RFK Jr.'s Workout Routine Isn't For The Faint Of Heart

Before Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was tagged as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2025, he ran for president. Though he lost to Donald Trump, he gained exposure not just for his political leanings but also for his workout regimen. As a man in his early 70s, Kennedy boasts an intense fitness routine. A 2024 TikTok video shows a bevy of activities that keep Kennedy not just in shape but also able to show off a fairly solid six-pack.

What's Kennedy's secret to staying trim later in life? As shown in the video, he varies his activities. And he might not be as much of an anomaly as he seems in terms of his ability to stay impressively fit. A 2019 study in Frontiers in Physiology showed that individuals in their 60s and beyond could build muscle, even if they were new to athletics.

If you're keen on emulating his style of mixing it up in (and outside of) the gym, you may want to start with hiking. Kennedy's a big believer in getting fresh air, as evidenced by an encounter in Arizona between him and a man interviewed by a local news station. The man was surprised to see Kennedy in jeans (Kennedy wears jeans to work out), but said after meeting the politician that he told his friends, "RFK is actually in better shape than you" (via Fox News 10).

Hiking can provide a cardio kick based on time and terrain. Additionally, it can help stimulate muscles by forcing your body to balance on uneven surfaces like rough trails. Speaking to Cleveland Clinic, sports medicine expert Dr. Matthew Kampert explained, "You're developing strength, which plays a big role in balance. To maintain your balance, you have to be able to sense the change and your center of gravity, adjust to it and then also have the strength to make that adjustment."

It might go without saying that Kennedy also focuses on muscle-building exercises like weight lifting, pull-ups, and push-ups. In fact, he entered into (and won) a friendly pull-up competition with a fellow politician, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, in an airport in 2025. Targeting major and smaller muscle groups forces the muscles to stay strong. To avoid getting injured, you can always work out with a professional trainer. 

The more consistently you safely develop your muscles, the more calories they'll consume thanks to the "afterburn" effect. As sports medicine expert Dr. Michael Dakkak explained to Cleveland Clinic: "When you finish a workout, your body continues to burn energy as part of recovery." Muscular afterburns may last as long as two days, but could be shorter than an hour. Regardless, they could help you maintain or lose weight.

Kennedy also goes for calisthenics, which are activities that require you to use your body weight for resistance rather than relying on equipment such as dumbbells, free weights, or resistance machines (e.g., jumping rope, squatting, and planking). For Kennedy, calisthenics sometimes include gymnastics-style movements. In one Instagram video, he shows off his strength and agility by hanging and flipping on bars in a gym.

Kennedy pairs his intense exercise with a strict daily diet that takes his food philosophy seriously. He has mentioned before that he limits his feeding window to about six hours, according to the New York Times, making him an active supporter of intermittent fasting. He also concentrates on eating meat and produce.

That said, Kennedy's eating habits appear to change when he travels with U.S. president Donald Trump, a picky eater who loves fast food. As shown in a 2024 photo while aboard Trump Force One, Kennedy indulged in what looked like a burger and soda — not exactly up to his usual clean-eating standard. Still, allowing yourself occasional lapses shouldn't derail your exercise results as long as you remain consistent with your physical activity and overall diet.