Retired bodybuilding veteran Rich Gaspari hasn’t slowed down with age. In a recent Instagram post published on August 25, 2025, he detailed his three-tier system for staying in shape year-round.
In the 1980s and 90s, Rich Gaspari’s career was defined by relentless drive and motivation. Though he wasn’t the most genetically gifted athlete, he used his work ethic to climb the Men’s Open ladder. He went toe-to-toe with eight-time Mr. Olympia champion Lee Haney, but wasn’t able to conquer the sport’s most prestigious stage.
Pioneering striated glutes in competition, “The Dragon Slayer” became known for his diced conditioning. Even in retirement at 62 years old, Gaspari still boasts a low body fat percentage along with a ripped six-pack of abs. Now he’s unpacking how anyone can stay fit year-round with a specific approach.
Rich Gaspari’s 3-Tier System for Staying In Shape Year-Round
Find a quick overview of his new approach below:
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- Eccentric-Focused Resistance Training
- High-Protein Diet
- Balanced Supplementation
In the Instagram post, Gaspari discussed how to stay in shape all year. While he advises individuals not to pig out on cheat meals, he does admit to enjoying them on occasion.
“People have asked me: How can you stay in shape all year-round? And that is one thing I have been able to do as I’ve gotten older. If you want to be in shape, you have to stay in shape. Meaning, you can’t sit there and pig out and have cheat meals consistently. You can enjoy life maybe once a week, have a cheat meal or day, which I do.”
Generally, Gaspari sticks with a high-protein diet, which has become increasingly important given his age.
“My meals stay consistent. I take in a higher amount of protein, which is normally over 300-350 grams, and carbohydrates go down to around 200-250. When I do want to get leaner, I drop my carbs a little more and go a little bit lower, but I always keep protein high. When you get into your mid-40s, 50s, and 60s, you need more protein.”
He also credited progressive resistance training for helping him maintain his physique.
“No white sugars, no white flours, eating five to six meals a day is what I do to stay in good shape. I don’t do much cardio. I always have abs staying around 5-6% body fat, also thanks to progressive resistance training.”
He changed his training philosophy and aims for seven-second eccentrics when he works out. Gaspari also reduced the set volume for bigger and smaller muscles.
“I also do eccentric, so I changed my training philosophy, going more towards doing eccentrics on the negatives around seven seconds,” he said. “Now I do as little as 9-11 sets for a larger body part, 6-8 sets for a smaller body part is what I do. You don’t need to do as many sets if you do eccentric training,” he said.
Lastly, he emphasized the importance of balanced supplementation. Gaspari regularly uses creatine, glutamine, multivitamins, protein powder, and amino acids to support his well-being.
“Supplementation — taking supplements like creatine, glutamine, multivitamins, protein powder, all the vitamins, B vitamins, C vitamins, amino acids, branch chain amino acids, all these supplements help in making it easier to stay in shape.”
“There you have it, the three tiers: consistency in your training, consistency in your diet, and consistency in supplementation. If you follow this, you’ll stay in shape year-round.”
Gaspari is always seeking new techniques and tricks inside the gym. He recently walked through a superset he swears by; it uses the pullover machine and the lat pulldown machine to maximize back width, saving on time.
Above all else, Gaspari says consistency is the glue that holds a fitness routine together. Focusing on quality training, a high-protein diet, and supplementation, he continues to show that longevity is possible in bodybuilding.
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