BATON ROUGE — An 88-year-old former bodybuilder is still pumping iron and is a true inspiration to all fitness junkies.

The gym is where Jim Cothran feels most at home. He’s there three times a week, in fact.

"I enjoy it. Some days I do legs, some days I do chest. Some days I do shoulders,” Cothran said.

Cothran, a University of Virginia graduate with a Master’s in engineering, spent 33 years in the military and got into weightlifting when he was 37.

It wasn’t until he was in his 70s that he got interested in bodybuilding.

"He asked if I thought he could do that, I said you can do anything you want to do. So, that's how we got started,” personal trainer Kevin Pleasants said.

Cothran competed in bodybuilding competitions for nine years in his 70s and won across the region.

"The shows were great, but getting ready for it was hard, hard work,” Cothran said.

Now at 88, Cothran’s bodybuilding career is behind him, but he built a lasting friendship with his trainer, who is now also his caregiver. He's one of many inspired by Cothran.

"You know it just motivates people, it makes them want to get out and want to do it themselves. Or, I'm being lazy. If Jim can do it, I know I can do it right?” Pleasants said.

Cothran credits his longevity to good genes, saying that his mom lived to be 99. But he also says eating healthy and staying active is important.

"Eating the right stuff and working out and not getting too fat, stuff like this,” Cothran said. "You've got to, or you just rot."