You’ve probably seen it by now. It’s a grainy, sun-drenched clip of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shirtless at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, grinding out reps on a pull-up bar. The internet, predictably, lost its mind. Some people were genuinely impressed that a man in his seventh decade has more vascularity than most guys half his age, while others immediately started squinting at the screen to count the range of motion.
It wasn't just a fitness flex.
Whether you like his politics or not, the rfk jr pull ups video tapped into a very specific cultural nerve regarding longevity, "biological age," and the physical expectations we place on leaders. He’s 70. Most 70-year-olds are worried about hip replacements, not weighted incline presses or max-rep pull-up sets.
But there is a lot more to the story than just a politician trying to look alpha on Instagram.
The Viral Moment at Gold's Gym
The footage that went nuclear on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram wasn't some polished campaign ad. It looked raw. Kennedy was training at the "Mecca of Bodybuilding," surrounded by the ghosts of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu. Honestly, the optics were intentional. By performing rfk jr pull ups in that specific environment, he was signaling a rejection of the "frail elder" trope that has defined American politics for the last several years.
He was doing more than just bodyweight hangs.
In the video, he’s seen banging out reps with a decent tempo. Now, if you’re a CrossFit purist or a calisthenics expert, you might have noticed the range of motion wasn't exactly "dead hang to chin over bar" on every single rep. There was a bit of a kick. A little bit of "English" on the movement. But let's be real for a second. The guy is 70. The sheer fact that his connective tissue can handle the eccentric load of a pull-up at that age is statistically an outlier.
Why Grip Strength is a Mortality Predictor
We need to talk about why scientists actually care about things like pull-ups. It’s not about looking good in a tank top.
In the medical world, grip strength and the ability to perform hanging exercises are often used as "biomarkers" for all-cause mortality. A study published in The Lancet tracked nearly 140,000 adults across 17 countries and found that grip strength was a stronger predictor of muscular strength than even systolic blood pressure.
When you see the rfk jr pull ups, you’re seeing a functional demonstration of upper-body pulling strength and grip endurance. If you can’t hang from a bar, your chances of surviving a fall or maintaining independence in your 80s plummet. Kennedy isn't just training for aesthetics; he’s training for what Dr. Peter Attia calls the "Marginal Decade"—the last ten years of your life where you want to be functional, not bedridden.
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He’s basically living out the "Centenarian Decathlon" philosophy. This is the idea that you should train now for the movements you want to be able to do when you're 100. If you want to lift a suitcase into an overhead bin when you're 90, you better be doing heavy presses in your 70s.
The "TRT" Elephant in the Room
You can't talk about Kennedy's physique or his gym sessions without the comments section devolving into a debate about Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT).
Kennedy has been open about his health journey. He’s a proponent of alternative medicine and has often discussed his disciplined diet and rigorous exercise routine. While many speculate about HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) given his muscle density at 70, it doesn’t actually change the physical work required. You can take all the hormones in the world, but the bar doesn't move itself. You still have to do the rfk jr pull ups.
Muscle protein synthesis slows down as we age—a process called sarcopenia. To fight it, you need a stimulus. That stimulus is resistance training.
The Biomechanics of the Kennedy Pull-Up
Let’s get nerdy about the form for a minute.
If you watch the clip closely, he’s using a pronated grip (palms facing away). This puts a massive tax on the latissimus dorsi and the brachialis. Most people his age shift to a neutral grip (palms facing each other) because it’s easier on the rotator cuffs.
The fact that he’s comfortable in a full pronated position suggests significant shoulder mobility.
- Shoulder Health: Most elderly men have "frozen" shoulders or significant impingement.
- Core Stability: You can see his midsection remains tight; he’s not "wet noodling" the movement.
- Volume over Intensity: Reports from those who have trained with him suggest he favors high-volume sessions. This builds that "leathery" muscle endurance seen in the video.
It’s easy to criticize a half-rep. It’s much harder to be the guy on the bar.
