Throughout the presidential campaign, we have heard that Obama is quite the “gym rat”. On the campaign trail in July, reporters said he went to three different gyms…in one day! Imagine that! For as skinny as he is, MFBB sent out it’s crack team of investigative reporters to find out what The One actually does in the gym.

Associated Press reports, “Both President-elect Barack Obama and the future first lady have exercise routines that would put most people to shame”. (Personally, I think Michelle could whip Barack’s skinny ass)!

AP further reports, “Most of my workouts have to come before my day starts,” Barack Obama, 47, told Men’s Health magazine in an interview for its November issue. “There’s always a trade-off between sleep and working out. Usually I get in about 45 minutes, six days a week. I’ll lift one day, do cardio the next.”
His preference, he said, would be to work out for 90 minutes.

Ok, great, but a large percentage of the people I see in the gym spend more time visiting than training, so let’s find out what Barack really does in the gym.

We already know his favorite activity is basketball and he will be able to shoot hoops at the White House soon.

Men’s Fitness, that paragon of all things fit named Obama to it’s MF Top 25 (MF? I believe it does mean “Men’s Fitness!) Here is what they had to say:

“It takes a certain stamina to endure months of 16-hour days in pursuit of the land’s highest office. Obama is not the first politician dedicated to fitness, but the Illinois senator starts every day with a morning workout, whether it’s machines at the hotel gym or a brisk 45-minute run. He’s also quit smoking*. Obama can be excused for enjoying the occasional state-fair corn dog because he mostly stays away from fatty foods. He’s also, as we’ve seen, a bit of a baller. Nicknamed “Barry O’Bomber” for his jump shot, the former high school hoopster now releases stress during pickup games-including one on every primary day. “He’s wiry-looking but actually pretty strong,” former Duke player and Obama staffer Reggie Love has said. “And he hates losing. He plays hard.” Now that we know.” <eyes roll>

Are you impressed yet? Are you feeling pretty pathetic with what you call “workouts”? Let’s see if we can get more specific as to how Barry O’Bomber actually trains.

Here is what Anne Schroeder of Politico found out:

Obama ran a full body workout. Standing tricep push downs, elbows tight to his hips. Lying triceps presses but with single 15 lbs dumbbells in each hand, his cap falling off. After the set he got up, placed the weights back and only then reached down and picked up his cap, ever so gradually. Shoulder presses. Step ups with a high platform, clasping dumbbells. He had a prescribed workout on paper that Reggie held. Though at times Obama did his own thing, focusing mostly on his triceps. In one set he started with 50 lbs for overhead dumbbell extensions. He lifted it once, grimacing. He moved straight away to 40 lbs. Later, in the corner of the gym he did calf raises alone, lifting about 80 lbs and then cleaning the bench afterward, slowly, weight by weight. He walked around that way, sauntering, squinting beneath his cap, a little stiff legged, like a man who had just finished a long run.”

15 lb dumbbells? Those are one size up from pink dumbbells! Thaindian News breathlessly reports in it’s headline, “Obama’s Exercise Could Leave His Predecessors Gasping”

The brief posting spoke of what previous presidents had done for exercise while in office, curiously leaving out George W. Bush’s vigorous mountain biking regimen.

If you Google “Obama’s Fitness Routine”, you will get the same stuff you have just read. The press is agog with his and Michelle’s “fabulously fit” routines, yet described George Bush’s path to fitness “creepy”, “an obsession” and “an indulgence”. Are you surprised?

I just gave you the “mirrors’ as you would find in gyms all across the fruited plain. Here is the “smoke”, as in Obama is still smoking cigarettes and has been for at least 20 years! Note this exchange between Barry and Tom Brokaw on “Meet the Press”.

Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program, interviewer Tom Brokaw told Obama he had ducked answering the question during an interview last month with ABC’s Barbara Walters.

Noting that the White House was a no-smoking zone, Brokaw asked Obama, “Have you stopped smoking?”

“I have,” Obama replied, smiling broadly. “What I said was that there are times where I have fallen off the wagon.”

“Wait a minute,” Brokaw interjected, “that means you haven’t stopped.”

“Fair enough,” Obama said. “What I would say is that I have done a terrific job under the circumstances of making myself much healthier. (I have heard variations on this excuse from many a smoker!)

"I'm on my way to the gym"

"Gotta get a workout in"

I would imagine judo black belt Vladimir Putin is laughing his Russkie butt off at all this.

C’mon President Obama, don’t embarrass us!

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