I’m a 76-year-old bodybuilder – I still go to the gym every day and my workouts put younger men to shame
WHEN most people think of a 76-year-old, very few would imagine them hitting the gym daily to work on pumping muscle.
However, this is the secret to staying fit in your later years, according to former bodybuilder Boyer Coe.
Coe was a huge name in the Golden Era of the sport in the 70s and 80s competing with the likes of Frank Zane and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He collected 18 titles during these years including Mr Universe and Mr America.
Following a career spanning over four decades, Coe understands the dedication needed to keep fit and healthy.
He began training at just five years old and now at the age of 76, he still gets himself to the gym every day for a workout.
In an interview with YouTube Channel Sal’s Classic Bodybuilding Archives he said: “I still get up – I go to the gym at five o’clock every morning.”
During his career when preparing for competitions, he had a grueling workout regime that saw him only have one rest day per week.
On Monday he would work chest and back, Tuesday was shoulders and arms, Wednesday was legs.
This routine he completed again the following three days and had a rest day on Sunday.
Despite his continued active lifestyle, Coe admits that there was a “sad thing” about aging that he struggled with.
He explained: “As you get older, the sad thing that bothers me the most…you get sarcopenia.
“No matter how hard you train your muscles just continually go away, and if you’re not careful you create more fat.”
He added: “I always believed at the time I could always keep myself in excellent shape but it started going downhill (the mid-50s) and then when you get to a certain age it really starts hitting you about 70 pretty hard.”
The former weightlifter says that he addresses the issue by “training as hard as I can” and by paying more attention to his diet.
While he can no longer lift what he used to, the impressive sportsman continues to work as hard as he can but admitted that he misses the “pump in the muscle” which he no longer gets.
With a wealth of experience in managing diet and fitness to get a shredded physique, people often ask for his advice.
Coe has one word that he says is the only key piece of advice regardless of age that applies to all aspects of life.
“Regardless of age, the one word to me that’s a secret to life that everybody seems to be afraid of is the word effort,” he said.
“You never accomplish anything without putting some effort into it.”