Bodybuilding over 60: Age is just a number

At a Glance: Bruce Glenny

Age: 61

Family: Single

Occupation: High School Choral Music Teacher and part-time church musician

Current Residence: Havertown, PA

Years training (total): 35

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 155 (off-season), 140 (contest)

Favorite Bodybuilding Meal: Grilled chicken, sweet potatoes, veggies

What would you recommend to someone who has never used Beverly supplements before? Use UMP (especially chocolate or strawberry), Quadracarn, EFA Gold, Creatine Select – all are quality supplements

Books I read: Anything about US history and biography

Hobbies outside of bodybuilding: Playing classical music on the organ, piano, or harpsichord

Music preferences: Anything classical, especially Bach or Beethoven

Words to work out by: “Never, ever give up”; “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

 

I never thought I would become a bodybuilder or, for that matter, an athlete. Growing up in Western Massachusetts in a very rural setting with few kids my age around, I never had the opportunity to play sports. Instead, music was a big part of my family’s activities, and I began piano lessons. I enjoyed them and would practice for hours. In high school, I began organ lessons in addition to piano lessons. I excelled at both, and a music career seemed to be my path. Unfortunately, I led a very sedentary lifestyle, and as I entered college, I was overweight and inactive. By the time I reached graduate school, my weight had ballooned up to 232 lbs., which was way too much for my 5’8’ frame. Then in my second year of graduate school, I learned I had high blood pressure. Also, my mother, after a 5-year battle with cancer, died. This was the turning point for me. It seems we all need to hit a low point before we turn our lives around, and I’d reached my lowest point.

So, I began to think about what I was eating and my activity level. I was frequenting fast-food restaurants 4 or 5 times a week and rarely did any exercise. I slowly began to change my diet and incorporate more healthy foods, less sugary snacks, and high-carb meals. I also started to run. In the beginning, this meant a run/walk of a 1/2 mile. I built this up until I was running 2 miles without stopping and had lost 50 lbs. I joined the local YMCA in graduate school and ran on the indoor track. Finally, after nine months, I got my weight down to an acceptable 148lbs. At this point, I began using the circuit training machines at the Y and began to build muscle. I kept up this routine for 15 years – lots of running and weightlifting using machines.

By the late 1990s, I was living in a suburb of Detroit and was regularly using the local gym. I also joined a running club and began training for a marathon. In 2000, at age 41, I ran my first marathon in Detroit called the Detroit Free Press Marathon. It was a stunning route as we ran over the bridge into Canada and then under the Detroit river through the tunnel and back to the US side. I completed the race in 4 hours and 2 minutes, which was right on target as I set a goal of 4hours. My next goal was to learn how to use free weights and train more seriously. I hired a trainer at my gym, learned to love lifting, made great progress, and I became hooked!

In 2005, I had moved to Philadelphia and was in a different gym with a new trainer when one day he asked me if I was interested in competing in a bodybuilding contest. I had no idea what a bodybuilding contest was, but I said I would give it a try. I prepped for six months and then did a 14-week cut and competed in the OCB Charm City Classic in Baltimore. At age 46, I came in 3rd in the Men’s Masters class, and I was overjoyed.

I’m Introduced to UMP

I had been using protein powders which did not taste very good and had an adverse effect on my stomach. Then a friend introduced me to Beverly International supplements. The very first thing I noticed about
Beverly’s UMP protein was the taste. The chocolate flavor was so good, and there were no bad gastric effects. I tried the vanilla and then the strawberry when it was introduced into their line of products. To this day, chocolate and strawberry remain tied as my favorites!

By 2010, I had competed in about 25 shows and had done well as an amateur. At this time, I found a new coach and trainer, Joe Franco, from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I had a dream, which I shared
with him, that I would like to become a pro-all-natural bodybuilder someday. He listened and based my training and diet on this goal. I also incorporated more Beverly products into my diet, including Lean Out, 7-Keto MuscLean, and Quadracarn. Finally, in October of 2012, at the age of 53, I won my Masters bodybuilding pro card at the same show where I competed for the first time, the Charm City Classic in Baltimore. I won the 50+ division with ten competitors and then went on to take first place in the master’s class. I was beyond happy and grateful. It seemed that this moment was the culmination of a very long journey beginning with me as an overweight child and ending with me becoming a pro bodybuilder. There were lots of emotions in that win!

Since turning pro, I have competed in many shows throughout the country in several different organizations. I have traveled to Florida, Arizona, Missouri, Tennessee, and up and down the Northeast
coast and mid-Atlantic. My love of the sport keeps me striving for improvements and gives a special focus to my life. I firmly believe that exercise and intense physical activity keeps a person feeling young. At age 59, I competed in an OCB November show (Battle of the Godz) in Providence, Rhode Island. I took 2nd place in the Men’s Pro Master Bodybuilding division. I felt great about this placing, and I can say that age is only a number, and it is never too late to begin something new. I can honestly say that at age 61, I am the strongest I have ever been in my life. I feel I still can make improvements as long as I train smart.

Recently I have been working with Nick Peterson, who designs my workout programs. We switch up the workouts every 3 or 4 months, so my body does not get too used to the same exercises and rep schemes.

