Ilene Block, a former lawyer and grandma of three, found her passion for bodybuilding in her 60s. In a recent post made on Instagram, Block shared her impressive physique transformation, which saw her shred 55 pounds en route to becoming a Figure bodybuilder.
Another strong grandma made headlines for her strength a few years ago. In Nov. 2019, Robin Hills was recognized as one of the strongest grandmas online. The grandmother of three weighed over 200 pounds shredded and boasted 17” biceps. An 84-year-old woman, Carrie Reese, also showed age is just a number after smashing a huge 195-lb deadlift.
Fitness influencer Andrea Sunshine went viral for her impressive fitness levels last March. The 52-year-old revealed that she consumes over 150 eggs per month to maintain her physique and stay fit. A few months later, she left the social media world stunned by her workout update in a bikini.
63-year-old grandma pulls off transformation to become a bodybuilder
In a recent Instagram post, Ilene Block, a 63-year-old grandma of three, shared her inspirational fitness journey of losing over 50 pounds to become a bodybuilder.
“While it definitely took hard work and commitment on my part, after 40 years of yo-yo dieting, I was blessed to finally find the roadmap to living a healthy, fit, vibrant life in my 60’s. I take none of this for granted.
“So – on this Transformation Tuesday, my message continues to be the same: You are NOT too old . It is NOT too late ,” she continued. “You can do anything you set your mind to if you’re willing to do the work and put in the time.”
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Block trains six times a week and feels more fit than ever. She admitted that she used to follow fad diets or whatever was trending. Her life changed when she came across the jacked physique of fitness enthusiast Joan MacDonald at the age of 76. She took inspiration from MacDonald and started following a macro-based nutrition program in 2020.
“Joan started her fitness journey at 70, so I had no excuse with my 61st birthday getting closer,” she told The Sun. “Within a year I lost 40lbs and felt great. I’d always wanted to do a bodybuilding show, but because of my busy career as a lawyer and bringing up my kids, I could never commit to doing it during my thirties as the preparation is intense.”
Shortly thereafter, she hired a coach to guide her for bodybuilding competitions and has already participated in two figure shows.
“Since then I have competed in two figure bodybuilding shows, and I am currently preparing my body for more shows next year. Even now, I can’t believe I have managed to do this. When I walked on stage, in my bikini, posing and feeling confident, I was just thinking to myself, am I really doing this?
Block shared that she trains six times per week and mainly utilizes weightlifting.
“Although I used to exercise, I was never pushing myself out of my comfort zone and I was stuck in a rut with what I was doing. Now, I am training six times a week, with a focus on weight lifting. It’s amazing to feel so fit and healthy at this age.”
Ilene Block has proved that it’s never too late to start your fitness journey. Hopefully, more people take inspiration from her journey and follow their dreams.