Becky Skipper took home first and second place wins at a natural bodybuilding competition over the weekend. Here she is pictured with her three grandchildren.

At the age of 53, Becky Skipper is in the best shape of her life and she showed it off last weekend at the North Florida Natural Bodybuilding Classic competition in Tallahassee. Months of conditioning paid off when Skipper came away with first place in the Open Women’s Bodybuilding division and second in the Women’s Master Bodybuilding division.

On top of those honors, Skipper’s win in the open division earned her a Super Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness (SNBF) pro card, allowing her to compete in higher ranking events like the SNBF Pro-Am Grand Finale. Skipper plans to attend this competition in Suwannee, Ga. on Nov. 7.

Skipper trained for last weekend’s competition for 16 weeks starting in April, inspired by the 20-year anniversary of her rededication of her life to the Lord, she said.

“I give all the glory to my Lord and savior, for without him I am nothing,” Skipper added.

This August also marked 20 years since Skipper last competed in a bodybuilding competition, her last being the Tampa Bay Classic in 1995.

Skipper didn’t change her workout habits at all when training for her comeback competition; she got all the exercise she needed during her group exercise classes. Skipper is the owner and coach at the Family Fitness Outreach Center, where she teaches numerous fitness classes, like Zumba and rigorous “boot camps.”

“I never really stopped working out,” she said. “Of course, I hadn’t lifted in 15 years, but what I have found is that less is better, which people are not going to believe.”

Skipper advised quality is better than quantity when it comes to weight lifting and strength training, stating an optimal work out time is 45 minutes. Hours-long sessions can lead to permanent muscle tears and injuries, she said.

Skipper’s eating habits during her competition training underwent a far greater change than her workouts. She conditioned herself to give up certain things she liked, namely sweets like ice cream and peanut M&Ms, by gradually decreasing how often she ate them.

“I’m a sweetaholic,” she said. “So that was my main cut, but I didn’t totally cut them out. I weaned myself off them.”

In the weeks approaching the competition, Skipper’s diet became stricter with more protein and less fat. Still, in the two months prior to the event, Skipper said she could count the times she cheated on her diet on one hand.

Skipper’s advice to other people looking to get in shape, particularly to older women, is to start slow. Two 15-30 minute workouts a week for six weeks is a good starting point, she said.