Man, 88, can deadlift 95kg and says the health club provides him ‘goal’ since he misplaced his spouse
Mick, an 88-year-old from Burnley, Lancashire, started taking strength training seriously in later life and says that it has given him a sense of purpose since his wife died
Mick, from Burnley, Lancashire(Image: Cover Images)
An 88-year-old widower who once weighed 18st (114kg) has transformed his life in the gym – and he can now deadlift an incredible 209lb (95kg). With his muscular arms, remarkable strength, and endless energy, Mick Wadge looks healthier than most 40-year-olds.
Mick, who has lived in Burnley, Lancashire, all his life, began taking strength training seriously later in life after losing his beloved wife, Margaret. Now weighing just 9st 6lb (60kg), the pensioner regularly lifts far more than his own body weight and is close to achieving his goal of bench-pressing 132lb (60kg).
But Mick, who was born in 1938, insists he is not trying to impress anyone or become the strongest 88-year-old around. For him, every squat, deadlift, and bench press is a way of holding on to his freedom.
(Image: Cover Images)
“People see an 88-year-old in the gym. I see another chance to look after my independence,” Mick says. “Every weight I lift, every step I take, and every session I finish is helping me stay strong enough to live life on my own terms. I don’t train to impress anyone. I train to stay independent, because, to me, that’s the greatest reward of all.”
Mick met Margaret when he was just 19 and married her two years later. The couple went on to have two children and enjoyed a long and happy life together.
Losing his wife was the hardest experience Mick had ever faced, and he feared he could easily spend the rest of his days sitting at home and watching the world pass him by. Instead, he found a new sense of purpose through exercise.
Although Mick had kept reasonably active for much of his life and even earned a brown belt in judo when he was younger, his weight climbed to 18st (114kg) at one stage.
Mick Wadge looks healthier than most 40-year-olds(Image: Cover Images)
After Margaret’s death, he began exercising at home to give himself something positive to focus on. With no proper gym equipment, Mick started training in his garden using a stick and two milk bottles filled with water as makeshift weights.
As his interest grew, his grandson encouraged him to invest in proper equipment. Family friend Ross Starkie, who runs a sports clinic and professional training facility called Barbell School in Burnley, began offering Mick advice to help him exercise safely during lockdown. When restrictions were lifted and the gym reopened, Mick received four personal training sessions with Ross as a birthday present. Years later, he is still going back.
“The gym gave me something back. It gave me purpose, it gave me confidence, and, most importantly, it gave me my independence,” Mick says. “I train so I can keep driving, get out of the house, do my own shopping, and live life on my own terms.”
His progress has been remarkable. At 85, Mick could deadlift 66lb (30kg). Just three years later, he can pull 209lb (95kg) from the floor, more than one-and-a-half times his current body weight. He has also shed approximately 8st 7lb (54kg) since reaching his heaviest weight. Rather than following an overly complicated eating plan, Mick keeps his diet simple by eating enough protein, limiting sweets, and choosing a piece of fruit when he craves sugar.
The widowed 88-year-old says it has changed his life(Image: Cover Images)
“Be mindful of your fats, your carbohydrates, and your protein, but don’t overcomplicate it,” Mick says. Mick, who grew up during wartime rationing, says his generation did not have the same opportunity to overindulge. Although he lost his way for a while, returning to regular exercise helped him rediscover healthier habits. He finishes his training sessions with a protein shake, but refuses to give up the proper meals he loves.
“I don’t spend my life in the gym trying to earn my dinner. I stay active so I can enjoy life outside the gym, including the food I love,” he says. “I don’t live my life to go to the gym. I go to the gym so I can live my life.” His workouts include squats, deadlifts, bench presses, resistance machines, and pushing a weighted Tank sled.
Mick credits Ross with keeping his training programme safe, challenging, and enjoyable. “A good coach will keep you on the right track, encourage you when you’re struggling, and believe in you when you don’t quite believe in yourself,” Mick says.
Earlier this year, Mick and Ross began filming his workouts so his friends and family would have a record of his fitness journey. They later decided to share the clips publicly through Mick’s TikTok account, @old.man.mick2.
“I’ve lived in Burnley all my life, and it’s home,” Mick says. “I never imagined people from all over the world would end up watching an old man from Burnley lift weights in the gym.”
