For most athletes, the idea of competing at 40 or 50 is a stretch. For Andrew “Andy” Bostinto, the dream doesn’t come with an age limit. At 100 years old, he’s still stepping on stage, still training six days a week, and still living by the same philosophy he’s carried for nearly nine decades: never stop doing what you love.
Bostinto, born in New York City in 1925, started working out at just 12 years old. By 16, he was already being photographed for bodybuilding magazines, and by 17 his images were appearing in Strength & Muscle. Today, he’s believed to be the oldest competitive bodybuilder in the world — and he has no plans to stop, per CNBC.
“I enjoy training, and people ask me when I am going to stop. I tell them I’ll stop when I stop breathing,” he told Muscle and Fitness.
Earlier this year, just four months after celebrating his 100th birthday, Bostinto took part in the NGA Gator Classic in Florida. He walked away with a trophy, a championship belt, and headlines worldwide. To him, though, it was “just another show, another day doing what I love.”
While bodybuilding has been the through-line of his life, Bostinto is just as proud of his time in service. A World War II veteran, he served as a Staff Sergeant with the 26th Yankee Division, 101st Regiment, spending 29 years in the Army and Reserves.
In May this year, long after hanging up his uniform, he received the Bronze Star for his actions in Europe during the war’s final months.
“I never thought I would receive anything like that,” he said. “But they told me I earned it.”
Still, Bostinto insists he was simply doing his duty. “That was just what we did back then,” he recalled. “All I did was the right thing.”
Bostinto grew up in poverty in New York. Raised by his mother, he recalled nights when she couldn’t spare a single penny, and his first Christmas gift didn’t come until he was nearly 10 years old.
Yet even in those difficult years, he found joy in movement. He trained on high bars, parallel bars, and homemade equipment. He remembers feeling stronger every time he pushed himself.
“The pictures I took at 16 were in the magazines when I was 17. I look back now and still can’t believe it,” he said.
When the U.S. entered World War II, he was desperate to join up. After being rejected twice, Bostinto wrote directly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Eventually, he found his way into the Army — beginning a career that would shape him forever.
Even during his military years, bodybuilding never left his side. He competed, trained others, and later went on to judge contests including the early years of Mr. Olympia — watching iconic battles between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sergio Oliva unfold in person.
“They were great. I still remember Sergio’s arms. They were massive,” Bostinto continued.
In 1977, at age 52, Bostinto won the Senior Mr. America title in Madison Square Garden. Yet he says he didn’t let the win change him, adding: “I was still the same person before and after that.”
That same spirit carried over into his work offstage. Bostinto founded the National Gym Association (NGA) in 1977, a nonprofit that supports natural bodybuilding and fitness education. Today, he serves as CEO while his wife, Francine, is president.
Over the years, Bostinto’s influence reached far beyond the bodybuilding stage. He trained Hollywood stars including Sir Patrick Stewart, Al Pacino, and the late Regis Philbin. He even met a young Mark Wahlberg, who impressed him with his physique.
“If they were going to make a movie about me, I would want him to play me,” he joked. “That guy is pretty good, and he is in good shape.”
He also dedicated himself to speaking in schools, prisons, and community centres about the benefits of fitness and the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
Dan Solomon, president of Mr. Olympia, summed it up, telling Muscle and Fitness: “Andy is the embodiment of what the fitness lifestyle is all about. He devoted his life to being strong and fit and it’s paying off for him in a big way. He has more energy at 100 years old than many of my 40-year-old friends. We can all learn a lot from how Andy has lived his life.”
Even now, Bostinto trains five to six days a week, making adjustments where needed. A leg injury from his Army days and a previous stroke mean he has to modify movements, but he refuses to give up.
“I find ways to compensate when I am training,” he said. “For example, I lift my legs when I do sit-ups to keep my abs tight, and even though my right arm is not as good as my left, I still do reps until I feel it on the right side.”
His biggest piece of advice for aspiring bodybuilders? “Visualize what you want, then put your mind into it as much as you do your muscles.”
For Bostinto, the future is simple: keep training, keep inspiring, and keep living life on his own terms. He revealed: “I did everything I wanted to do in bodybuilding and the Army, and sometimes I wonder what is left, but you know what? I still live my life for me. As long as I love what I am doing, I should keep doing it.”
At 100 years old, Andrew Bostinto isn’t just defying age — he’s redefining it.
Featured image credit: YouTube/InsideEdition/Instagram/@national_gym_association (Screenshot)
