{"id":32394,"date":"2026-10-23T06:22:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T06:22:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32394"},"modified":"2026-10-23T06:22:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T06:22:25","slug":"at-90-this-old-man-still-works-out-and-won-his-19th-national-title-his-3-tips-for-staying-fit-as-you-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32394","title":{"rendered":"At 90, This Old Man Still Works Out and Won His 19th National Title: His 3 Tips for Staying Fit as You Age"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The day after his 90th birthday, Toshisuke Kanazawa<\/a><\/strong> walked onto a stage in Japan, oiled and tanned, and struck his poses against men who were mostly a few years younger. When the results came in, he had won the 85-and-over<\/strong> category at the Japan Masters Bodybuilding Championships on August 30, 2026.<\/p>\n

It was his 19th national title<\/strong>: 17 Masters wins added to two Mr. Japan crowns from the early 1960s. He trains two hours a day, six days a week, at the gym he chairs in Hiroshima<\/strong>, and says he has never used performance-enhancing drugs.<\/p>\n

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Kanazawa is a 19-time bodybuilding champion. Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi\/Getty Images<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Kanazawa credits his longevity to three habits that he has refined over seven decades in the sport: careful recovery, a clean lifestyle and a refusal to accept decline as inevitable.<\/p>\n

His second career, which has now lasted 40 years, began with a decision made for his wife.<\/p>\n

He Shared a Stage With Schwarzenegger in 1967<\/h2>\n

Kanazawa was born in Shimane Prefecture in August 1936. As a high school student he swam the 1,500-meter freestyle and hoped to reach the Olympics, until a muscle injury ended that plan and steered him toward bodybuilding. His parents were not convinced. He told The Guardian<\/a> that his father thought young men should be working, so he promised to become the best in Japan within a few years.<\/p>\n

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\"Toshisuke
Toshisuke Kanazawa poses in the Japan bodybuilding championships in Osaka\u2019s Yodogawa Ward on 9 October 2020. Credit: The Mainichi<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

He kept the promise. After placing third at Mr. Japan in 1958 and second in 1959, he won the title in 1960, at 24, and again in 1963. In 1967 he flew to Montreal for the Mr. Universe<\/strong> contest, where he shared the stage with Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/strong> and Sergio Oliva and finished fourth<\/a>. In those years he sometimes trained six hours a day.<\/p>\n

At 34 he retired, and for more than 15 years he stopped training altogether.<\/p>\n

A Comeback at 50 Began With His Wife<\/h2>\n

His wife, Kazuko, had a chronic illness. As he approached 50<\/strong>, Kanazawa decided to get back in shape to encourage her. \u201cMy wife had always supported me but she was often sick,\u201d he said. \u201cI saw how I had let myself go since retiring, so I wanted to show her that anything was possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seven years later, at 57, he won the Japan Masters championship for bodybuilders over 40. After turning 80, he added six World Masters titles. In 2022, at 86, he broke his own record as the oldest competitor ever at the Japan Bodybuilding Championships, telling The Mainichi<\/a> that he wanted to compete until 90 and live healthily to 100.<\/p>\n

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Kanazawa posing in front of a mirror. \u2018I worry that too many [older Japanese] give up on the things they did when they were younger.\u2019 Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi\/Getty Images<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Kazuko died about two decades ago. Kanazawa now lives alone and does his own cooking, cleaning and laundry, which he told Japan\u2019s VITUP! magazine<\/a> never feels like a burden because he has goals to meet.<\/p>\n

Rule One: Recovery Comes First<\/h2>\n

Today he trains two hours a day<\/strong>, six days a week. He has dropped heavy free-weight lifts such as barbell squats and bench presses and works mainly on machines<\/strong>, which let him load each muscle while protecting his joints.<\/p>\n

Recovery gets as much attention as lifting. \u201cIt takes longer to recover from weights sessions than it used to, so I make sure I rest properly between sets,\u201d he said. He aims for about seven hours of sleep<\/strong> a night.<\/p>\n

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Toshisuke Kanazawa is still stepping onto the bodybuilding stage \u2013 and winning. Credit: Instagram\/Toshisuke Kanazawa<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

His diet has stayed the same for decades. Since his comeback, he has eaten no meat or fish, relying on brown rice, natto<\/strong> (fermented soybeans rich in protein), miso soup and eggs. Protein shakes fill in the rest, though fewer than before. \u201cI used to have six protein shakes a day but now I have three. As I get older, it\u2019s harder to stomach that much liquid,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rules Two and Three: Stay Clean and Refuse to Quit<\/h2>\n

Kanazawa describes himself as 100 percent natural. He has never used steroids or testosterone therapy, and he gave up smoking and drinking when he returned to the sport.<\/p>\n

His third rule is about the mind. Many older people, he says, stop doing what they love the moment their legs weaken or their muscles shrink, treating the change as unavoidable. He prefers to keep setting goals. He has said he wants to remain a bodybuilder until the day he dies.<\/p>\n

That message has an audience at home. Japan now counts more than 100,000 centenarians, according to its health ministry. After his latest win, Kanazawa said he plans to keep chasing world records.<\/p>\n

At the 2022 World Bodybuilding Championships in Spain, the official results listed him at 60.8 kilograms<\/strong>, about 134 pounds. He finished 12th in the Masters 60-and-over category, against men up to 26 years younger.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n