At 100 years old, Andrew Bostinto isn’t slowing down — he’s still training six days a week, still stepping on stage, and still living by the same simple rules that have powered him for a century.
Just four months after his 100th birthday, Bostinto took top honours and a championship belt at the National Gym Association’s (NGA) Gator Classic in Florida. For most, that would be a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. For Bostinto, it was yet another show and another day doing what he loves.
Born in New York City in 1925, Bostinto first started working out when he was just 12 years old. “I started much younger than 13. I was working out in the park already,” he told CNBC Make It. “I became good at it. I became a gymnast and hand balancer. Then at 17, I was already modeling.”
By the time his teenage photos appeared in Strength & Muscle magazine, Bostinto had already set himself apart from his peers. Fast-forward eight decades, and he’s now believed to be the oldest competitive bodybuilder in the world.
“I enjoy training, and people ask me when I am going to stop,” he told Muscle & Fitness. “I tell them I’ll stop when I stop breathing.”
A Lifetime of Discipline
Bostinto’s dedication to bodybuilding began long before modern gyms or protein shakes. He grew up in poverty, raised by his mother in New York. “My mother never had a penny in her pocket,” he said. “I never had a Christmas present, birthday presents. Never had anything. I dealt with it.”
Those early hardships built the foundation for his discipline. “Number one thing is to know what you want to accomplish,” he said. “Commit yourself to it. Be disciplined. Don’t listen to people telling you you’re wasting your time. Don’t listen to negatives.”
That mindset would carry him through a career that spanned both bodybuilding and military service.
Bostinto served 29 years in the U.S. Army and Reserves, including active duty in World War II as a Staff Sergeant with the 26th Yankee Division, 101st Regiment. Earlier this year, nearly 80 years later, he was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions in Europe.
“I never thought I would receive anything like that,” he said. “But they told me I earned it.”
Despite the long wait for recognition, Bostinto remained humble. “That was just what we did back then. All I did was the right thing.”
Even during his military years, bodybuilding never left his side. He trained, competed, and later judged some of the sport’s biggest events — including the early years of Mr. Olympia, where he watched the legendary duels between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sergio Oliva.
“They were great. I still remember Sergio’s arms. They were massive,” Bostinto recalled.
In 1977, at age 52, he won the Senior Mr. America title at Madison Square Garden. But he didn’t let the success change him. “I was still the same person before and after that,” he said.
Founder, Mentor, and Lifelong Teacher
That same year, Bostinto founded the National Gym Association (NGA) — a nonprofit devoted to natural bodybuilding and fitness education. Today, he still serves as CEO, while his wife Francine acts as president.
His influence has stretched far beyond the bodybuilding stage. Over the years, he’s trained celebrities such as Sir Patrick Stewart, Al Pacino, and the late Regis Philbin, and even met a young Mark Wahlberg.
“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.”
Outside of the gym, Bostinto has spoken in schools, prisons, and community centres, spreading messages about the importance of fitness and the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
As Mr. Olympia president Dan Solomon put it: “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.”
The Secrets Behind His Longevity
Diet:
When he was training for competition, Bostinto stuck to strict nutrition: “I ate high proteins, low carbohydrates, two fruits, two salads [and] 15 glasses of water,” he said.
At 100, he doesn’t need quite as much, but he still focuses on balance and clean eating. His go-to foods include scrambled eggs, yogurt, and spaghetti and meatballs.
“I don’t overeat anything. Everything I eat, I control. I don’t want something greasy,” he said. “I never smoked, never drank.”
Exercise:
Even now, Bostinto trains five to six days a week, following a routine based on the same system he used decades ago — though slightly modified after a stroke and lingering leg issues from his Army days.
“Physically, I’m in good shape,” he said. “I’m here doing push-ups against the counter. But when I go to the gym, I do six [to] seven basic exercises.”
His adaptability keeps him consistent: “I find ways to compensate when I am training. 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.”
He added: “I do dips and [chin-ups]. I could do knee-ups. I can do ab work. I can do anything, any place, anywhere.”
Mindset:
To Bostinto, training isn’t just about muscle — it’s mental.
“Visualize what you want, then put your mind into it as much as you do your muscles,” he advised.
He’s never been one to chase approval. “I didn’t train for other people. I remember when I was 17, some girls used to see my picture, [and say] ‘Oh, I don’t like that,’” he recalled. “I didn’t train for women. I trained for me. It’s something I was able to do, and [say], ‘Look what I did for myself.’”
And perhaps his most timeless piece of wisdom: “As long as I love what I am doing, I should keep doing it.”
A Century of Strength
Looking back on his journey, Bostinto says his success was never about fame or trophies. “I did everything I wanted to do in bodybuilding and the Army, and sometimes I wonder what is left,” he said. “But you know what? I still live my life for me.”
At 100 years old, Bostinto isn’t just defying age — he’s redefining it.
He’s proof that discipline doesn’t retire, passion doesn’t fade, and that the greatest strength of all isn’t in the body — it’s in the will to keep going.
Featured image credit: YouTube/InsideEdition/Instagram/@national_gym_association (Screenshot)
