Remembering Jim Morris

A Lifetime of Health and Fitness

“Success is not determined by what others think of you, but by how you perceive yourself.” -Jim Morris

Photo: Greatest Physiques

Even though I don’t have much interest in the sport of bodybuilding, the old-time bodybuilders have always impressed me. One such individual was Jim Morris.

Jim was born in 1935 and tragically passed away in 2016, just shy of his 81st birthday. He became interested in weight training as a teenager and quickly built an impressive physique.

Jim began competing in 1959, but it wasn’t until following the advice of the legendary Bill Pearl that his competitive career took off. In 1973 he won the prestigious Mr. America competition and at the age of 37 became the oldest competitor to do so. In addition, he was the first openly gay competitor to win the title as well. This sparked much controversy and Jim unfortunately became the target of discrimination based on his race and sexual orientation, something that haunted him into the later years of his life.

Jim followed Bill Pearl’s training advice and claimed to have performed best on his programs. At the age of 50, like his mentor Pearl, he became a vegetarian and at 65 he eliminated all animal-products from his diet and adopted a vegan lifestyle. These changes didn’t hurt his physique at all, as he remained in exceptional condition until the end of his life. He did experience improvements in other aspects of his health after going plant-based, such as eliminating his elbow arthritis, getting off all medications, and improved eyesight.

The Bill Pearl-inspired training programs Jim followed were brilliant. When Jim was younger, he followed a more traditional high-volume competition training program, like those found in Pearl’s excellent books. The routine involved training 6 days per week. He trained chest, biceps, and triceps on Monday, Wednesday, Friday; legs, back, and shoulders on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday; and abdominals every day. The workouts were between 50-60 total sets each day. This is massive volume.

As he got older, he adjusted his training to promote recovery. He continued training 6 days per week but has reduced the volume dramatically, as we should as we age. He was training each muscle group for 10-20 sets, twice per week. His workouts were between 10-20 sets as well. I feel this is an excellent approach for those who can train in shorter 15 to 30-minute, daily sessions. I tend to favor three full-body training sessions per week for most people, but these workouts may take 30 to 60 minutes to perform the necessary volume, so the shorter more frequent workouts may be more beneficial depending on your schedule.

Here is a sample of the workouts Jim was performing to look amazing in his 70s:

Sunday / Thursday

Legs

• squat or leg press x 5-6 sets

• leg extension x 5-6 sets

Monday / Friday

Back and Chest

• lat-pulldown x 5 sets

• cable fly x 5 sets

• dip x 5 sets

Tuesday / Saturday

Shoulders / Arms

• lateral raise x 5 sets

• front raise x 5 sets

• pushdown x 5 sets

• dumbbell curl x 5 sets

Wednesday: off

Although the article didn’t specify, I’m going to assume he continued his abdominal work daily. Daily abdominal work was something Bill Pearl stressed.

Jim continued to train himself, and his clients, right up until the time of his passing.

As I write this article, on the eve of my 49th birthday, I hope to look half as good at 50 as Jim did at 70!

I hope you enjoyed this article and until next time, stay strong and healthy!

Please enjoy this excellent short video from Lifelong Fitness on Jim and his incredible story. Rest in peace Jim.