I’m one of UK’s oldest bodybuilders aged 81 & here’s my secret to staying fit… it’s way easier than you think

ONE of the UK's oldest bodybuilders has shared his secret to staying fit and still scooping trophies at the age of 81.

Great-grandad Ted Clifton, from Newcastle, still hasn't grown tired of pumping iron after six decades of hitting the gym.

He has fine-tuned his technique after dedicating years of his life to weight training and certainly knows a thing or two.

Ted didn't even let a triple heart bypass keep him down for long - as he competed in the North East Britain show just six months later

The muscle man still swears by working out - and says he has gym pals of all ages joining him to exercise.

But his secret lies in his diet.

Ted claimed his success stems from eating six meals a day, packed full of protein and carbohydrates.

He champions fish, turkey, chicken, vegetables, rice and potatoes as the main foods to help keep aspiring bodybuilders fit and on top form.

Despite dealing with coeliac disease, he ensures his body is getting all the good stuff to keep him in tip-top condition.

His love for bodybuilding first began when he was a teenager, after trying to improve his fitness to aid him on the football pitch.

But Ted quickly became a standout among his peers in terms of weight training and muscle gaining, which kick-started his career.

The dad-of-three also turned his talents to the oil rigs he worked out throughout the 1960s and started running his own gyms on them.

He eventually turned the makeshift workout spaces into a professional establishment called Ted's Gym in Workington, which has been running for 44 years.

Ted says it is the UK equivalent to Gold's Gym in California, US, where the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger train.