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(Enlarge) Eighty-three-year old Clarksville resident Herman Rubenstein is an avid weightlifter. Here, Rubentein is pictured at The Colosseum Gym in Columbia as he performs a set of 220-lb shoulder presses. (Staff photo by Nicole Martyn)

Herman Rubenstein elevates the ordinary task of movement to an art form. Three days a week at the Colosseum Gym in Columbia, the high-octane senior holds court, pumping iron, punching bags and reassuring his admirers that there is an upside to the aging process.

To underscore the point of the Clarksville resident's appetite for physical fitness, of taking life to the max, consider this: After prostate surgery, he showed up at the gym, dragging a catheter in his urethra.

He unleashes so much energy, it is easy to forget that he is 83 years old, born when Calvin Coolidge was in the White House and a postage stamp cost two cents.

OK, is this guy a comic book hero from the Planet Krypton?

Alas, as invincible as he sounds, it turns out he is human after all.

"Sure, going to the gym after surgery bothered me," he confessed one afternoon in the cool, darkened confines of the gym, flanked by high-tech workout gear and the supercharged air of testosterone. "But I had no excuse to stay home and mope. And I've had three mini-strokes," he added. "The doc asked me what I did for my strokes. I told him I walked it off."

That's a sampling of his warm-up act, an illustration of how Rubenstein likes to roll crackling wit into his workouts. Rubenstein injects splashes of humor to drive his point home. There's this: "I've been a member of 10 gyms over the years. This is my last gym. Their lease won't expire until I'm in my 90s." And this: "I'm not a total jock. I belong to a reading club."

'All the way'

Wearing a T-shirt, gloves and a steely determination, he regards the blue punching bag. With stunning ease and fluidity, he dances around, landing punch after punch with primal grunts, going for personal gold. "There are no rounds in a street fight," he said, wiping his brow. "You gotta go all the way." Cardio training, he went on, "strengthens the most important muscle in the body, your heart. You have to race your heartbeat up to about 75 percent of capacity in order to get the full benefit."

Boxing, his first love, offers a full body workout, Rubenstein said. "All you have to do is keep your hands up, chin down and ass off the floor." And what does he think about while boxing? "I fantasize about imaginary opponents, like assorted politicians."

With his mind and body in sync, Rubenstein then had his way with the heavy pieces. To fortify his shoulders, he performed some behind-the-neck presses using 220 pounds of iron. "It's a difficult lift," he said. "Most people pass up on it."

He also showed his stuff on bicep training. "I use that equipment," he explained, "because you don't need a spotter, someone helping you. Everyone likes a strong pair of arms, and biceps make up a third of your arm mass." At the tender of age of 72, Rubenstein said, he won a Maryland State Bench Press Championship, hoisting 255 pounds. Today, nearly a dozen years later, he's still testing himself.

"I do everything I've ever done. Just less of it."

'A rare combination'

Rubenstein holds forth at the gym three times a week, where he is a show-stopper and a tireless encourager to others on the road to physical fitness.

"Herman is one of our most consistent gym-goers," said the facility's co-owner, David Sturman. "He trains at one of the higher intensities and he is our most elderly member, which is a rare combination."

Said Evan Yakas, a graduate student from Baltimore: "It is rare to see someone his age working with such heavy weights. Just the other day, I saw another gym member with his jaw dropped as Herman did an exercise. That seems to be the standard reaction. And he is always willing to talk to others, whether it is about fitness or life."

Rubenstein recalled he was introduced to the importance of physical fitness the hard way. Growing up in a tough neighborhood of Washington, D.C., he said that in junior high school he was bullied by older kids. "The principal told my mother that he would make it worse if he tried to do anything. He said the best thing to do is to teach me to fight."

During World War II, he was a member of the Navy's Hospital Corps, assigned to the Marines on Okinawa. During his military service, he was proud of the fact that, instead of avoiding manual labor, he volunteered for it, digging ditches and gardens. "I'd rather have that assignment than do paperwork."

Rubenstein's life has featured other stints, most of them sports-related. He was a pro wrestler, a Montgomery County schoolteacher -- he holds a bachelor's degree in education -- and the founder of basketball camps in West Virginia for college-bound youngsters vying for scholarships. Rubenstein has been married for 47 years to Elizabeth; they have three children and seven grandchildren.

'The human condition'

So what wisdom can he impart to fellow octogenarians -- to anyone, really -- about getting serious about physical conditioning? First of all, he said that, regardless of a person's level of fitness, "the body's going to rust out, so you have to keep moving." And he recommends not waiting until you're too old to start a program, otherwise "the body won't take the stress. It would be impossible for them to train on the level I'm training on."

Diet also plays a vital role in physical fitness, he contends. His breakfast typically consists of two eggs, a slice of cheese, whole wheat toast and a dish of grapes. Lunch can be Greek-style yogurt, walnuts and apples. Dinner is often an 8-ounce fried steak, squash, a whole potato -- skin included -- and a pear.

While he tries to stick to his regimen, he also knows that moments of self-indulgence are woven into daily life. "You've got to have a cheat day," he said with a laugh. "Eat what you want."

There's plenty more Rubenstein would like the visitor to take away from their conversation. "I used to think the idea of needing people was a weakness," he said, greeting yet another member who stops to say hello. "But I found out it's part of the human condition. As you get into your upper years, cultivate your hobbies and continue to make friends."

He dispensed some parting advice. You would think that Rubenstein would encourage others to invest in a home gym, rather than have to brave the traffic and the elements and drive to one. Surprisingly, he advises against it. "I don't believe in buying equipment for the house," he stated flatly. "People won't use it. They'll hang clothes on it. You need the fellowship a gym offers."

user comments (2)

user ducahart says...

I've known Herman, Liz, and family for years. Herman is truly a bad-ass guy, it's one terrific family, and to me he is always Big Boss. He got me back into dead-lifts at age 62. Congratulations on the excellent article. I'm sure there was stuff you couldn't print in a family newspaper. Donaldo (Duca) Hart

Posted 2:59 PM, 01.08.10 | Permalink

user sjnlrub says...

I first met Herman in the mid 80's. He was and is an impressive figure with a wealth of stories and wisdom to impart. Strong opinions and firm grasp of history and current events make him one of the most interesting conversationalists I have ever known. His physical prowess simply adds to the package. As the mom to his three grandsons in West Virginia I have really enjoyed this article. Susan Rubenstein

Posted 8:13 AM, 01.11.10 | Permalink