Personal Trainer Dubbed 'Pull-Up Queen' at 63 Reveals the Key to Longevity

Think you're too old to get fit? One woman in Ohio, who has been dubbed the "pull-up queen" in her 60s, will certainly beg to differ.

Teresa Burkett, who turns 64 in November, was physically active in her 20s and 30s. But it wasn't until her 50s that she entered a figure competition and embarked on a fitness routine that's "the closest thing to the fountain of youth." Burkett is now stronger than she's "ever been" in her entire life, she told Newsweek.

The 63-year-old said: "I truly believe that age is a state of mind" and one of her favorite quotes, which is painted on the wall of her home gym in Sunbury, goes "The body achieves what the mind believes."

Burkett has been a personal trainer for over 12 years, working at gyms, teaching classes and doing one-on-one training. She worked with clients in her home gym, which her husband had built for her.

But she stopped seeing clients after the COVID-19 pandemic broke and ended up launching an account on Instagram, where she's now become a full-time "fitness influencer," sharing her fitness journey and tips via videos online.

'I Started Strength Training in My 50s'

Burkett mostly did cardio classes, step aerobics, kickboxing yoga and Pilates in her 20s and 30s. While going through a divorce in her late 40s, she began running and has done a half-marathon and several 5K runs.

"But it wasn't until my early 50s that I started strength training. I decided to do a figure competition at the age of 52. I had never done anything like that before."

Her experience of the competition made her realize that she did not have much muscle.

A July 2022 study in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living noted that "the loss of muscle mass and strength in elderly population (especially after the age of 65–70) represents a public health problem."

"Due to the high prevalence of frailty in older adults, cardiovascular or low-intensity exercise is implemented as first choice option. Although beneficial, these training schemes are not as effective as strength-based resistance training for increasing muscle strength and hypertrophy [the growth of muscle cells]," the study stated.

According to the U.S. National Institute on Aging, the findings of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA)—the longest-running study of human aging—found that muscle mass and strength rise steadily from birth, peaking at around 30 to 35 years of age.

"After that, muscle power and performance decline slowly and linearly at first, and then faster after age 65 for women and 70 for men," the NIA says.

Burkett said: "I started working with a bodybuilder to learn the basics of lifting and that's when I really started to get stronger."

Since then, she's continued strength training, as well as some calisthenic-type exercises and cardio, and "I can honestly say I am stronger at 63 than I've ever been in my entire life," she noted.

A 'Pull-Up Queen' at the Age of 62

Burkett's Instagram feed is full of videos showcasing her strength in various forms of exercises, from weightlifting and pole workouts to calisthenic moves. But she has been most recently known for her pull-ups.

She said: "I think my followers [on Instagram] started calling me the 'pull-up queen' after one of my videos went viral with over 50 million views. It was a video called 'abs of steel at 62.'"

Burkett started "getting serious" about her pull-ups around two years ago after coming across a pull-up challenge that saw her do "25 pull-ups every day for 25 days for Christmas."

Before this challenge, she was only able to do about 10 "good" pull-ups. But by that Christmas, she was doing 15 consecutive pull-ups.

"I think that's really where it all began," Burkett said, adding "I believe the secret to being able to do a successful pull-up would be first you have to believe you can do it."

'I Eat Pretty Much Whatever I Want'

Burkett wakes up at 4 a.m. and has a coffee with some cream and does some meditation, before taking a shower and heading to her basement home gym for a workout.

In terms of food, "I eat pretty much whatever I want," she said, staying away from processed foods as much as possible "but nothing is off-limits in moderation."

If she's trying to lose a few extra pounds, she does get "very strict" with her diet, keeping a written record of everything she eats and using a fitness tracker.

As far as macronutrients—protein, carbohydrates and fats, which are the three categories of nutrients that provide the most energy—her main focus is on protein intake.

"I am a big believer in the calories in, calories out approach ... I just let carbs and fat fall where they may," she said.

'The Key to Longevity'

More than anything, Burkett was motivated to start her fitness journey to set "a good healthy example" for her children and grandchildren.

She said: "I truly believe it is not our silver hair and wrinkles that ages us, but rather our loss of strength and muscle and we can do something about that.

"I believe that strength training is the closest thing to the fountain of youth that there is," and she recommends it especially for people around her age.

Burkett advised you should always consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program. But once you get the green light, she suggests working with a personal trainer to learn how to "lift correctly."

According to the 63-year-old personal trainer, "the key to longevity is keeping your body and your mind, strong and healthy" by doing the following:

• Strength training
• Some form of cardio
• Staying well-hydrated
• Getting fresh air and sunshine
• Quieting your mind (through meditation, yoga, breath work or going for a walk in nature)
• Eating a healthy diet
• Spending time with your loved ones (and even a nice glass of red wine).

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