Is It Safe to Get Super Ripped If You’re an AARP Member?

Actor J.K. Simmons is jacked. (Photo: Instagram/Aaron Williamson)

Thanks to his bulging biceps, J.K. Simmons has been giving everyone on social media some serious whiplash.

The 61-year-old actor has been pumping iron with his trainer and U.S. Marine Aaron Williamson in preparation for his role as Commission Gordon in the upcoming movie “Justice League.” And those in the Twitterverse cannot get enough of his ripped physique. Even his own trainer is impressed, sharing the photo above of Simmons with the caption: “Every time we train together I forget he’s 61 years old. So much respect for this guy.”

So we had to ask—is it safe for someone over 60 who has suddenly decided to whip their body into amazing shape?

“I don’t see any cons in what he is doing—none whatsoever,” Jonny Bowden, PhD, a board-certified nutritionist who has earned six national certifications in personal training and exercise, tells Yahoo Beauty. “What could possibly be bad about somebody improving their health at any age?”

Bowden points to the time in history when President Ronald Reagan started exercising with weights in his eighties, stating that it can offer older adults “better balance, gait improvement, and better strength.”

However, the Oscar winner might want to practice a few precautionary tips, such as not overdoing the workout sessions—“For example, not approaching this as if he is still 17!”—along with making sure he provides his body with enough rest time.

As for Simmons’s diet, Bowden hopes the actor is being advised to consume a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb eating plan. “Fat is your best source of energy,” he explains. “So the whole goal for any athlete, for anybody getting into shape, or for anybody wanting better health is to be a better fat burner.”

Bowden, who is older than Simmons, adds: “Someone our age also needs to be respectful of the fact that we have aging joints. I’m very familiar with the challenges of joints that need a little tender loving care. So if I were his nutritionist, I’d set him up with some supplements that would help the process.”

His first choice: curcumin. “The number one thing that seems to derail any athlete from getting into shape is inflammation because that is where the pain comes from,” explains Bowden. “When you have joints that haven’t been used for 60 years, they’re more subject to being inflamed and causing pain. And curcumin is one of the most anti-inflammatory substances on the planet.”

Being that this supplement — which is a member of the ginger family and is the active ingredient in turmeric — isn’t well-absorbed by the body, Bowden suggests opting for the curcumin BCM-95 since this formulation has been shown to be more effective.

Bowden’s second supplement suggestion is collagen (specifically Collagen Enhance sold at GNC). “This contains the type II collagen, which is for the joints,” he says. “It also contains hyaluronic acid, which lubricates the joints, and chondroitin sulfate, which is good for the cartilage.”

All in all, he applauds Simmons tremendous efforts. “There may be some challenges,” says Bowden, “but there is no downside to what he is doing.”

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