No part of this story can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.<\/p>\n
There are certain sentences you never want to hear during National Service.<\/p>\n
“Your grandmother can do better than you” is probably one of them.<\/p>\n
Well, anyone related to 80-year-old Singaporean Charlotte Lim can now say that truthfully.<\/p>\n
Charlotte, better known online as @pullup_grandma, recently showed off her strength in a now viral video taken in South Korea, doing pull-ups alongside Amotti<\/a>, winner of Netflix’s Physical: 100 Season 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yes, pull-ups. At 80.<\/p>\n And apparently, she could have done one more.<\/p>\n Speaking to 8days.sg, Charlotte revealed that her personal best is actually six consecutive bodyweight pull-ups.<\/p>\n She can even do a weighted pull-up with an additional 6kg.<\/p>\n “He asked me twice, ‘Are you sure you are 80?'” Charlotte laughed.<\/p>\n According to Charlotte’s 43-year-old daughter and personal trainer, Yan Lin, meeting Amotti was especially exciting as Physical: 100 is one of her mum’s favourite shows.<\/p>\n Charlotte told us she enjoys the reality competition because it feels transparent.<\/p>\n But meeting its Season 2 champ? She wasn’t exactly starstruck.<\/p>\n “To me, he’s just another young man in the gym trying to keep fit and healthy,” she said coolly.<\/p>\n What’s even more impressive is that Charlotte only started exercising seriously at 72, when she couldn’t even do a sit-up.<\/p>\n She did her first pull-up at 76.<\/p>\n Asked what she can physically do now that she couldn’t do in her 50s or 60s, Charlotte’s answer couldn’t have been more succinct.<\/p>\n “Everything!” she said.<\/p>\n These days, her weekly routine would probably exhaust some people half her age just reading about it.<\/p>\n Charlotte does three FITRX workouts a week at her children’s gym, plus three active recovery sessions involving running and bodyweight exercises.<\/p>\n She’s also currently taking part in a three-month challenge to clock 1,000 pull-ups, 2,000 push-ups, 3,000 sit-ups and 4,000 squats.<\/p>\n But meeting Amotti wasn’t actually why Charlotte was in Korea.<\/p>\n She was in Daegu representing Singapore at the World Masters Athletics Championships.<\/p>\n When 8days.sg first reached out to her, Charlotte was preparing to compete in the 800m final later that afternoon.<\/p>\n A few hours later? She was a silver medallist.<\/p>\n When we subsequently asked what felt better \u2014 getting Amotti’s approval or standing on an international podium with a silver medal \u2014 she didn’t hesitate.<\/p>\n “Silver medal. Amotti is just another gym bro,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n And her first thought upon crossing the finish line?<\/p>\n “I need to sit down!” she recalled.<\/p>\n Charlotte finished in 4min 38 seconds, shaving an impressive 31 seconds off her previous personal best of 5min 09 seconds at the Singapore Masters Track and Field Championships.<\/p>\n “Elated with the result! All the extra training paid off!” she told us.<\/p>\n The funniest part? Charlotte doesn’t particularly enjoy running.<\/p>\n “Truthfully, I do not like running. My children signed me up for the race,\u201d she admitted.<\/p>\n There was, however, one very good reason she agreed to run.<\/p>\n Her daughter Yan Lin’s birthday falls on Aug 25, and Charlotte had promised to try to bring home a medal as her present.<\/p>\n Charlotte credits her two children \u2014 she also has a son, who is 54\u00a0\u2014\u00a0who both coach her, for her transformation.<\/p>\n “They’re great coaches and I’m teachable,” she said, adding that exercising together has brought the family closer.<\/p>\n So what would she say to people half her age who complain they’re too old or tired to exercise?<\/p>\n “They should do it for their own health! Exercise is medicine. Better to exercise and eat clean than pop pills,” said Charlotte.<\/p>\n And if you are wondering how Charlotte reacts when people are shocked that an 80-year-old can still do pull-ups and compete internationally?<\/p>\n “You jealous?” she cheekily quips.<\/p>\n She also has considerably less patience for people who use age as an excuse not to exercise.<\/p>\n “Of course! Very annoyed” she said when asked if it annoys her.<\/p>\n According to Charlotte, despite years of trying, she’s managed to convince only one friend to join a gym.<\/p>\n “Most old people are lazy or fearful,” she said.<\/p>\n Maybe “your grandmother can do better than you” isn’t such an empty threat after all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"No part of this story can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg. 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