Over the last 15 years, I have competed in approximately 70 shows and gained a lot of experience in the competition world. I have also become a judge for the OCB and have judged dozens of shows.
My future plans include competing again in 2021 as I turn 62. This July, I will promote an OCB show in Harrisburg, PA. I intend to keep myself active in the sport in as many ways as possible.

Every day I rely on Beverly supplements. I have been using these products for 15 years, and I see and feel the results. I take Beverly UMP and Creatine Select with me on vacation! I will find a gym, work out, and drink my Beverly shake. My Beverly supplements have even gone as far as Athens, Greece, with me.

Year-Round Diet

Meal One
UMP Chocolate protein shake with frozen fruit, one cup of high fiber low sugar cereal with almond milk – Quadracarn, Creatine Select, EFA Gold, FitTabs (multivitamin)
Workout between these two meals

Meal Two
Protein pancake – 1 cup Beverly UMP Vanilla, ³⁄₄ cup oatmeal, and cinnamon; add water and stir to a pancake batter consistency

Meal Three
3oz turkey, 21-grain thin sliced bread, low-fat mayo, veggies or salad

Meal Four
UMP Strawberry protein shake with fruit, ³⁄₄ cup oatmeal with 2 tbsp of peanut butter

Meal Five
6oz chicken, fish or turkey, 6oz sweet potato, veggies or salad – Quadracarn, Creatine Select

When I am in contest prep mode, I will add Lean Out and 7-Keto MuscLean twice a day to my supplement schedule.

During Contest Prep, I take 20 – 24 weeks to lean out slowly. This slow prep helps me to retain strength and mental well-being.

Training

I train six days a week, taking one day off for complete rest and a mental break from the gym. Each workout includes a 10-minute cardio session. I will vary my cardio using one of the following machines: the elliptical, bike, rower, or HIIT on the treadmill.

Currently, I am training in 3-week cycles. I do full-body workouts each day during weeks 1 and 2. Week 3 consists of a 3-way body part split using heavier weights for 5x5 on the core exercises. I increase the weight in small increments for each new 3-week cycle and will follow this program for three months before switching it up. Although at first glance this program might look easy, be careful! It may make you very sore by the end of the week!

Weeks 1 & 2 (Full Body each Day)

Monday

Incline Dumbbell Press 3x10

Standing Cable Curl 3x10

Farmers Walk 3x50 steps

Squat 3x10

Pull-Ups 3x Max

Dips 3x Max

Abs

Tuesday

Incline BB Bench Press 3x12

Incline DB Curl 3x12

Overhead Press 3x12

Leg Extension 3x12

Leg Press 3x12

Hamstring Curl 3x12

Lat Pulldown 3x12

Skull Crushers 3x12

Wednesday

Flat Bench Press 3x15

EZ-Bar Preacher Curl 3x15

Lateral Raise 3x15

Leg Curl 3x15

RDL (Romanian Dead Lift) 3x15

Seated Row 3x15

Overhead Press 3x15

Abs

Thursday

Incline BB Bench Press 3x10

1-Arm DB Preacher Curl 3x10

Shoulder Shrug 3x10

Goblet Squat 3x10

1-Arm DB Row 3x10

Overhead Triceps Extension 3x10

Friday

DB Bench Press 3x12

DB Hammer Curl 3x12

Front Raise 3x12

Lunges 3x 20 Steps

Calves 3x12

Neutral Lat Pull Down 3x12

Rope Pressdowns Rope 3x12

Abs

Saturday

Deadlifts 3x15

Chest Flye 3x15

Seated DB Curl 3x15

Cable Rear Delt Fly 3x15

Reverse Flye 3x15

Cable Kickbacks 3x15

Sunday - Rest

Week 3 (3-Way Split)

Monday Legs

Back Squat 5x5

Hamstring Curl 3x10

Leg Press 3x10

Abductor Machine 3x10

Adductor Machine 3x10

Hip Bridge 3x12

Calves 3x15

Abs

Tuesday Chest & Arms

Bench Press 5x5

Seated DB Curl 3x10

Triceps Press Down 3x10

Floor DB Press 3x12

Dips 3x12

Wednesday Back & Shoulders

Deadlifts 3x10

Overhead Press 5x5

Lat Pull Down 3x10

Lateral Raises 3x12

Front Raises 3x12

Y Standing Rows 3x12

Abs

Thursday Legs

Leg Press 3x15

Leg Extension 4x15

Walking Lunges 4x20 steps

Calf Raises 4x20

Single-Leg Hip Bridge 4x15 each leg

Prone Hamstring Curl 3x15

 

Friday Chest & Arms

Chest Fly 4x15

Incline DB Press 4x15

Overhead Triceps Press 4x15

Single Arm Triceps Press Down 4x15

Single Arm Preacher Curl 4x15

EZ Bar Biceps Curl 4x15

Abs

Saturday Back & Shoulders

High Pull 4x15

Seated Row 4x15

Lat Pull Down 4x15

Overhead Press 4x15

Lateral Raise 4x15

Front Raise 4x15

Sunday - Rest

Posted in 2021 Collection, Mature Muscle (Men 40+).