Seventy-four with a six-pack: Meet the grandmother who is the world's oldest female bodybuilder

By Daily Mail Reporter


She may be a grandmother, but don't call her old.

Ernestine Shepherd, 74, of Baltimore has been crowned by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest competitive female bodybuilder ever.

She told the Washington Post: 'Age is nothing but a number'.

Ms Shepherd has impeccably toned 'six-pack' abs that are the marvel of her Baltimore fitness centre.

Her husband of 54 years, Collin Shepherd, says he 'has trouble keeping guys away from her'.

The Shepherds live in Baltimore with their son, 53, and grandson, 14.

Ms Shepherd does some modelling and teaches fitness classes, and told the Washington Post, 'If you are going to try to motivate people, you have to live that part'.

She also trains rigorously with Yohnnie Shambourger, 57,a former Mr Universe who won the gold medal in bodybuilding at the Pan American Games in 1995.

Mr Shambourger told the Post: 'The six-pack is her signature. When she walks in a room and you see her six-pack, you say, "Ohh! Okay!"

'You are a champion', he told Ms Shepherd during a gruelling session. 'I will train you like what you are'.

Ms Shepherd wakes up at 3 a.m. every day to meditate, then hits the trails in a local park to run 10 miles before lunch.

She eats only plain brown rice, bland chicken breast and vegetables, washed down with a glass of raw egg whites, three times a day.

She told the Post she has no 'desire' for sweets.

Ms Shepherd has appeared on 'Today' and 'The Mo’Nique Show' and has been featured in 'Essence' magazine.

Toned at 74: Ms Shepherd runs 10 miles a day, works out religiously and eats a restricted diet. She also teaches fitness and competes as a bodybuilder. She has won two titles and run nine marathons

Happy: Ernestine Shepherd has been married to Collin Shepherd for 54 years. The Baltimore man cooks all her meals and runs errands so she can have more time to train

First prize: Ms Shepherd shows off a trophy she won in a bodybuilding competition

Coach: Ms Shepherd trains with Yohnnie Shambourger, 57, a former Mr Universe and gold medallist in the Pan American Games. He says of his client: 'The six-pack is her signature'

Raw egg whites: Ms Shepherd drinks a glass of raw egg whites three times a day. She rejects steroids and supplements in favour of a 'natural' plan


On 'The Mo’Nique Show' she told the audience they can get fit, too: 'Because we are determined, dedicated and disciplined to be fit. You can. You can do it'.

Over the past 18 years, Ms Shepherd has run nine marathons and won two bodybuilding contests.

But she wasn't always so fit. Ms Shepherd told the Washington Post she was a 'couh potato' until she was 56 years old, when she and her older sister, Mildred, discovered their bodies had started going soft.

The sisters, who grew up very close in Baltimore as the children of a carpenter and schoolteacher, started working out together at a local centre.

They liked the results, and started pushing themselves, eventually entering some bodybuilding contests.

After Mildred died suddenly of an aneurysm, Ms Shepherd was devastated. Her grief started spiralling out of control, until she remembered a promise and a 'pinkie swear' she had made her older sister.

Champion: Over the past 18 years, Ms Shepherd has run nine marathons and won two bodybuilding contests. She does it in part to remember her late sister, Mildred, who died suddenly of an aneurysm

Teacher: Ms Shepherd leads fitness classes at her church and community centres

Inspiration: Ms Shepherd runs 10 miles a day, and inspires many people in her community and beyond

Pumping iron: Ms Shepherd tells seniors not to be afraid of weight training


The sisters had promised to push themselves to be competitive bodybuilders, and Ms Shepherd decided to keep up that legacy.

So she trains, and eats a restrictive diet, and it helps her remember Mildred.

Their younger sister Bernice, a school principal, told her: 'Every time you feel like you can’t make it, lace up your tennis shoes and get out and go walking'.

According to the Washington Post, when people tell Ms Shepherd she is destined to die soon herself, she says 'We are all going to die.

'But it’s the quality of life while I’m living'.

And when Ms Shepherd's cell phone rings, its the theme from the movie 'Rocky'.

She says Sylvester Stallone is her idol.

Not exactly your typical grandmother.


source:dailymail

Seventy-four with a six-pack: Meet the grandmother who is the world's oldest female bodybuilder

By Daily Mail Reporter


She may be a grandmother, but don't call her old.

Ernestine Shepherd, 74, of Baltimore has been crowned by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest competitive female bodybuilder ever.

