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“I Had No Excuse”: Ripped at Age 61, Granny Takes Internet by Storm With Bodybuilding Journey

Published 01/31/2023, 8:00 PM EST

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One can only change something in them when they get serious about it. Would you believe that a granny in her 60s changed her fitness game and became a bikini bodybuilder? Yes, it’s true. Ilene Block left no stone unturned when she set out on her bodybuilding venture. More so, her story has taken the internet by storm. 

61-year-old Ilene is an inspiration to many people across the world who are willing to become fit. However, her journey has not been an easy one. It took her years of pushing herself to finally work on her body. She did very little until she saw a 76-year-old female bodybuilder working on herself, leaving Ilene with zero excuses for not doing the same. 

Who is Ilene Block and her bodybuilding story?

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Ilene Block is a former lawyer who left her practice to become a bodybuilder in her 60s. The Hawai native spent her entire life chasing ineffective weight loss techniques. However, everything changed for her when she saw the transformation of the 76-year-old fitness fanatic Joan MacDonald. In an interview with The Sun, Ilene shared; 

“Joan started her fitness journey at 70, so I had no excuse with my 61st birthday getting closer.”

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That was the time when she realized there are no excuses for fitness. Hence she signed up for a macro-based program and lost about 40 lbs within a year. 

Ilene decided that she would devote as much time as it would take to achieve her desired physique. Moreover, after achieving her fitness goals, she decided to participate in bodybuilding championships. She began training for it in 2022 and has not looked back ever since. Moreover, the bodybuilder wants to break the stereotype that women cannot do much in their old age. 

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66-year-old inspires people to start working out

 Grannies can be super awesome in fitness too. One such story is of 66-year-old Marlene Flowers who began working out at 58 when she was told she could not do it. Flowers are popularly known as Granny Guns on TikTok. She has about 400,000 followers who religiously follow her motivational content. 

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A post shared by Granny Guns (@granny__guns)

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Flowers’s mantra behind her fitness journey was  “Don’t let fear stop you.” Her dedication to balancing social media and bodybuilding, at an age when both can be complicated, is quite commendable. Moreover, she is doing great as a fitness TikToker with great determination and self-love.

Watch This Story:  Most Underrated Exercises for Muscle Growth According to Famous YouTube Bodybuilding Vlogger

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Written by:

Muskan Sharma

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Muskan Sharma is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She has a degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Calcutta. Muskan has worked as a writer for 3+ years but has a knack for filmmaking, too.
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Edited by:

Anupama Ghosh