Bodybuilding veteran Rich Gaspari hasn’t slowed down in retirement. In a recent Instagram post (October 22, 2026), he showed how to perform side laterals with eccentric reps and emphasized why it’s important to challenge yourself regardless of age.
Rich Gaspari competed in one of the toughest eras the sport has seen. Over the years, he routinely challenged eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney, but never knocked him off the throne. While he didn’t lay claim to the Sandow, Gaspari was still a trailblazer in the IFBB Pro League.
Known for his dry conditioning, he became the first competitor to display striated glutes onstage. These strengths, along with his work ethic, helped him thrive each season. Gaspari holds the distinction of being the very first Arnold Classic champion when he was crowned in 1989. Since his time competing, Gaspari has continued to give back to lifters with practical advice.
Rich Gaspari Offers Tips to Master Eccentric on Machine Side Laterals
In the post, Gaspari stressed that age isn’t an excuse not to push yourself inside the gym.
“62 YEARS OLD. STILL TRAINING HARD. STILL PUSHING. 💪🔥 Age is just a number. What matters is your mindset, your discipline, and your willingness to keep challenging yourself.”
“I’ve been training for over 45 years, and one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t stop training because you get older. You keep training so you can stay strong as you get older,” he said. “You may have to adjust how you train, but you should never lose the desire to improve. CONSISTENCY. INTENSITY. LONGEVITY. That’s what this lifestyle is all about.”
As for mastering eccentrics on the side lateral machine, he said to slowly lower the weight down to give the muscles more time under tension to work:
“I’m doing some side laterals. Now I talk about eccentric training, eccentric training is going to hit the muscle more. So, I’m going to use a machine here, it’s much easier to do eccentric training when you’re doing either cable or machine. This is a machine lateral by Panatta.”
“Really slow [on the way down], and keep the tension,” shared Rich Gaspari.
In addition to eccentrics, Gaspari has offered insight into other training methods. He recently discussed why mind-muscle connection is critical to muscle development because it allows the lifter to truly feel the fibers move while performing a particular exercise.
As we get older, Gaspari believes changing up a routine has merit. However, he warns that doesn’t mean completely abandoning intensity or technique for the sake of something fresh.
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