I love being impressed, I really do. I love people who push themselves, work hard and are left with lots to show for it. Take Manohar Aich for example. The 1952 Mr. Olympia is still drawing ‘Oooh’s and Ahhh’s’ from the body building community. Nicknamed ‘Pocket Hercules’ due to the fact that he only stood 4’11 in his prime, Mr. Aich is also a 3 time Asian games Gold Medalist in body building.
Manohar was born in a remote village in India, he was always naturally athletic and was always very into sports. At age 12 he caught black fever and his heath took a turn for the worse. He lost much of his strength while he was sick so naturally he turned to body building once he recovered, to gain back his strength. At the age of 27 he enlisted in the Royal Air Force and this is where Manohar Aich the body builder was truly born. A disrespectful, racist comment made by a British Officer led Mr. Aich to smack him and in turn landed Mr. Aich in jail. Jail is when Manohar started to hit the weights, hard core. 12 hours a day. His work ethic and physique were so off the hook, the prison staff started to make him his dietary specific vegetarian meals. And the rest is seriously some body building history.
At age 37 he entered the Mr. Hercules contest and won. The next year in 1951, he entered Mr. Universe and placed 2nd, in 1952 he won Mr. Universe and then in 1955 he placed 3rd at the age of 42. In 1960, he placed 4th in Mr. Universe at the age of 47, not very common in body building, especially not back then. When asked about his life and his accomplishments he credits nothing to luck and everything to his ‘healthy lifestyle of no alcohol, no cigarettes, daily exercise and a strict vegetarian diet.’
Mr. Aich is now 100 years young but that is not stopping him, he still works out for 90 minutes a day and he freely admits that he does more stretching now then he used to. He also still trains and mentors champion body builders at his own gym in India. As for his daily eats, think starches and lots of fruit like guava, bananas and jack fruit as well as vegetables. Manohar claims he feels nothing that most people feel with age, no pains, no weakness, in fact he says he only ‘feels young at heart.’
This guy is a living legend and the prime example of what body building and healthy living should be about. Here’s to many more years of health, happiness and fitness, Mr. Aich 🙂
VeggieFitness 