![london, england march 21 ernie hudson jr at the london photocall of columbia pictures' ghostbusters frozen empire on march 21, 2024 in london, england photo by tim p whitbygetty images for columbia pictures](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/ernie-6603fc99a30bb.jpg?resize=1200:* ""Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" – Photocall")
Pardon our French but ageing is a bastard. Stiff joints, crows feet and that little noise you make as you get up off the sofa combine to make getting old feel like an endless downwards slope. Ageing is also inevitable.
But try telling this to 78-year-old Ernie Hudson, star of this year's Hollywood blockbuster movie, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Yes, you heard it right. Hudson is almost 80, and recent pictures taken from the London premiere show that he's giving Paul Rudd – the man who simply refuses to age – a run for his money.
Naturally, the images took the world of social media by storm with many either refusing to believe he was 78 or arguing that Rudd was in fact older than his co-star.
One user pointed out that Hudson was born the day WWII ended.
So, how does Hudson do it and does that mean we can achieve the same youthful appearance when we reach our 70s? Well, according to research, yes, we can.
In fact, a new study says a body that moves, feels and looks better in your forties, fifties and beyond is well within reach.
In the study, published in Frontiers in Physiology, scientists compared the muscle-building ability in two groups of older men. The researchers pitted 'master athletes' (men in their 70s and 80s who are lifelong exercisers) against a group who had never exercised in earnest.
Each participant was given an isotope tracer to drink and then they took part in the same workout. The researchers took muscle biopsies before and after to examine how their muscles responded, with the tracer revealing how proteins developed within the muscle.
Researchers expected that master athletes would have an increased ability to build muscle due to their superior levels of fitness over a prolonged period of time. But they were wrong; the untrained OAPs had an equal capacity to make gains, proving that it really is never too late to feel great. You just need to train smart.
Testosterone levels drop by around 1% per year after 40, so you need to focus on the heavy compound moves below that’ll spike the hormones needed to fuel new growth. You’re not past it – not even close. Start now and you’ll out lift Father Time with ease.
The Anti-Ageing Trifecta
Start your week of workouts with one of the Big 3. These are the major compound moves proven to stage a fightback against Father Time.
MONDAY – Bench Press
5 sets of 5 reps, 120 secs rest
Lie on the bench with eyes under the bar. Grab the bar with a medium grip width. Straighten your arms upwards. Lower the bar to mid-chest. Press the bar back up until your arms are straight, hold for a second, then lower the bar again.
WEDNESDAY – Back Squat
5 sets of 5 reps, 120 secs rest
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Rest the bar on your rear shoulder muscles, near the base of your neck. Squat down, bending at the knees and hips. Keep your weight on your heels as you come back into standing position.
FRIDAY – Deadlift
5 sets of 5 reps, 120 secs rest
Start with feet beneath the bar. Squat down, keeping your chest up, and with hands shoulder-width apart, grasp the bar. Keeping your weight on your heels, lift the bar to thigh level, pause, and then slowly return to start position.
Over 60? You Can Still Build New Muscle Well Into Your 70s, Says Science
Robert Hicks is the Executive Editor at Men’s Health UK. A Sport Science graduate and author of three fitness books published by Bloomsbury, Robert has written numerous articles on health, fitness and nutrition and created several documentaries, most notably Britain’s Steroid Epidemic and The Faces of Attempted Suicide. Robert has been working at Men's Health UK for seven years.
