Tsumoto Tosaka isn't your average septuagenarian. At 74, he's in such amazing shape that he recently took the top spot in the Japan Masters Bodybuilding Championship (held, fittingly, just a day before Japan's Respect for the Aged Day).

And just in case you're thinking that the only way to create a body like Tosaka's is to start lifting at an early age, know this -- Tosaka didn't begin weightlifting until he was in his 40s!

Tosaka told Reuters that he wants to send a message to other senior citizens: "Anyone can stay young and healthy if they exercise from time to time," he said. Many of his fellow countrymen are obviously already aware of this -- Japan has the longest life expectancy in the world, with more than 40,000 people over the age of 100.

Looking for more finely-aged inspiration? Just guess how many marathons this 81-year-old has completed!

At nearly 80, Ray Moon has suffered through polio, open heart surgery, financial ruin and two minor strokes. And he has a pacemaker. So you might be surprised to know what Mr. Moon's claim to fame is: He's a bodybuilding champ in his native Australia.

He recently took home the top prize in the Victorian Bodybuilding Championships in Melbourne in the 'over 60' category, which is quite a feat considering he is well over 60 -- by nearly 20 years! What's even more amazing? He only started working out four years ago. For more of this story, click here.

Mr. Moon works out six days a week for 2.5 hours and walks 4 km every day. Feel lazy yet? I sure do.

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Kenneth G. Williams. That's him in the picture. Pretty big guy. More than just a little ripped. Body builder. Vegan.

Wait, what?!? A bodybuilding vegan? That's right.

Williams hasn't always been a vegan, in fact back when he first got started in body building he was very much into the usual fare of meat, eggs, and dairy. But then one day, in the middle of the night, he had "a moment" and has been a vegan ever since.

Just goes to show that you don't need to eat meat to feel "tough" and to be healthy and fit. If you want to eat meat, then by all means go ahead. But if you've been leaning towards vegetarianism or veganism then don't let stereotypes be the thing that holds you back.

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There are several great fitness calculators available online, many of which can be accessed right here on That's Fit. Some can provide you with a fairly accurate estimation of your BMI, while others can approximate how many calories you burned performing a particular exercise in a given amount of time. Hell, there are even some that can determine if you are overstressed (although you probably don't need a calculator for that one in the first place).

One of my favorite calculator tool helps determine what your One Rep Max will likely be on an exercise. For example, if you can bench press 225 pounds for 5 reps, then your estimated 1RM is 253 pounds. Is it accurate? Maybe not precisely, but it's probably pretty close. This same calculator can also be used to quickly figure out a certain percentage of your 1RM. So, if your 1RM is 253 pounds, then 50-percent of that is 127 pounds. Granted, you could have easily figured that one out in your head, but what if you wanted to know what 65-percent of your 1RM is? Not so easy that time, is it, Einstein?

Knowing what your One Rep Max is on an exercise is an important part of designing the right resistance training program for yourself. It will help ensure that the weight you are lifting is neither too heavy -- leading to the increased risk of injury, nor too light -- causing workouts to be less effective than they potentially could be.

Interested in knowing what your 1RM might be? If so, click HERE.

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Probably not, but depending on what your goals are you might. And although they're intimidating for most people (no, taking them won't balloon you up like the Arnold Schwarzenegger of old) they really aren't that complicated. Buying muscle-building supplements is just like anything else health related: it's all about assessing your lifestyle and reading labels.

The most common supplements used for building muscle mass include creatinine, sports drinks, and whey protein. Creatinine is found in the body naturally and is used to fuel short bursts of intense activity, sports drinks provide a good balance of energy and protein, and whey protein is great for post-workout muscle repair. Read this article for more tips on how and where to start if you're considering supplements for your workout, and there's also a list of the best supplements to consider.

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Some of us exercise merely for the sake of staying in shape and feeling healthy. But for some, the point is to build muscle for an impressive physique. If you're someone who's interested in the muscle growth process, you should know that alcohol certainly isn't helping -- and, in fact, it's probably holding you back.

According to Sean Nalewanyj, author and natural bodybuilder, there are 5 main ways in which alcohol works against building muscle mass.

1. It negatively affects protein synthesis
2. It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen
3. It causes dehydration
4. It depletes the body of vitamins and minerals
5. It increases fat storage

Not that you can never go out and have a good time, but doing it too often -- even every weekend -- may make all the work you're doing in the gym a waste of time.

And even if you're not trying to bulk up, the same still applies. As with most things, moderating your alcohol intake is key if you're looking to stay fit.

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This article details the horrible complications one young man dealt with as a result of over-working himself at the gym -- he was quite literally "muscle bound," and suffered a blood clot that started in the shoulder area and traveled to his lungs. The condition, called thoracic outlet syndrome, happens mostly in athletes who use their arms and shoulders extensively, or workers like painters that commonly have their arms over head level. The abnormally large muscles constrict the vessels traveling through the already tight arm to shoulder area, and then blood flow gets interrupted and clotting can occur.

Luckily, the guy in the article underwent treatment and is perfectly fine today. Just goes to show, though, that anything can be taken too far -- even fitness!

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