She told the Washington Post: 'Age is nothing but a number'.

Ms Shepherd has impeccably toned 'six-pack' abs that are the marvel of her Baltimore fitness centre.

Her husband of 54 years, Collin Shepherd, says he 'has trouble keeping guys away from her'.

The Shepherds live in Baltimore with their son, 53, and grandson, 14.

Ms Shepherd does some modelling and teaches fitness classes, and told the Washington Post, 'If you are going to try to motivate people, you have to live that part'.

She also trains rigorously with Yohnnie Shambourger, 57,a former Mr Universe who won the gold medal in bodybuilding at the Pan American Games in 1995.

Mr Shambourger told the Post: 'The six-pack is her signature. When she walks in a room and you see her six-pack, you say, "Ohh! Okay!"

'You are a champion', he told Ms Shepherd during a gruelling session. 'I will train you like what you are'.

Ms Shepherd wakes up at 3 a.m. every day to meditate, then hits the trails in a local park to run 10 miles before lunch.

She eats only plain brown rice, bland chicken breast and vegetables, washed down with a glass of raw egg whites, three times a day.

She told the Post she has no 'desire' for sweets.

Ms Shepherd has appeared on 'Today' and 'The Mo’Nique Show' and has been featured in 'Essence' magazine.

Toned at 74: Ms Shepherd runs 10 miles a day, works out religiously and eats a restricted diet. She also teaches fitness and competes as a bodybuilder. She has won two titles and run nine marathons

Happy: Ernestine Shepherd has been married to Collin Shepherd for 54 years. The Baltimore man cooks all her meals and runs errands so she can have more time to train

First prize: Ms Shepherd shows off a trophy she won in a bodybuilding competition

Coach: Ms Shepherd trains with Yohnnie Shambourger, 57, a former Mr Universe and gold medallist in the Pan American Games. He says of his client: 'The six-pack is her signature'

Raw egg whites: Ms Shepherd drinks a glass of raw egg whites three times a day. She rejects steroids and supplements in favour of a 'natural' plan


On 'The Mo’Nique Show' she told the audience they can get fit, too: 'Because we are determined, dedicated and disciplined to be fit. You can. You can do it'.

Over the past 18 years, Ms Shepherd has run nine marathons and won two bodybuilding contests.

But she wasn't always so fit. Ms Shepherd told the Washington Post she was a 'couh potato' until she was 56 years old, when she and her older sister, Mildred, discovered their bodies had started going soft.

The sisters, who grew up very close in Baltimore as the children of a carpenter and schoolteacher, started working out together at a local centre.

They liked the results, and started pushing themselves, eventually entering some bodybuilding contests.

After Mildred died suddenly of an aneurysm, Ms Shepherd was devastated. Her grief started spiralling out of control, until she remembered a promise and a 'pinkie swear' she had made her older sister.

Champion: Over the past 18 years, Ms Shepherd has run nine marathons and won two bodybuilding contests. She does it in part to remember her late sister, Mildred, who died suddenly of an aneurysm

Teacher: Ms Shepherd leads fitness classes at her church and community centres

Inspiration: Ms Shepherd runs 10 miles a day, and inspires many people in her community and beyond

Pumping iron: Ms Shepherd tells seniors not to be afraid of weight training


The sisters had promised to push themselves to be competitive bodybuilders, and Ms Shepherd decided to keep up that legacy.

So she trains, and eats a restrictive diet, and it helps her remember Mildred.

Their younger sister Bernice, a school principal, told her: 'Every time you feel like you can’t make it, lace up your tennis shoes and get out and go walking'.

According to the Washington Post, when people tell Ms Shepherd she is destined to die soon herself, she says 'We are all going to die.

'But it’s the quality of life while I’m living'.

And when Ms Shepherd's cell phone rings, its the theme from the movie 'Rocky'.

She says Sylvester Stallone is her idol.

Not exactly your typical grandmother.


source:dailymail

Seventy-four with a six-pack: Meet the grandmother who is the world's oldest female bodybuilder

By Daily Mail Reporter


She may be a grandmother, but don't call her old.

Ernestine Shepherd, 74, of Baltimore has been crowned by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest competitive female bodybuilder ever.

She told the Washington Post: 'Age is nothing but a number'.

Ms Shepherd has impeccably toned 'six-pack' abs that are the marvel of her Baltimore fitness centre.

