Bodybuilder keeps young by working out

Date: 27-09-2006 Posted by: Anabolic Info Team

It's the might of the muscle and the determination of the mind that has kept body builder Benny Cowan in top shape.

Cowan, who just turned 50, recently placed first in the Tennessee State Masters 50-and-up bodybuilding competition. The Ironman lifestyle also has its other benefits, too, Cowan said.
Not only has his daily routine of healthy eating and exercise helped Cowan bring home a bodybuilding trophy, but it's also kept Cowan in great physical shape and out of the doctor's office.

“I want people to know that no matter what age, they can still be competitive,” Cowan said. “It's really a lifestyle change, keeping a good diet and staying healthy. I haven't had fried food in 22 years.

“It has its rewards, though,” Cowan said. “I don't have to see a doctor on a regular basis, and I don't have to take any pharmaceuticals.”

Cowan said he didn't really start weight lifting until he was about 24-years-old when a close friend, who was a bodybuilder and wrestler at the time, introduced the sport to him. For 26 years, Cowan then worked as a personal trainer in several gyms.

And although he's now retired, he still maintains his weight lifting routine.

“I started back when Arnold Schwarzenegger was making news for winning competitions,” Cowan said. “He helped bring the spotlight on the sport of bodybuilding.”

Cowan said the annual competition is held on a weekend and on Friday, the competitors have to weigh in before taking the stage. The next day, the bodybuilders are then lined up by class and without the use of music must make eight mandatory poses.

“It's when they first bring you out against each other,” Cowan said. “Then, you come back the next night and perform your routine.

“The guy I beat had twice been the state champion and had placed third in nationals in Pittsburgh,” Cowan said. “So, it's a big victory for me.”

The top two in each class then advance to the nationals event, which will be held in next July and giving Cowan a year to train for the event.