Robby Robinson, AKA The Black Prince and Mr. Lifestyle, is a former professional bodybuilder that has been able to keep himself in tremendous shape.  If you need proof of that, check out his Facebook page or his Instagram account. Robby was born in Damascus, Georgia and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. He used his naturally athletic build to dominate in Football and Track and Field. However, his true passion was working out and he was able to use the success that he had in sports as a young child to springboard his future bodybuilding career.

Robby Robinson’s Age: 73 Years Old.

His most impressive bodybuilding victories were Mr. America, Mr. World, Mr. Universe and Masters Olympia. Furthermore, he appeared in the incredibly popular documentary Pumping Iron.

  1. When did your athletic career begin? I excelled in Football and Track and Field when I was 6 years old. I loved sports. It’s a great way for kids to stay out of trouble. My size and strength were a definite advantage where sports were concerned. I also became interested in weightlifting at a very young age. I had tremendous strength. However, my workouts reached another level when I connected with world-famous fitness guru Jack Lalanne. Jack had a significant impact on my weighlifting and bodybuilding career. In the early days, I would do whatever exercises I could get my hands on – lots of chin ups and weighted pushups. I would make use of the weights that were available. My bodybuilding career began to take off when I made the trip from Tallahassee, Florida to Los Angeles, California. I competed in hundreds of competitions and won a multitude of titles.
  2. What type of adversity have you had to overcome as an athlete? I grew up during a time of racial unrest and a lesson that I had to learn early on was not to get upset with things that were out of my control. There were numerous competitions that I would have won had I had a different skin colour. Rather than let this create hostility and negativity, I used this to fuel my workouts and make myself a better bodybuilder. Life doesn’t make any promises and you have to make the best of a given situation. I left the comforts of Tallahassee, where I had a secure newspaper job, to pursue my passion of becoming a world-class bodybuilder. The voyage carried no guarantees. However, I used this uncertainty to fuel my workouts and passion to build the best possible physique.
  3. How has working out impacted your life? It has allowed me to build a foundation of strength both physically and mentally. This mental strength is what allowed me to win the Mr. Olympia title when the odds were stacked against me.
  4. How often do you work out and for how long? I work out with my training partner, Mike O’Hearn, two times a day, four to five times per week. A big part of my training is getting in the necessary volume. We train for about 90 minutes in the morning, most days at 4am, then another 80 minutes at approximately 1pm. I hit major muscle groups twice a week and the smaller muscle groups one to two times a week.
  5. What is your #1 workout tip? Stick with the basics. Focus on squats, deadlifts, bench press, etc. Good form and technique is crucial. This will prevent you from getting injured which can sabotage your gains. Another big thing is to focus on keeping your body fat at a low level. Carrying a lot of body fat wreaks havoc on your testosterone levels – a huge issue for older athletes.
  6. Top supplements for athletes over 45:
    1. Calcium supplements. Adequate calcium level is a big issue for older athletes.
    2. Vitamin B supplementation
    3. L-glutamine
    4. Creatine Mohydrate
    5. Zinc. This will help your performance in the gym and the bedroom.

Lorne’s Take – I was thrilled to be able to interview Robby. Anyone who is into bodybuilding or just staying fit has likely heard of Robby. He is a true legend and was inducted into the Bodybuilding Hall of Fame in 2013. He was gracious enough to speak with me for about 45 minutes. The truth is that I would have loved to have him on the phone for a few hours. Robby has a physique that most 25-year-olds would envy, let alone us in the over 45 crowd.