The flexibility secret of the world’s oldest fitness coach

He played college baseball at Texas A&M, but admitted his training regimen as a youth was quite erratic. It wasn’t until his wife, Liz, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away at the age of 48, that he began to take exercise seriously and turn it into a lifestyle.

He changed his diet, eating more high-quality protein, whole foods, and vegetables. Minnick began studying for a coaching certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

“Researching anatomy and exercising is not too difficult. However, if you want to work in the field of sports and fitness, you must continuously learn,” Minnick said.

Within a year, his body fat percentage dropped to 9%. At age 76, he applied for jobs at several gyms in Austin, not expecting to be accepted.

“I’m sure they wouldn’t choose someone of this age,” he said.

Gold’s Gym in Austin was the only one to respond. Minnick went through two interviews and was hired immediately after. Now, at the age of 82, he holds the title of the world’s oldest fitness trainer, recognized by the Guinness Book of Records. He became a model for perseverance, determined to exercise throughout his life to have a healthy lifespan. Minnick inspires people over 60 years old that they can overcome their limits.

He does not use drugs, does not drink alcohol, and exercises 4 to 5 days a week. Workouts last about 90 minutes and include weight lifting, lower body training, rowing and cardio. As he got older, he started doing resistance exercises, because he understood that aging can cause muscle loss.

Minnick’s workout session starts with a 20-minute warm-up. He usually performs 5 or 6 movements that activate pain-prone areas, including lunges, hip openers, hip raises, calf raises, shoulder exercises with resistance bands, planks,…

Next, he did cardio for 10 minutes, moderate intensity like rowing. This helps him improve his posture and adjust his body shape. The next 45 to 60 minutes are spent lifting weights, squat hacks, hamstring stretches, dumbbell front squats, deadlifts, pull-ups.

Minnick regularly checks his body indicators to prevent injuries. He believes that “body awareness” helps prevent any type of injury or illness.

“I listen to my body, monitor my weight, and have regular scans,” he said.

In life, Minnick is passionate about his role as a motivator and supporter for clients to exercise. He teaches two group exercise classes for older adults. He has customers over 60, 80, even 90 years old.

From his own experience, he advises practitioners on a reasonable diet. According to him, many longtime bodybuilders are “subjective”, thinking that the menu is not important. However, healthy eating and discipline account for 80% of the success or failure of losing weight or having a healthy body in general.

“We need more protein as we age, be it animal or plant protein,” he says.

Men’s Health experts also recommend supplementing with 1 g of protein for every 0.45 kg of body weight. Thus, for each meal, you need to eat 50 g of protein. Foods rich in this substance are cheese, nuts, beef, celery with peanut butter.

Minnick believes that people should get their nutrients from whole foods, not rely on supplements. He doesn’t count calories, only eats homemade foods, limits processed foods and abstains from sugar. His typical meal is steak or salmon with vegetables, green beans or asparagus with baked potatoes. Minnick also sleeps before 10:30 p.m., wakes up at 6-6:30 a.m.