If you’ve spent any time on the internet over the last year, you’ve probably seen the video. A shirtless, incredibly tan, and surprisingly muscular 71-year-old man is grinding through incline bench presses. The kicker? He’s wearing blue jeans.
That man is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and honestly, the "Robert F. Kennedy gym" phenomenon has become a weirdly polarizing cultural touchstone. Some people call him "Jacked Kennedy." Others pick apart his form with the intensity of a pro-scout. But regardless of where you land on his politics, there is something objectively fascinating about a guy in his eighth decade of life who can still bang out 50 pull-ups in a "Pete and Bobby Challenge" at the Pentagon.
It’s not just a vanity project. For RFK Jr., the gym is a cathedral for his "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) philosophy. He’s basically trying to prove that you can outrun—or out-lift—the standard American decline.
The Venice Beach Method: Jeans and "Strip Sets"
Kennedy isn’t some boutique fitness guy. He frequently makes the trek to the iconic Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California. This is the "Mecca of Bodybuilding," the place where Schwarzenegger and Ferrigno built their legacies. It’s gritty. It’s loud. It’s exactly the kind of place where a guy would feel comfortable working out in denim because he just came from a hike.
When asked why he wears jeans, his answer was hilariously practical: convenience. He hikes with his dogs in the morning, goes straight to the gym, and doesn't want to bother changing. It’s a "no excuses" mindset that feels very old-school.
His actual lifting protocol is surprisingly sophisticated, drawing on High Intensity Training (HIT) principles popularized by Mike Mentzer and Dorian Yates. He doesn't spend three hours scrolling on his phone. He hits it hard for about 35 minutes, four times a week.
🔗 Read more: Monroe Central High School Ohio: What Local Families Actually Need to Know
The Split
He breaks his week into four distinct sessions:
- Back
- Chest
- Legs
- Miscellaneous (The "fun" stuff or whatever he feels is lagging)
The real magic—or torture, depending on how you look at it—happens in his set structure. He aims for failure at 12 reps on his first set. Then, he employs "strip sets" (or drop sets) where he lifts until he can't move the weight, drops some plates, and keeps going until his muscles are essentially screaming.
Beyond the Iron: The 18/6 Life
You can’t look like that at 71 just by lifting heavy things. RFK Jr. is a vocal proponent of intermittent fasting. Specifically, he sticks to an 18/6 window. He typically doesn’t eat his first meal until 12:00 PM and shuts the kitchen down by 6:00 PM or 7:00 PM at the latest.
This isn't just about calories. It's about autophagy—the body’s way of "cleaning out" damaged cells. When you combine this with his "MAHA" dietary guidelines—which prioritize red meat, beef tallow, and full-fat dairy while declaring war on seed oils and processed sugars—you get a very specific, pro-metabolic profile.
He’s basically living out the 2026 USDA guidelines he helped overhaul, focusing on "real food" and high-quality animal proteins. It's a massive shift from the low-fat, grain-heavy pyramids of the past.
💡 You might also like: What Does a Stoner Mean? Why the Answer Is Changing in 2026
The Elephant in the Room: TRT and Anti-Aging
Look, we have to be honest here. Kennedy has openly admitted to using Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). He’s clear that it’s not anabolic steroids, but rather a medically supervised anti-aging protocol.
For men over 50, testosterone levels naturally crater. By using TRT, he’s essentially keeping his hormonal profile closer to that of a 30-year-old. Critics argue it gives him an "unfair" advantage, but from a longevity perspective, it’s a tool many doctors are now using to prevent muscle wasting (sarcopenia) and keep energy levels high.
He also takes a "ton" of vitamins and nutrients—too many to name, apparently. It’s a "kitchen sink" approach to biohacking that clearly works for his specific biology.
Hiking as Meditation
Every single morning, before the gym, Kennedy hits the trails. He hikes about 1.5 miles up a hill and 1.5 miles down with his dogs. This is his "Zone 2" cardio, but he also uses it for mindfulness.
He’s mentioned that he does his meditations while climbing. There's something to be said for the "forest bathing" aspect of this. It’s not just about the heart rate; it’s about the mental resets required to handle the high-pressure environment of D.C.
📖 Related: Am I Gay Buzzfeed Quizzes and the Quest for Identity Online
What You Can Actually Learn from the RFK Jr. Routine
You don't have to wear jeans to the gym to see results, but there are a few takeaways here that are backed by actual exercise science:
- Intensity over Duration: You don't need two hours. If you lift to failure within 30-40 minutes, you've done the work.
- Consistency is King: He’s been exercising for over 50 years. That "muscle memory" is a real biological phenomenon.
- Functional Cardio: Hiking uphill is one of the best ways to build lower body strength and cardiovascular endurance without the joint impact of running.
- Protein Priority: His focus on animal-based proteins and healthy fats like butter and tallow is a direct challenge to the "processed-is-fine" mentality.
If you're looking to start your own version of this, start with the "Pete and Bobby" baseline. Can you do 50 push-ups and some pull-ups? If not, that's your Day 1 goal. Forget the fancy machines; master your own body weight first. Then, look at your "eating window." Shrinking that window to 8 or 10 hours can do wonders for your energy levels before you even touch a dumbbell.
The Robert F. Kennedy gym style might look unconventional—okay, it looks a little crazy—but it’s hard to argue with the physical evidence of a 70-year-old man who can out-plank half the people in their 20s.
Actionable Steps for Longevity
To apply these principles today, begin by tracking your daily protein intake and ensuring you hit at least 0.8 grams per pound of body weight. Swap out highly processed seed oils for stable fats like butter or tallow for high-heat cooking. Finally, commit to a "daily uphill" movement, whether it's a treadmill on an incline or a local trail, to build the functional base that supports heavy lifting later in the week.