Buzz
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has dabbled in Jazzercise in the past and is a staunch advocate of daily Canadian Air Force bodyweight exercises. However, twice a week, she dedicates 90 minutes to a gym session that sets a high bar (pun intended) for fitness enthusiasts of all levels.
Ben Schreckinger from POLITICO participated in a session with RBG’s personal trainer. His detailed and entertaining account provides enough insight for anyone to try out the Supreme Court justice’s workout at their own gym. It’s a comprehensive routine that can be performed with the equipment available in most gyms.
The workout kicks off with a five-minute warm-up on an elliptical machine, followed by stretches including seated toe touches and butterfly stretches. Afterward, RBG moves onto various machines, performing three sets of 10 or more reps for nearly every exercise.
- [
chest press machine
leg curl machine
leg press machine
chest fly machine
lat pulldown machine
seated rows
standing rows
single-leg squats (standing up from a bench)
pushups, including uneven pushups with one hand on a medicine ball
30-second plank
30-second side plank (each side)
wall squats with an exercise ball
dumbbell curls
step-ups with knee raises
]
The remaining exercises are a bit more vague: she performs ‘leg exercises’ while standing and gripping a staff for balance. Then, she squats on an ‘upside down’ bosu (whatever that means). Lastly, she stands up from a bench to toss a medicine ball to her trainer. Her trainer claims this move is key to avoiding full-time care in old age—because, as he notes, if you can’t get up from the toilet, you’ll need help.
The entire routine totals about 90 minutes and provides a well-rounded, challenging workout for just about anyone. You only need to pick the right weight for the machines and modify the push-ups to make them easier or harder depending on your level. For more on RBG’s exercise moves, follow the link below.
