77 year old bodybuilder flexes his muscles on his win in Trinidad

The phrase “flex on ’em” took on a more literal meaning last week Thursday, when 77-yearold bodybuilder Urias McHutcherson showed up at the SEARCHLIGHT office to flex his muscles and most recent win in the bodybuilding arena.

The septuagenarian placed first in the over-70 Masters division of the Trinidad and Tobago Bodybuilders Federation Senior National Championships in early September.

McHutcherson is originally from St Vincent and the Grenadines but has lived in Trinidad for over 50 years. This was his first time competing since 1998.

“I went back to keep myself physically fit,” he told SEARCHLIGHT. “Preparation is something else because number one is you have to eat. I eat anything…when others have to go and look for protein and different vitamins and different things, I eat anything and it works.”

The bodybuilder, who has become known in his Laventille community as “Strongman”, is now smaller than he was when he competed earlier this year, but he took the time to flex his biceps and show off his overall physique.

He drew reference to his flat stomach and said that he was happy to look and feel the way he did at his age.

McHutcherson, who trains at the La Joya Sporting Complex in Trinidad, added that he does not drink alcohol or engage in unhealthy activities.

Since his win in September, he has made appearances at competitions in Barbados and Guyana.

One of his overall concerns is that younger persons getting into bodybuilding are using steroids and other drugs to bulk up.

“They’re forcing themselves to be like me and it took me years before I could come like that, real years and sacrifice,” he said. “But they are taking steroids to get that way. See them walking in the road with big arms…but its not real, its false and I have to say they don’t love themselves. They just want to live for a while, so when I won that, the president of the IFDB in Trinidad, she told me its a legacy and that’s to show the younger people them how they must look without taking drugs.”

And the bodybuilder is urging young bodybuilders to take better care of themselves.

“Train hard, work hard. Put your mind into it and don’t go on things that will destroy your life. Taking drugs damages your insides before your time. So it’s better you stay away from it, from steroids. I don’t know anything about it you know. Look I in bodybuilding all these years. I only hearing about these things, I don’t know it,” he said.

McHutcherson has competed in a number of competitions across the Caribbean including in Barbados, St Maarten and St Lucia.

He said he has always placed in the top three whenever he competed.

When he last competed 20 years ago, he won the COURTS Classic in Trinidad and in 1980, he won the title of “Best Built Man”.

He encourages all persons – not just bodybuilders – to pursue a better quality, healthy life by exercising regularly.

“…Go to the gym, do some exercise and keep fit…just for themselves, to be healthy. Everybody want life, they want to live and this will help them to. You can’t live forever but it will help you to live a little longer,” McHutcherson said.