28-Days-to-Lean Meal Plan
With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days.
Read articleWe’ve said it many times on this website, but that doesn’t make it any less true — age is just a number. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can and should make the most of life and do whatever it is you want to achieve.
That philosophy is shared by 74-year-old Women’s Physique competitor Josefina Monasterio, who recently wowed the judges of America’s Got Talent and even got to pose with former M&F cover model Terry Crews during a recent episode. Monasterio, who was 73 when the episode was filmed and looks better than some people a quarter of her age, didn’t get into bodybuilding until she was 59. Six months after she started training she competed in her first show and won.
She’s since gone on to win several other shows, sometimes beating women in their 30s and 40s.
So as the age-old saying goes: you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Take a look at Monasterio’s posing routine below, and take note of the vibrant energy she exudes for the crowd and the judges (Simon Cowell looks especially impressed).
Monasterio was born and raised in Venezuela, and moved to America at age 24 to pursue higher education and received a Master’s in Education from Boston University and later earned a doctorate in personal development from Nova Southeastern University. She worked as a teacher and raised a family for most of her life, but later on wanted something a little more.
“[My grandmother] always said I was a natural entertainer,” Monasterio says in her introduction video. “In this later chapter of my life I’m pursuing my dreams.”
On Instagram and YouTube, Monasterio posts motivational and nutrition videos and has also written some self-help books, including Vibrant at Any Age.
America’s Got Talent wasn’t her first television experience either — she previously hosted her own show, Empowerment, on a local channel in Florida and later produced a 24-episode series called The Dr. Josefina Way, which focused on workout and nutrition tips.
She’s also appeared on The Steve Harvey Show.
Monasterio has said she wants to be an example to people everywhere that you can always start something new, no matter what stage you’re at in life.
“Just because you turn 40 doesn’t mean your life is over; it’s really a new beginning,” Monasterio told a local newspaper. “I laugh, and I smile every time I think about how I was on the show. It was such a beautiful experience.”