I’ve competed in many sports throughout my life, including soccer, track and field, rugby, football, submission grappling, powerlifting and rowing. The sport that has had the most impact on me has without question been bodybuilding.
I discovered bodybuilding in my early teens and have been in love with the process of designing my physique (and my mind) ever since. Bodybuilding helped me to build confidence and self-esteem. It helped to improve my performance in all of the aforementioned sports. Bodybuilding has been integral to my career as a performance coach and indirectly allowed me to meet my lovely wife, with whom we have two beautiful children. Without the gift of bodybuilding, I can’t even imagine how my life would be. And now as I navigate the Longevity Path, I appreciate how powerful a tool bodybuilding can be to help people age well.
Competitive bodybuilding often gets a bad rap because of the pervasiveness of performance-enhancing drugs (which are ubiquitous in just about every sport). However, people lose sight of the fact that training in a bodybuilding style is the best way to build and preserve muscle mass and to offset the effects of sarcopenia (age-associated muscle degeneration).
A well-designed bodybuilding program builds strength and resilience, future-proofs the body, improves quality of life and reduces the risk of falling, which is one of the leading causes of injury and death among seniors.
There is much to be learned from many of the legends of professional bodybuilding, especially those who competed during the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s. Take Vince Taylor for example. Now in his mid-60’s, he has a physique that most 20-year olds would gladly take. Taylor is a testament to the reward that comes from consistent bodybuilding-style training, which means moderate to high repetition using a wide variety of exercises to target muscles from different angles.
Bodybuilding legends Bill Grant and Robby Robinson are two more incredible examples of the anti-aging power of bodybuilding. Bill Grant is a former Mr. America and Mr. World bodybuilding champion who is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. At 75 years old, his physique is simply incredible. Bill has been quoted as saying bodybuilding training “is all about longevity.” A scary episode with diverticulitis some years ago reaffirmed his commitment to health and wellness and he continues to preach the merits of a bodybuilding lifestyle to his personal training clients (yes, he’s still coaching clients at 75!).
Robby Robinson is easily one of the most decorated bodybuilding champions in history. Known as “The Black Prince” he competed professionally for almost 30 years, winning every show conceivable including the Masters Olympia at 54 years of age. Now at 76 years old, his physique is off the charts impressive and he still coaches others to help them achieve their fitness goals. Robinson credits hard work and his mindset for all of his success.
Last but certainly not least, we have the ageless wonder in bodybuilding icon Albert Beckles. As of this writing, Mr. Beckles is 92 years old and still going strong. Time virtually stood still for Al Beckles during his bodybuilding career. His first competition was way back in 1965 when he entered the Mr. Britain championships. Fast forward 26 years and at the ripe age of 61, Beckles would go on to win the Niagara Falls Pro Invitational, defeating competitors over 30 years his junior!
The most important insight I gathered while researching the lives of all of the aforementioned bodybuilders was the mantra “stimulate, don’t annihilate.” A phrase commonly attributed to eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney (a fine example of longevity himself), this philosophy essentially means to work just hard enough to elicit an adaptation (more muscle, strength and/or endurance) and no harder. Pushing the limits of intensity too often will invariably lead to insufficient recovery and can inhibit progress.
Following this strategy has clearly helped Vince Taylor, Bill Grant, Robby Robinson, Al Beckles and others to thrive well into their senior years while many of their contemporaries have either burnt out or been forced to stop as a result of too many injuries.