Who is Jim Arrington? 93-year-old bodybuilder goes viral for competing in IFBB Masters World Championships

On Sunday, August 21, the 2025 IFBB Pro League Masters World Championships was hosted in Pennsylvania, where Jim Arrington arrived as the oldest contestant. The bodybuilder, who is currently 93 years old, left everyone at the event surprised and has since been going viral online.

🔥🚨DEVELOPING: 93-year-old bodybuilder Jim Arrington is going viral after competing at last weekend’s IFBB Masters World Championships

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— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) September 3, 2025

TheHealthSite reports that that Jim Arrington was born prematurely, and suffered multiple health issues in his childhood years. He was born on September 1, 1932, and weighed only 5.5 lbs at the time of his birth. In addition to his frequent illness, Arrington was also asthmatic. 

However, once Arrington took up bodybuilding at the age of 15, there was no looking back for him. To this day, Jim goes to the gym three time a week for workout sessions that last about 2 hours. Besides his training, Arrington is also careful about his diet and eats healthy, with mushrooms and olive oil being a staple in it. 

He has competed as a professional bodybuilder for five decades, winning in multiple events. 

Jim Arrington made the world record for being the oldest bodybuilder 10 years ago

In 2015, Jim Arrington set the world record for being the oldest bodybuilder ever, getting his name etched in the Guinness Book of World Records. 

Years after having set a new record, Arrington broke his own record in July 2023, when he participated in Nev's International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Professional League event. 

In addition to participating, Arrington even won in two categories - including the top position in the over-80 and a third place in over-70. He was 91 years old at the time.

In a 2023 interview with Guinness World Records, Arrington shared that his own opinion of his physique is "very low," which pushes him to keep training even in his 90s. Jim said: 

"I see all these fantastic physiques and I knew the only way I could make it is if I outlast everybody, and that’s exactly what I did."

Elsewhere, Jim also discussed about the secret behind his longevity, claiming that it is his adaptability that has made that possible. Over the years, the bodybuilder has adapted not just his workouts but also his diet.

For years, milk and beef were a staple in Jim's diet. But as he grew older, they started to cause inflammation in his body, pushing him to switch to a diet of healthy produce. Arrington said in his interview that he made the switch so that he could continue training.

In an interview with Men's Health (published September 20, 2022), Arrington shared the workout routine that he followed as a 90-year-old, saying:

"Nowadays, I do a split routine. I cut the body up in three sections: For instance, I would do legs on Monday. And mid-body, including the abs, chest, and the lower and middle back on Wednesday. And then I do shoulders and arms on Friday."

He also confessed that his wife was physically stronger than him in some ways, as she had bigger bones and ligaments than he did.