Everyone saw the video. You know the one—Robert F. Kennedy Jr., shirtless at Gold’s Gym, Venice Beach, pumping iron under the California sun. It went viral faster than a political scandal. But behind the slow-motion reps and the bronzed physique of a man in his 70s, there’s a whole lot of debate about what was actually happening on that barbell.
Whether you’re a fan of the guy or not, the rfk jr bench press moment became a cultural Rorschach test. To some, it was an "insane" display of vitality for a man born in 1954. To others, it was a "lightweight" vanity project. Let’s get into the weeds of the math, the form, and the actual routine that keeps the current Secretary of Health and Human Services looking like he’s ready for a bodybuilding stage.
The Math: How Much Was on the Bar?
The Internet loves to argue. When the video dropped, people immediately began "plate-watching." If you look closely at the footage, RFK Jr. isn't doing a standard flat bench. He’s on an incline bench. That’s an important distinction because incline is notoriously harder than flat.
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On the bar, he had a 25-pound plate and a 10-pound plate on each side. Add that to a standard 45-pound Olympic bar, and you get 115 pounds.
Now, 115 pounds isn't going to break any world records. It’s not "heavy" by powerlifting standards. But context is everything. Kennedy was 69 at the time of that video. According to his trainer, Ryan, that specific set was a "drop set" at the very end of his chest workout. Basically, he had already burnt out his muscles with heavier weights and was just finishing them off. The claim from his camp is that this set was roughly 50% of his max, which would put his actual 1-rep max somewhere around 225 to 230 pounds.
For a 70-year-old? That’s legitimately impressive. Honestly, most 25-year-olds can't bench two plates.
Why the Incline Bench Matters
The incline bench press focuses more on the clavicular head of the pectoralis major—the "upper chest." It also hammers the anterior deltoids (front of the shoulders). It’s a favorite for guys who want that "filled out" look under a t-shirt.
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Kennedy’s form in the video was... interesting. He had a spotter, which is smart, but he was moving with a fairly fast tempo. Some critics pointed out that he wasn't touching the bar all the way to his chest, but in the world of senior fitness, sometimes "partial range of motion" is a deliberate choice to save the rotator cuffs from unnecessary shredding.
The Jeans Factor
We have to talk about the jeans. In almost every workout video he’s posted—including the recent "Pete and Bobby Challenge" with Pete Hegseth—RFK Jr. is wearing blue jeans.
It looks uncomfortable. It looks like a recipe for a massive chafe. But his explanation is actually pretty simple: convenience. He hikes three miles every morning with his dogs. He wears his hiking gear (jeans). Then he goes straight to the gym. He’s been doing it for decades, and at 71, he’s basically decided he doesn't care if it looks weird.
The Full RFK Jr. Fitness Protocol
The rfk jr bench press isn't an isolated event. It’s part of a high-intensity resistance training (HIRT) routine he’s followed for over 50 years. He doesn't just "go to the gym"; he attacks it.
- The Split: He uses a 4-day body part split. Chest one day, back the next, then legs, then "miscellaneous" (arms and shoulders).
- To Failure: Every first set is aimed at hitting failure at 12 reps.
- The Finish: His fourth set is almost always a "strip set" or drop set, which explains the 115-pound video.
- No Rest: He claims he "never relaxes" in the gym, moving from one set to the next to keep the heart rate up.
Beyond the lifting, there’s a heavy emphasis on recovery and "biohacking." He’s been open about using Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) to maintain muscle mass as he ages. He also sticks to an 18/6 intermittent fasting schedule, meaning he only eats during a 6-hour window, usually finishing by 6:00 PM.
Is It Humanly Possible Without "Help"?
This is where the nuance comes in. Kennedy looks great, but he’s also a billionaire-adjacent politician with access to the best doctors and supplements on the planet. Can the average 70-year-old reach a 225-pound bench press?
Probably not without a lifetime of consistency and, frankly, some hormonal assistance. Muscle atrophy (sarcopenia) is a brutal reality of aging. By 70, the body naturally wants to shed muscle, not build it. Kennedy’s physique is a combination of 50 years of discipline and modern medical "optimization."
But the message he’s pushing—the "Wellness Revolution"—is grounded in real science. Resistance training is the #1 predictor of longevity and functional independence in seniors. Whether he's lifting 115 or 315, the act of moving heavy weight is what keeps the bones dense and the metabolism firing.
What You Can Learn from the Viral Lift
If you're looking to replicate some of that "Bobby Energy" in your own routine, don't start by loading up 225 pounds in your denim Levi's. Instead, look at the principles.
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- Prioritize the Incline: If you want that "shelf" look on your chest, stop obsessing over the flat bench. Move to a 30-degree incline.
- Short but Intense: Kennedy only spends about 35 minutes in the weight room. He makes those minutes miserable. Intensity beats duration every time.
- Consistency Over Decades: He didn't get "jacked" for a campaign. He’s been lifting since the 70s. The best time to start was 20 years ago; the second best time is today.
- Hike More: Daily incline walking (even without the 12-step meeting and the dogs) is the lowest-impact way to keep your cardiovascular system in check without killing your gains.
The rfk jr bench press video was a spectacle, sure. It was a political statement about "vitality" versus the perceived frailty of the establishment. But strip away the politics and the shirtless tan, and you're left with a guy who just really likes to lift. And that’s something even his loudest critics can usually respect.
To get started on a similar longevity-focused path, focus on compound movements like the incline press and goblet squats. Aim for three days of resistance training a week, focusing on reaching "technical failure"—the point where you can't do another rep with perfect form.