Her husband of 54 years, Collin Shepherd, says he 'has trouble keeping guys away from her'.

The Shepherds live in Baltimore with their son, 53, and grandson, 14.

Ms Shepherd does some modelling and teaches fitness classes, and told the Washington Post, 'If you are going to try to motivate people, you have to live that part'.

She also trains rigorously with Yohnnie Shambourger, 57,a former Mr Universe who won the gold medal in bodybuilding at the Pan American Games in 1995.

Mr Shambourger told the Post: 'The six-pack is her signature. When she walks in a room and you see her six-pack, you say, "Ohh! Okay!"

'You are a champion', he told Ms Shepherd during a gruelling session. 'I will train you like what you are'.

Ms Shepherd wakes up at 3 a.m. every day to meditate, then hits the trails in a local park to run 10 miles before lunch.

She eats only plain brown rice, bland chicken breast and vegetables, washed down with a glass of raw egg whites, three times a day.

She told the Post she has no 'desire' for sweets.

Ms Shepherd has appeared on 'Today' and 'The Mo’Nique Show' and has been featured in 'Essence' magazine.

Toned at 74: Ms Shepherd runs 10 miles a day, works out religiously and eats a restricted diet. She also teaches fitness and competes as a bodybuilder. She has won two titles and run nine marathons

Happy: Ernestine Shepherd has been married to Collin Shepherd for 54 years. The Baltimore man cooks all her meals and runs errands so she can have more time to train

First prize: Ms Shepherd shows off a trophy she won in a bodybuilding competition

Coach: Ms Shepherd trains with Yohnnie Shambourger, 57, a former Mr Universe and gold medallist in the Pan American Games. He says of his client: 'The six-pack is her signature'

Raw egg whites: Ms Shepherd drinks a glass of raw egg whites three times a day. She rejects steroids and supplements in favour of a 'natural' plan


On 'The Mo’Nique Show' she told the audience they can get fit, too: 'Because we are determined, dedicated and disciplined to be fit. You can. You can do it'.

Over the past 18 years, Ms Shepherd has run nine marathons and won two bodybuilding contests.

But she wasn't always so fit. Ms Shepherd told the Washington Post she was a 'couh potato' until she was 56 years old, when she and her older sister, Mildred, discovered their bodies had started going soft.

The sisters, who grew up very close in Baltimore as the children of a carpenter and schoolteacher, started working out together at a local centre.

They liked the results, and started pushing themselves, eventually entering some bodybuilding contests.

After Mildred died suddenly of an aneurysm, Ms Shepherd was devastated. Her grief started spiralling out of control, until she remembered a promise and a 'pinkie swear' she had made her older sister.

Champion: Over the past 18 years, Ms Shepherd has run nine marathons and won two bodybuilding contests. She does it in part to remember her late sister, Mildred, who died suddenly of an aneurysm

Teacher: Ms Shepherd leads fitness classes at her church and community centres

Inspiration: Ms Shepherd runs 10 miles a day, and inspires many people in her community and beyond

Pumping iron: Ms Shepherd tells seniors not to be afraid of weight training


The sisters had promised to push themselves to be competitive bodybuilders, and Ms Shepherd decided to keep up that legacy.

So she trains, and eats a restrictive diet, and it helps her remember Mildred.

Their younger sister Bernice, a school principal, told her: 'Every time you feel like you can’t make it, lace up your tennis shoes and get out and go walking'.

According to the Washington Post, when people tell Ms Shepherd she is destined to die soon herself, she says 'We are all going to die.

'But it’s the quality of life while I’m living'.

And when Ms Shepherd's cell phone rings, its the theme from the movie 'Rocky'.

She says Sylvester Stallone is her idol.

Not exactly your typical grandmother.


source:dailymail

P-Middy will give you a bottom like Pippa Middleton's

By Gillian Reeves, Personal Trainer


Famous: Pippa's derriere has won millions of admirers since stepping out as maid of honour at sister Kate's wedding


Thanks to post-wedding Miss Middleton mania, I'm being bombarded with questions about how to tone bottoms - my female clients are desperate for a nicely rounded, perky behind just in time for summer.

There are moves that can help shape and lift the rear, whatever your shape.

This one - I call it the P-Middy - is great because it uses all three gluteal muscles that make up the backside and has the added bonus of toning your tummy and thighs.


Make sure your body is warmed up as this exercise requires a large range of movement through the hip and knee joints.

