Washboard Abs and Happiness: Learn This 83-Year-Old Japanese Grandpa’s Secrets

83yo fit man
People in Japan have a reputation for their health and longevity. But 83yo Nanri Hiroshi takes it to the next level. Here's his advice for living a long, active life.

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Japan’s known for its long-lived senior citizens. However, this Japanese grandpa defies conventional standards of fitness in old age even within his own country. In his 80s, he’s performing better than most people in their twenties. Here’s how he says he does it.

A stoic routine

Nanri Hiroshi in the middle of training last month. (From eFight’s YouTube channel)

He’s an 83-year-old gym rat and karate practitioner who stays in shape for the ladies.

Nanri Hiroshi, head of the Eastern Tokyo Department of the New Kyokushin Association, has a no-days-off mentality. Mornings start with punching sandbags and shadowboxing for 90 minutes at Gold’s Gym. He has 2-kilogram weights on each wrist and screams ‘Lomachenko!’ while he’s at it.

“I’ve recently been studying the boxer Vasiliy Lomachenko’s movements. His unique combination of steps and punches. It’s on YouTube so I study with that. I’m using Lomachenko’s movements in karate,” Nanri told eFight reporters.

Afternoons include 2 hours of stretching and intense muscle training. The 500 non-stop sit-ups and bent-over rows are followed by a plethora of other workouts.

Three nights a week, Nanri teaches karate, where he is known as “The First-Try Breaker Nanri” because he once shattered a concrete block on his first attempt.

Never too old

【新極真会】南里 宏 試割の極意 PV SHINKYOKUSHINKAI KARATE

4台のカメラが追った破断の瞬間 スーパースローカメラが捉えた衝撃映像 …

Nanri Hiroshi 13 years ago smashing bricks in the karate dojo.

Age doesn’t matter to Nanri when it comes to muscle.

“I focus on my waist to prevent my belly from coming out. You can have shredded abs even at 83 because muscles grow even when you’re old.”

Nor does the pain matter––because he doesn’t have any.

“I usually don’t get muscle pain. Muscle pain is for people who only train sometimes.”

The only pain he might feel is from the heartbreak caused by pursuing women.

“I work this hard because I want to keep attracting women.”

What he consumes and doesn’t

Nanri spills the details on how he keeps his muscles toned and dating game sharp in a Q&A.

What’s your standard diet like? – I like meat and fish. A good balance of vegetables, too. I usually eat brown rice and only white rice for sushi.

How do you eat meat and fish? – For dinner, I eat a lot of sashimi. After finishing karate training, if I stop by the nearby supermarket there’s discount sashimi. It’s low effort too. For meat,  I eat beef and sirloin mostly. Also, I eat vegetable protein from natto and tofu. I get a good amount of protein.

But you do eat out too, right? – Sushi and steak. Also, I get serious about ramen.

But don’t people say ramen makes you fat? – It doesn’t matter to me because I’m exercising this much.

Do you have any foods you avoid? – Processed foods. There are all kinds of additives in there. I make sure to choose things with as few additives as possible. Things that haven’t been processed so much.

Cutting out the booze

Picture: MaCC / PIXTA(ピクスタ)

What about alcohol? – I quit 5 years ago. I had atrial fibrillation and my atriums would tremble slightly like a convulsion. The doctors said it was from drinking too much alcohol. When you leave it like that, you get hematoma, which could cause brain tumors. So I had surgery after turning 60. That motivated me to quit drinking.

How has it been after quitting alcohol? – Comfortable. I feel refreshed in the morning, it’s easier to move my body, and I’ve lost weight. After cutting alcohol out, I lost about 10kg. Now I’m about the bantamweight class in boxing (53.5kg). That’s perfect for me since I’m not so tall.

Drinking all the time and not exercising is bad for the body. Such people don’t live long. Probably hard to live long. Quit alcohol in your seventies. If possible, it’s best to quit it completely.

What supplements do you usually take? – I take no supplements. It’s about balance. Metabolism goes down without Vitamin D, so I make sure to sunbathe. I’ll shadowbox or punch sandbags in the garden.

The secret to longevity

Do you take any aphrodisiacs as you’re still on the market? –  No. Well, I eat black garlic but I don’t know if it has any effects. I guess there’s also drinking apple cider vinegar with sparkling water.

Any advice on how to live longer? – Go to your health check without fail. I get my blood taken once every three months. I get tests for stomach and colorectal cancer every two years. Also, sleep. That’s important. If you don’t sleep enough, you’ll get sick.

So the three desires in life–hunger, sleepiness, and sex drive–are the secrets to health? – Yes, I dress up because I want to get women. So I train my body so that my belly doesn’t hang out when I’m wearing the clothes that suit me.

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What to read next

Sources

“筋肉隆々”元気すぎる83歳、精力的になる食生活とは?タブーも=空手家・南里宏さん. eFight

この身体で83歳!腹筋が割れ筋肉隆々、筋トレする意外な理由を力説=空手空手家・南里宏さん. eFight

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