The Steaming Hot Body of This 79-Year Old Woman is Everything! (Photos)

 

Photos of 79-year-old American bodybuilder, Ernestine Shepherd, who is best known for being at one point, the oldest competitive female bodybuilder in the world, is currently trending online.

 

The Baltimore grandmother was officially crowned the World's oldest female bodybuilder by Guinness World Records when she was 74-years old, and she has kept her crown till date.

 

 

Less than 20 years ago, she was a pudgy, middle-aged woman who hated what she saw in the dressing room mirror as she tried on swimsuit after swimsuit. "I was too prissy to exercise. I just didn't want to have my hair messed up. Didn't want my fingernails broken," said.

 

That all changed when Shepherd decided her health trumped all and hit the gym.

 

 

 

1. She started out slow. Those rippling muscles didn't appear overnight. Shepherd said she began her workout regimen alongside her sister, starting with a simple aeorobics class.

 

2. She increased her workout incrementally. Shepherd said she had never given much thought to bodybuilding until a trainer at her gym suggested she start lifting weights.

 

 

3. She thinks big. Once she began to see the effects of lifting weights, Shepherd dedicated herself to becoming the oldest fitness competitor. Then, she took up running, which led to her completing eight marathons.

 

4. She eats smart. Shepherd's diet may not be for everyone, but her focus on healthy foods is a lesson in restraint.

 

 

5. She doesn't overdo it. Shepherd said she bench presses about 150 pounds, but her trainer is careful not to push her and cause an injury. 

 

6. She had an inspiration. Shepherd's quest to become buff was launched alongside her sister, Mildred Blackwell. 

 

 

7. She gives back. Shepherd said she wants other people, especially those who are older, to know it's not too late to get healthy. 

 

8. She eats several small meals a day as part of a diet plan she formulated with her trainers. She takes in 1,700 calories a day, mostly comprised of boiled egg whites, chicken, vegetables and a liquid egg white drink. 

 

 

9. She is adamant that she does not use performance-enhancing drugs or even supplements beyond vitamin D. 

 

In addition to working as a personal trainer, Shepherd leads exercise classes for seniors at the Union Memorial United Methodist Church in Baltimore.