icon for those who were born in the 1970-1980s. Many of us keep in mind Sly as an actor in action movies and crime dramas. But his life is also concerned with sports.

Due to the birth trauma (partial face paralysis), Stallone was often ridiculed in his childhood. To be able to stick up for himself young Sly began to train in a gym. Now Rocky is 76 years old. He still doesn’t part with the barbell and loves heavy loads. And his physical form deserves respect.

Also Sly continues his acting career. In November 2022 we’ll see a series starring him called “Tulsa King”.

Vladimir Smirnov: born in 1949

This is another unique story about the man who proved that age is just a number. Vladimir started his sports path after 60 yo It’s already amazing. But the most breathtaking thing is that even at a hoary age, he achieved impressive results. Vladimir trains daily. His workout length is about an hour. He does pull-ups, performs ring muscle-ups, and trains static elements. When Vladimir was 70 years old, he set his record and did 44 pull-ups in a row. What about nutrition? Vladimir eats three times a day. He has two breakfasts and lunch, from 17.00 to 8.00 is a food break. The athlete also practices therapeutic fasting. By the way, Vladimir got a YouTube channel. So, if you need motivation to workout, subscribe to it and be inspired by his results!

Chuando Tan: born March 3, 1966

Can you believe this man is 56 yo? Meet Chuando Tan, another “genetic unicum”, this time from Singapore. He’s a fashion model and photographer. But Chuando became really popular thanks to his amazing body form. At 56 years, he looks like an 18 yo athlete. Chuando says that our youth and appearance depend 70% on food and 30% on exercise. That’s why he trains every day, including 4 times a week strength training. He doesn’t eliminate cardio and loves to swim. Chuando is very careful about his diet. Every morning he eats six eggs. Also, his menu consists of chicken, rice, grilled vegetables, and fish soup. Our hero doesn’t smoke and doesn’t drink alcohol. Honestly, I would be happy to look like Chuando when I’ll be over 50. And you?

Russel Clark: born in 1961

I found this man purely accidentally when I was looking for my next post images. Russel’s not famous. He doesn’t have a blown Instagram page. But Clark’s excellent example of motivation to workout because he’s a lifetime natural bodybuilder. Also, he’s the author of his own methodology called Adaptive Resistance Training. And at the age of more than 60 years (unfortunately, I don’t know the exact date of his birth), Clark has an impressive physical shape. Look at the photo below, his body is louder than words. By the way, Russell is also a professional photographer and loves to play drums. He is a truly versatile person!

Jim Arrington: born September 1, 1932

It should seem, we saw enough adult athletes. And nothing can surprise us. But… Meet Jim Arrington, a 90 yo bodybuilder. Yes, this isn’t a joke. This man was born the same year as my late grandmother. But he breaks the generally accepted stereotypes about old people. Because Jim continues to train and he is in a great shape for his age. Jim Arrington started his path in bodybuilding when he was 15 y.o. Since that time he lifts hammer away. Furthermore, in 2018 Jim hit the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest competitive bodybuilder. He also still takes part in bodybuilding competitions throughout USA. So what, do you still need workout motivation, and you think that you’re too old for sports?

Joseph Sinagoga: born in 1962

Joseph Sinagoga is also known as Central Park Joe. His nickname is directly aligned with the place where he usually trains. This is Central Park in New York, rather its’ part to the west of the 55-acre Great Lawn area. Joe claims that exercising outdoors is bloody effective and brings more health benefits than gym workouts. And Sinagoga demonstrates the veracity of these words by himself. At 60 he has a strong body and sculpted muscles. Although at a younger age, Joe looked completely different. He was obese and had health problems due to his overweight. Therefore, in the mid-1990s, Joe decided to end his former lifestyle and started working out. And over time, his passion for sports became his profession. Joe quit his job at the wine store and started coaching people. So don’t think if you are already over 40, it’s too late to change something. Just look at Joe and go!

Renee Landers: born in 1952

A native of Houston, Texas, Renee Landers, at age 69, competed in a bodybuilding contest for the first time in her life and became the winner. It happened a year ago. Today, Renee is 70 years old, but she assures that she feels more attractive than in her 20s. Renee has gone through a difficult path to the body of her dreams. She started training in 2010 after a difficult operation on her back. However, regular workouts and insistence gave a fantastic result. Rene visits the gym 5 times a week. She also adheres to a pescatarian diet and keeps her energy intake at the level of 1700-2000 calories per day. Rene believes that it’s very important to stay active at any age. Because movement is life. Also, she loves to mention that none of us should limit ourselves because of the birth year. «Forget about it. It doesn’t matter», – insists Renee.

Tony Lynch: born in 1969

This guy’s name is Tony Lynch and he’s 53. I doubt that you’ll find much information about him on Google. But this is don’t understate his accomplishment. He is one of us who decided to write off his past life and change himself. Tony weighed 215 pounds in 2010 and looked like most men who avoid physical activity. However, during 12 years, Tony has shown an amazing transformation. He turned his body into something to be proud of and successfully tried his hand at competitive bodybuilding. Tony received an IFBB Pro card in the Men’s Physique category. Moreover, neither excess weight nor age prevented him from achieving this goal. Besides, Tony says, he is very motivated by his two sons, because he wants to be for them an example to follow.

Dorian Yates: born April 19, 1962

Dorian Yates is another prominent representative of the «Golden era» of bodybuilding. Together with such persons as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Larry Scott, he will go down in the history of the «iron» sport. Dorian Yates conquered a peak of Olympia 6 times. But due to an injury, he had to leave competitive bodybuilding. However, he didn’t give up the sport and in his 60s Yates is still in great physical shape. Moreover, Dorian revised the training philosophy and began to devote more time to cardio, stretching, plus mental and spiritual health. «When training with weights nowadays, I use a moderate weight just to maintain muscle and strength. Ask yourself what you need and you should work on this, instead of being comfortable», – Yates says.

Ian Duckett: born in 1966

Ian Duckett is a lifetime natural bodybuilder and powerlifter from Great Britain. His nickname on Instagram is «oldbutstrong». And it is no more than fitting that Jan chose such a to-name for himself. He is already 57 years old but is still strong and he boasts excellent muscles. Moreover, Ian published a book with a similar title in 2021: «Old But Strong: A No Nonsense Approach to Lifelong Training for Ageing Weights Warriors». Ian’s total training experience exceeds 36 years. This is how he describes his love for bodybuilding: «Having competed in natural bodybuilding for most of my competitive life, I am a natural for life athlete». By the way, Ian Duckett is the title holder Natural Mr. Britain and among his close comrades is the well-known Robbie Robinson. Ian continues to train actively and works as a fitness coach. He is also the author of several books and many articles on how to build the perfect body and stay active at any age.