Strength after 60 supposedly slips away for good.
Jenny McCall never stepped inside a gym until age 63.
Now 74, she is a Guinness World Record holder and billed as the world’s oldest female American Ninja Warrior.
In a recent YouTube video, host Laura joined McCall for obstacle courses, a chilly ocean swim, and a peek into her kitchen.
What did McCall actually do to build elite strength? The answer involves a pull-up that took 365 days, plus one surprising habit.
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Is Strength Loss After 60 Really Inevitable?
McCall rejects the idea of an automatic decline. Her stance: muscle loss is something to fight, not accept.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
It’s not all downhill after 50. It doesn’t have to be. You don’t want to keep losing muscle as you get older. You want to fight against it.
She also recounts a nursing-home study where 90-year-olds used resistance bands for eight weeks and reportedly improved leg strength by 174%.
Treat that figure as an eye-catching anecdote. McCall did not name the study in the video, and results differ from person to person.
You’re never too old to get stronger, to get more capable.
The Weekly Routine Behind the Ninja Skills
McCall’s schedule adds up to seven to eight workouts weekly. After retiring, she moved more, not less.
- Obstacle-course gym: twice weekly
- Swimming: two days weekly, including competitions
- Personal trainer: three to four sessions weekly
Balance deserves special attention here. Balance is a trainable skill, yet it fades quickly without practice.
One Pull-Up Took Twelve Months
Upper-body strength did not come naturally. McCall started from zero.
I had no upper body strength at all. It took me an entire year with a personal trainer to get one pull-up.
Her personal best today? Seventeen pull-ups. Patience paid off.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Baby Steps, Big Falls
McCall’s daughter, Jessie Graff, ranks among the top original female ninjas. Asking Graff how to get stronger launched everything.
It was kind of in baby steps.
Graff’s advice was to enter a competition. The closest sat seven hours away.
Her televised debut ended with a splash after the first obstacle, in front of millions. She kept going anyway, and has since competed in dozens of challenges nationwide.
We talk ourselves out of things. So much. Like I’d never be able to do that. And I keep saying, “Yet.”
What Fuels a 74-Year-Old Ninja
McCall follows a Mediterranean-style diet: half her plate protein, half vegetables. Dairy is off her menu.
The reason is serious. Doctors found plaque in her carotid artery with 50 to 70 percent blockage.
And that scared me.
Blocked carotid arteries can restrict blood flow to the brain and raise stroke risk. McCall credits regular exercise and her diet shift, but anyone with similar findings should work with a physician rather than copy her plan.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Her Breakfast Bowl
- Muesli
- Collagen
- 20 grams of beetroot powder
- Chia seeds
- Banana
- Oat milk
Protein and Supplements
McCall weighs 117 pounds and aims for 117 grams of protein daily, roughly a gram per pound. That target is personal; needs vary, so a doctor or dietitian can help tailor yours.
Her supplement shelf stays short:
- Calcium, paired with D3 and K2 since they work together
- Lutein, chosen because her mother lost vision to macular degeneration
Laura called this a smart template: a basic list, plus a few picks tied to personal needs and family history.
Recovery Habits That Keep Her Training
Training hard means little without rebuilding. McCall stretches after sessions, sleeps carefully, hydrates, gets sunshine, and uses a red light each night.
Red light is a personal ritual for her. Sleep, hydration, and stretching are the more universal pillars.
I think the breathing and the yoga has been very helpful, too, because we’re all so much in a rush, you know, instead of just like taking in the moment, really being present.
A 62-Degree Ocean Swim
Next came an unexpected test: open-water swimming in 62-degree water. Laura suited up and joked she felt like a marshmallow.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Pushing past breaking waves proved harder than expected, and bearings vanished fast. After 15 minutes, she emerged thrilled.
That was wild and awesome.
From Broadway Stages to Ninja Gyms
Born on Halloween 1951 in Knoxville, Tennessee, McCall was a shy kid who lit up through dance. Naysayers warned she would never make it in New York.
I’m like, well, why not? Got to try.
She made it. In 1974, McCall understudied in Pippin and performed the lead for two straight weeks.
Twenty-five years in New York followed, until her marriage ended and she relocated with two kids and three dogs. She taught dance, worked in a bookstore, found love again, and eventually acted alongside Diane Keaton as a cheerleader.
Now a grandmother, she happily trains in ninja gyms with her grandchild. Her verdict on this chapter?
That’s the best time of my life.
Practical Takeaways From McCall’s Playbook
- Start small: one pull-up in a year still counts as progress.
- Train balance deliberately: practice keeps it from fading.
- Stay consistent: multiple weekly sessions, mixing strength and swimming.
- Eat plenty of protein and vegetables: Mediterranean-style meals anchor her plate.
- Prioritize recovery: stretching, sleep, hydration, breathwork, yoga.
- Add the word “yet”: I can’t do it yet keeps doors open.
The minute you stop moving, you get old. And your body doesn’t have to age.
