Update: World’s Fittest Grandma Body Builder Celebrating Her 82nd Birthday

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Ernestine had just turned 80 years old when we first wrote this article in 2016. But even now, she still looks decades younger than her 82 years and she has not much changed.

This will tell you that you’re not too old to do something. Ernestine Shepherd was born on June 16th, 1936, in Baltimore and this 82-year-old lady, Maryland didn’t even start exercising until she was 56 years old.

Ernestine wakes up at 2:30 am on a typical day, and does her daily devotionals and meditation before eating a high protein breakfast and hitting the streets for a run. By 7:30 am she’s lifting weights at the gym, teaching workout classes until 11:30 am and then heads back home for lunch, and have a nap, and also a quick hello to her husband. As she trains people of all ages from around 5:30 pm to 7 pm she then gets back to the gym.

Her sister Velvet supports her with fitness and she believed that they should “try and get into the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest bodybuilding sisters in the world!”

So, these two sisters made a pact and began working out together. But unfortunately, Velvet passed away from a brain aneurysm soon after she and Ernestine began their fitness campaign. But she wanted Ernestine to continue their goal to get into the Guinness Book of World Records.

With the sad ending of her sister Shepherd was devastated and depressed and for a while gave up on taking care of herself. She developed high blood pressure with the time. She remembered that she had to honor her promise to her sister and her memory by regaining her health. She began again and soon ended up in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest bodybuilder in the world.

Her true secret of success is ‘never give up.’ You should think about Ernestine and Velvet and remember that life can be short and that it’s never too late to get in shape, lose weight and live a longer and healthier life, next time you think about skipping a workout or eating unhealthy foods.

Ernestine Shepherd recently turned 82 years old!