Joe Stockinger has been lifting for 66 years—longer than most Muscle & Fitnessreaders have been alive. But even at 89, he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
The German native first picked up a barbell in 1954, and to this day he puts up impressive weight. ESPN recently posted an Instagram video where he can be seen deadlifting 405 pounds—that’s more than two-and-a-half times his bodyweight of 147 pounds.
Unsurprisingly, Stockinger holds several world records in his age and weight class. At the 2015 100 Percent Raw Powerlifting Western Canadian Championships, he deadlifted 200kg (441 pounds), benched 85kg (187 pounds), and completed a 122.5 kg (270-pound) squat, all world records in the 85- to 89-year old 75kg (165-pound) weight class.
His most recent feats of strength have been recorded and posted to Instagram by fellow lifter and training partner Donovan Lewis. Other motivational clips of Stockinger include him completing a 155-pound bench for reps and a 250-pound squat.
“Anyways he went heavier after this set because he ate his Wheaties this morning,” Lewis joked in one post.
Stockinger credits his longevity to much more than a morning bowl of cereal. Consistency, he says, is the key.
“For every disciplined effort, there is an amount of reward,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Company in a 2012 interview. “It doesn’t matter the age, the gender, nationality … nothing. I’m working toward that.”
People dream of remaining active well into their golden years, and Stockinger is a reminder that it’s very possible to do so.