The Lifestyle Behind the Reps
Kennedy’s daily routine is famously intense. He’s known for hiking with his dogs, long-distance swimming, and frequenting heavy iron gyms. He’s sort of a throwback to the "rugged outdoorsman" archetype of the mid-20th century.
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I think people forget that the Kennedy family has always had a weird obsession with physical fitness. Remember the "50-mile hike" challenge started by JFK? Or the touch football games on the Hyannis Port lawn? This isn't just a political stunt; it's baked into the family DNA. Physical vigor is viewed as a prerequisite for mental acuity and leadership.
The rfk jr pull ups are just the 2026 version of that old-school New England athleticism.
What Most People Get Wrong About Late-Stage Fitness
The biggest misconception I see whenever this video resurfaces is that "he’s just lucky" or "it’s all genetics."
Genetics gives you the frame, but hard work builds the house.
Hypertrophy (muscle growth) is possible at any age. A landmark study from the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that even 90-year-olds in nursing homes could gain significant muscle mass through simple resistance training. The barrier isn't usually biology; it's the fear of injury or the social "permission" to lift heavy.
When people see the rfk jr pull ups, it breaks a mental barrier. It suggests that the decline we associate with aging—the stooped shoulders, the loss of power—might be more optional than we thought.
Addressing the Controversy
Of course, it wasn't all praise. Some critics argued that focusing on a politician's fitness is a distraction from policy. Others claimed the video was staged.
But if you look at the sweat on the shirt and the actual strain in the neck muscles, that’s hard to fake with CGI or clever editing. The weight of a human body is an honest judge. You either pull it up, or you don't.
In an era of deepfakes and AI, there’s something oddly refreshing about a guy just struggling against gravity. It’s visceral. It’s real. It’s one of the few things a politician can do that isn't purely a "talking point."
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Actionable Insights: How to Maintain Pull-Up Strength as You Age
If you’re inspired by the rfk jr pull ups and want to be hitting the bar when you’re 70, you can't just jump into it. You’ll tear a bicep tendon faster than you can say "primary election."
You have to play the long game.
First, start with scapular hangs. Just hang from the bar for 30 seconds. This builds the grip strength and "bulletproofs" the tendons in your elbows. If you can’t hang for a minute, you have no business trying to pull your chin to the bar yet.
Second, use eccentric-only reps. Jump up to the top of the bar and lower yourself down as slowly as possible. This builds the specific strength needed for the "up" portion of the move.
Third, don't ignore the posterior chain. Pulling strength is linked to your back health. Kennedy’s physique isn't just about the arms; it’s about a strong upper back that supports the spine.
Lastly, consistency beats intensity every time. The reason the rfk jr pull ups looked the way they did is because he’s clearly been doing them for forty years. You can't cram for a fitness test in your 70s. You have to live it.
The Bigger Picture
Ultimately, the fascination with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s gym habits says more about us than it does about him. We are a country obsessed with the idea of "beating" time. We want to believe that we can stay vital forever.
Seeing a man his age tackle a difficult compound movement like a pull-up provides a glimmer of hope. It’s a middle finger to the "slow fade."
So, next time you see that clip, don't just argue about the politics or the range of motion. Look at the discipline it takes to stay in that kind of shape for seven decades. That’s the real story.
If you want to start building that kind of longevity, your first step isn't buying a supplement or a campaign hat. It’s finding a pull-up bar and seeing if you can still hang.
Steps to Build Longevity Strength:
- Prioritize Grip: Use "fat grips" or perform farmer’s carries with heavy dumbbells to build forearm resilience.
- Dead Hangs: Aim for a total of 7 minutes of hanging time per week to decompress the spine and strengthen the shoulders.
- Compound Movements: Focus on rows, deadlifts, and overhead presses rather than isolation "vanity" exercises.
- Monitor Recovery: As you age, the window for recovery shrinks; ensure you're getting 7-9 hours of sleep and adequate protein (roughly 0.8g to 1g per pound of body weight).
- Joint Mobility: Incorporate daily shoulder CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations) to maintain the range of motion required for overhead pulling.