The ageless Warrior

Approaching 60, weightlifter continues career

Marques Hunter

of the Gateway

Ken Babich hasn’t called it quits yet. And he doesn’t plan to anytime soon. At 57, Babich said he’s in better shape than he was during his first bodybuilding contest in 1989.

That shape is showing his true form. Last year, Babich received his Natural Pro Card for the World Natural Sports Organization/FAME World Championships in Toronto, Ontario. He had been working toward the achievement for 17 years.

“Every day has to be some kind of adventure,” Babich said. “I take that challenge to my clients.”

In 1972, Babich was a floor instructor at the Town & Country Tennis Health Club that is now the Gig Harbor Athletic Club. From there, he moved to Hawaii and reshaped million-dollar celebrities.

A personal trainer now for 30 years — he currently works at Anytime Fitness — Babich knows that being a bodybuilder is a demanding but enjoyable lifestyle.

Coming from a family that has rich ties to Gig Harbor’s fishing culture, he’s the only one to be a bodybuilder. Spiro’s, a downtown Italian-style restaurant, was named after his grandfather, and Babich’s grandmother was Julia Skansie.

Although the names Babich and Skansie are synonymous with the city’s fishing heritage, Babich went in a different direction. He’s still got a knack for fishing, but he said there isn’t time to pursue the industry full-time while staying in tip-top shape and training his clients.

It was just this past year when Babich heard some of the best news of his bodybuilding career.

“I had a drive; I had a focus,” he said.

Babich’s age puts him in the grandmasters division — 50 and older. One of his goals is to compete in the silver grand — 70 and older.

Babich earned his Pro Card in Vancouver, British Columbia, through a series of rounds with other competitors. Points were given with a 90-second finale routine.

“Exercise is a can of spam, but the trick is serving it in different ways,” said Babich, who is featured in an online magazine called “Fit over 40.”

Age hasn’t stopped him from pushing his body to the limits. His workout regimen is intense, to say the least.

“The gym workouts are grueling, and I’m on the streets of Gig Harbor by 6 a.m. six days a week for the cardio part,” Babich said. “Add a full schedule of clients both in-home and in gyms, and you have the full day of an ageless warrior.”

With a constant supply of protein and creatine, Babich also has a strict diet. He said the key to staying in good shape comes down to the four “M’s.”

“Mental, mouth, muscle and motion,” he said.

Mental stands for your ability to go to the gym and push yourself. Mouth equates to eating healthy. The last two are the least important aspects of staying in great muscular and cardio shape, he said.

Babich’s career as a personal trainer keeps him busy. Many of his clients are local, including some who live at Canterwood.

But in order to be a good physical trainer, he said he treats his own body first.

On Sept. 20, Babich was asked to pose as a guest in Boise, Idaho, for the Natural Idaho State Bodybuilding Fitness and Figure Championships. He’s now training for a pro invitation in Anchorage, Alaska, on Oct. 4.

Babich was also asked to be the top judge for a local Musclemania World Tour event in Gig Harbor, but it was canceled due to a low number of entries.

“You are the only person that can take yourself into a gym, and you are the only person that can take you out of a gym,” Babich said about his mental strength.

As he’s aged, Babich said he’s had to change his workouts to match the progression of his body. Once he turned 50, he said he had to rewrite his workout book.

Still, his nickname remains the “Quad Father.”

While pumping iron and showcasing his muscles at body building competitions is exciting, even Babich needs a break. Every summer, he returns to Croatia, where his family is from. Babich usually stays for at least three weeks.

“That’s where I go fishing,” he said.