Instead of enjoying his retirement by traveling and relaxing with family and friends, this 73-year-old US military veteran is building ultimate strength and endurance. 

On January 18, “bodybymark” dropped a video on its Instagram handle captioning “Asking 73-year-old how he got ripped.”

In the video, the personal trainer, Mark Langowski, asked about the fitness secret and how the veteran, Bruce Pelka, managed to stay ripped in his 70s. In response, Pelka said, “I do 100 push-ups in between 100 pull-ups….Every other day.”

At 73, Pelka has 6-pack abs, and according to him, that's due to eating very few carbs. Apart from that, his daily essentials include:

• Whey protein
• Collagen
• Creatine

Pelka also consumes “at least one or two glasses” of red W*** every day. 

Pelka also said he fasts once a month. Along with this, he recently had a body fat test, and it was found that he had “eight and a half percent” of total fat in his body. 

Later in the video, Langowski asked, “How many pull-ups can you do in a row?” The veteran replied, “30 is easy. I’ve gotten more,” and when he showed Langowski, he performed a total of 36 pull-ups.

According to the military veteran, many people accuse him of being a user of T*********** Replacement Therapy. However, he cleared the doubt by admitting that he “Never did it and won’t do it”.

Beyond physical gym work, his dietary habits also play a crucial role in maintaining his physique. 

Bruce Pelka’s Balanced Diet

Bruce Pelka eats very healthy, balanced meals to maintain his physique and energy in his 70s. Sierra Clark, a fitness content creator, posted a video on her YouTube channel on December 14, 2025, while spending a day with a military veteran.

In the video, Clark analyzed Pelka’s diet and later discussed his protein-rich breakfast and dinner. According to the video, Pelka’s breakfast contains:

• 2 eggs cooked in olive oil
• Onions
• Peppers
• Avocado
• Salsa and grated cheese
• Black coffee
• Liquid turmeric  
• CoQ10 (Ubiquinone)

On the day of Clark’s visit to the veteran’s home, for dinner, he cooked,

• Flounder (pan-fried and breaded)
• Olive oil sauteed Zucchini with garlic seasoning and lemon

During dinner, Pelka said, “This is what I normally eat: either fish or chicken, sometimes a steak.” He also admitted that he loves to eat Filet Mignon.  

The US military veteran also believes in indulgence, but a healthy version. Although he doesn’t eat sugar, for dinner, he prefers a very odd combo, 

• Peanut butter
• Unripe bananas

He also believes in a 24- to 36-hour fasting window, which is why he eats dinner early, between 5:30 and 6:30 pm. 

This combination of physical work and healthy eating helps Pelka maintain a healthy, active, and jacked physique.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil