Unlock the Surprising Daily Habit That Keeps the World’s Oldest Bodybuilder Stronger Than Men Half His Age!

Ever wonder what it takes to flip the script on a rough start in life and turn it into a legendary tale of strength? Jim Arrington wasn’t just your typical kid—born premature and battling health hurdles, his teen years in the 1940s sparked a fire when he decided to channel his inner superhero and hit the gym. Fast forward seven decades, and here’s the kicker: at 90 years old, Jim is still pumping iron at Gold’s Gym, the oldest professional bodybuilder on the planet, showing us all that age really is just a number—albeit one with some serious muscle behind it. His secret? Listening to his body, adapting his workouts, and completely revamping his diet to keep inflammation at bay. It’s a masterclass in evolution—not just in bodybuilding but in life itself. Curious how a kid from the past morphed into a living world record and inspiration-machine? Dive in and get ready to rethink what “old” really means. LEARN MORE

Jim Arrington was born premature, and suffered from a variety of health conditions throughout his childhood. As a teenager in the late 1940s, that began to change when he decided that he wanted to become strong like his favorite superheroes, and started going to the gym.

Seven decades later, Jim is still a fixture at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, training for two hours at least twice a week. His last bodybuilding competition was in 2022, and he says he has no plans to retire, which means that at 90 years old, he officially holds the record of being the oldest professional bodybuilder in the world.

In a recent video on the Guinness World Records YouTube channel, Jim explained that one of the keys to his longevity has been listening to his body, and knowing when to switch up his training routine with age. “What works for a person at one time in their life isn’t the same,” he says. “And that’s the whole thing about bodybuilding: it’s adaption.”

Jim has also completely overhauled his diet. As a young bodybuilder, he would consume huge amounts of milk and beef, as was the “old style” of muscle-growing diet. “Those were the two foods that I’m not allergic to,” he says. “But they lead to inflammation, [so] I changed my diet entirely. I figured if I did that, I could continue training, and I could keep this thing up.”

Jim says that winning competitions—and breaking a world record—have “opened an entire new universe” for him, and that this keeps him filled with passion and enthusiasm for bodybuilding.

“What inspires me is the people that come up and say I inspire them,” he says.

Philip Ellis is Sex & Relationships Editor at Men’s Health, and author of the novels We Could Be Heroes and Love & Other Scams. His other work has appeared in Teen Vogue, British GQ, and The Independent.