She's 80 and Does 7 Pull-Ups: Inside the World's Healthiest Family
Siim Land sits down with Team De-aging Singapore: 54-year-old 'aging guru' Teet Lim, his 80-year-old mother Charlotte, sister Yen and family friend Melody, all ranked on the Longevity World Cup. They explain how they measure biological age, why fitness is the foundation of their 'de-aging pyramid', and the simple SOAP nutrition and supplement habits that keep an 80-year-old doing seven pull-ups.
Overview
In this Siim Land podcast, the family behind Team De-aging Singapore — proudly practitioners rather than theorists — share how a structured, measured lifestyle keeps all four of them ranked on the Longevity World Cup. Teet Lim, a 54-year-old former lawyer turned 'aging guru', traces the journey from founding Miss Pops Fitness in 2016 to flying to the Mayo Clinic, meeting NUS longevity professor Brian Kennedy and building a bespoke biological-age test he uses as a yardstick for every longevity claim.
His 80-year-old mother Charlotte, known online as 'pull-up grandma', only began training eight years ago yet now performs six or seven pull-ups and is attempting Guinness records for pull-ups and dead hang. She credits four pillars: high-intensity exercise, SOAP nutrition (no sugar, oil, additives or processed food), seven to eight hours of sleep, and healthy relationships with the young. The group walks through their FitRx program — strength and conditioning plus a controlled high-intensity finisher, split across the week — and stress that strength comes first, especially for older adults facing sarcopenia.
On nutrition they favour home-cooked local food, fist-sized portions of carbs, vegetables and protein, more protein overall, and 19 planned meals a week with two cheat meals for sustainability. Supplements are added one at a time every six months to correct measured deficiencies rather than as a shotgun. Their recurring message: it is never too late to start, and only data — not feelings — should decide what actually works.
Key quotes
5Her pull-up record right now is zero. So even if she just performs one pull-up as an 80-year-old woman, the record is hers.
Within a couple of years, I was doing things I never knew I could do before. Within 4 years, I did my first chin-up, and today I'm doing many more pull-ups than before.
In the longevity industry there are a lot of big claims but very few receipts. And that really bugs me.
SOAP. So, no sugar, no oil, no additives, and no processed food. And I eat local food.
It's never too late. All you need is your determination, perseverance, and commitment to your own health.
Key ideas
9A whole family ranked for longevity
Teet, his mother Charlotte, sister Yen and friend Melody all rank on the Longevity World Cup, a leaderboard of roughly 200 highly health-focused people. Their span of ages shows a structured plan works at 42, 54 and 80 alike.
An 80-year-old chasing Guinness records
Charlotte's personal best is six or seven pull-ups, and the current over-80 women's pull-up record is zero, so a single rep would set it. She is also targeting the dead-hang record, having already held over four minutes in competition.
Biological age versus chronological age
After being told at the Mayo Clinic he looked at least ten years younger than his age, Teet met NUS professor Brian Kennedy, joined the AIBIOS biomarker study and built a bespoke age test combining clinical and subclinical markers.
Longevity needs receipts, not claims
Teet uses his measurement framework as a yardstick: any pill or therapy claiming to extend health-span must show movement on his data. He argues the industry can only be taken seriously once there is an agreed standard for biological age.
Charlotte's four pillars
Her healthy lifestyle rests on high-intensity exercise, SOAP nutrition (no sugar, oil, additives or processed food), seven to eight hours of sleep, and staying connected to young people to keep her mind active.
The de-aging pyramid puts fitness first
Teet ranks fitness — his FitRx prescription — above nutrition as the foundation, then builds sleep and supplementation on top. He does not believe you can out-exercise poor nutrition, but insists the exercise base must come first.
Inside the FitRx workout
Each session has three parts: a bodyweight calisthenics warm-up, heavy strength training for hypertrophy, and a short high-intensity finisher that they deliberately keep brief to avoid becoming catabolic. Body parts are split across the week.
Singapore's long life but shorter health-span
Life expectancy is about 83.6 years, yet Charlotte notes officials say the last decade is often spent battling high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, sarcopenia and more. Good infrastructure exists, but many do not know how to use it.
Supplement to correct deficiency, not to guess
Teet's bespoke stack of around two dozen items was built one addition every six months, each targeting a measured deficiency — like adding a daily kiwi for vitamin C — rather than a shotgun of pills.
Practical takeaways
6- 1
Put strength first, especially with age 36:00
Build a sound strength base before layering on cardio, nutrition and supplements. For older adults, strength directly protects independence against sarcopenia.
- 2
Follow the SOAP rule 27:30
Cut sugar, oil, additives and processed food, and healthify the local dishes you already love so healthy eating stays enjoyable and sustainable.
- 3
Use the fist for portions 47:00
Aim for one fist of carbohydrate, one fist of leafy vegetables and one fist of protein per meal — an easy rule that scales to each person's size.
- 4
Plan meals, but allow two cheats 50:00
Eat roughly 19 planned meals a week and reserve two cheat meals for foods you cannot make at home, so you avoid cravings and bingeing while staying consistent.
- 5
Test before you supplement 56:00
Confirm a deficiency with blood work before adding a supplement, introduce one at a time, and give each about six months to judge effect and safety.
- 6
It's never too late to start 58:00
Charlotte began training at around 72 and now does pull-ups. Determination and consistency matter more than when you start, and fitness matters most in your seventies and eighties.
Topics & chapters
14Introduction and the healthiest family
Cold-open teasers on the pull-up record and Charlotte's late-life journey, then Siim introduces Team De-aging Singapore.
Meet the family
Self-introductions from Teet the aging guru, 80-year-old 'pull-up grandma' Charlotte, sister Yen 'the machine' and long-time friend Melody.
Longevity World Cup and Guinness records
Why all four rank on the leaderboard and how Charlotte's pull-up and dead-hang attempts could set new over-80 world records.
The backstory: Mayo Clinic and biological age
From founding Miss Pops Fitness to Mayo Clinic testing, Brian Kennedy, the AIBIOS study and building a bespoke age test.
Practitioners, not theorists
Teet on filtering out charlatans, demanding receipts over claims, and using his framework as the yardstick for longevity.
Reactions to the rankings
Melody and Yen share their surprise at ranking so highly and how lifestyle and nutrition tweaks moved their markers quickly.
Charlotte's four pillars
Starting in her seventies, her chin-up milestone, and the four pillars of exercise, SOAP nutrition, sleep and connection with the young.
It's never too late
Siim on late starters who still thrive, and why fitness and real biomarkers matter more the older you get.
The de-aging pyramid
Fitness as the foundation above nutrition, sleep and supplements, and Teet's long-term aim toward regenerative interventions.
Inside the FitRx workout
Yen breaks down the three-part session, the weekly body-part split, boot camp, the mega wad and strength-first programming for seniors.
Why Singapore lives long
Life expectancy of 83.6, the health-span gap in the final decade, strong infrastructure, Nutri-Grade labels and the difficulty of changing habits.
Eating the SOAP way
Home cooking versus outside food, batch prep, fist portions, more protein, cutting sugary drinks and the 19-plus-2 meal structure.
Building a bespoke supplement stack
Correcting measured deficiencies one supplement every six months, the kiwi-for-vitamin-C fix, and Melody's convert-to-supplements story.
One habit to adopt sooner
Each person shares the change they wish they had made earlier, closing on Charlotte's message that it is never too late.