Place your feet a little wider than hip-width apart and allow your feet to turn out slightly to the corners of the room.

Place your hands halfway down your thighs and bend both knees slightly.

You will naturally start to lean forwards. If possible, try to make your torso run parallel to the floor, looking straight ahead. If this is too demanding, lean forward just a little.

No pain, no gain: A model demonstrates the P-Middy, which should help you achieve the Pippa Middleton derriere


Make sure the spine is straight and not curving. Your abdominals will automatically tense to support your lower back.

Now, with hands still on your thighs, transfer your weight on to the right leg, keeping it bent, and straighten your left leg out as much as possible to the side, keeping the knees in line with your ankles.

Tense your buttocks and hold this position for a couple of seconds. Now transfer your weight from your right side to your left, mirroring the previous position and holding for a couple of seconds again.

Repeat this shift from right to left until your legs and hips start to feel tired - this usually takes between ten and 20 repetitions.

Be conscious to keep your back straight throughout this exercise, with your abdominal muscles tensed, and look straight ahead.


source:dailymail

P-Middy will give you a bottom like Pippa Middleton's

By Gillian Reeves, Personal Trainer


Famous: Pippa's derriere has won millions of admirers since stepping out as maid of honour at sister Kate's wedding


Thanks to post-wedding Miss Middleton mania, I'm being bombarded with questions about how to tone bottoms - my female clients are desperate for a nicely rounded, perky behind just in time for summer.

There are moves that can help shape and lift the rear, whatever your shape.

This one - I call it the P-Middy - is great because it uses all three gluteal muscles that make up the backside and has the added bonus of toning your tummy and thighs.


Make sure your body is warmed up as this exercise requires a large range of movement through the hip and knee joints.

Place your feet a little wider than hip-width apart and allow your feet to turn out slightly to the corners of the room.

Place your hands halfway down your thighs and bend both knees slightly.

You will naturally start to lean forwards. If possible, try to make your torso run parallel to the floor, looking straight ahead. If this is too demanding, lean forward just a little.

No pain, no gain: A model demonstrates the P-Middy, which should help you achieve the Pippa Middleton derriere


Make sure the spine is straight and not curving. Your abdominals will automatically tense to support your lower back.

Now, with hands still on your thighs, transfer your weight on to the right leg, keeping it bent, and straighten your left leg out as much as possible to the side, keeping the knees in line with your ankles.

Tense your buttocks and hold this position for a couple of seconds. Now transfer your weight from your right side to your left, mirroring the previous position and holding for a couple of seconds again.

Repeat this shift from right to left until your legs and hips start to feel tired - this usually takes between ten and 20 repetitions.

Be conscious to keep your back straight throughout this exercise, with your abdominal muscles tensed, and look straight ahead.


source:dailymail

P-Middy will give you a bottom like Pippa Middleton's

By Gillian Reeves, Personal Trainer


Famous: Pippa's derriere has won millions of admirers since stepping out as maid of honour at sister Kate's wedding


Thanks to post-wedding Miss Middleton mania, I'm being bombarded with questions about how to tone bottoms - my female clients are desperate for a nicely rounded, perky behind just in time for summer.

There are moves that can help shape and lift the rear, whatever your shape.

This one - I call it the P-Middy - is great because it uses all three gluteal muscles that make up the backside and has the added bonus of toning your tummy and thighs.


Make sure your body is warmed up as this exercise requires a large range of movement through the hip and knee joints.

Place your feet a little wider than hip-width apart and allow your feet to turn out slightly to the corners of the room.

Place your hands halfway down your thighs and bend both knees slightly.

You will naturally start to lean forwards. If possible, try to make your torso run parallel to the floor, looking straight ahead. If this is too demanding, lean forward just a little.

No pain, no gain: A model demonstrates the P-Middy, which should help you achieve the Pippa Middleton derriere


Make sure the spine is straight and not curving. Your abdominals will automatically tense to support your lower back.

Now, with hands still on your thighs, transfer your weight on to the right leg, keeping it bent, and straighten your left leg out as much as possible to the side, keeping the knees in line with your ankles.

Tense your buttocks and hold this position for a couple of seconds. Now transfer your weight from your right side to your left, mirroring the previous position and holding for a couple of seconds again.

Repeat this shift from right to left until your legs and hips start to feel tired - this usually takes between ten and 20 repetitions.

Be conscious to keep your back straight throughout this exercise, with your abdominal muscles tensed, and look straight ahead.


source:dailymail