We’ve gotten lyrical here at DMARGE about staying fit at age 50, but Virgin Group founder Richard Branson just proved that he can stay fit in his 70 too, with a scorching workout that anyone can try.
The flamboyantly haired British billionaire recently took to LinkedIn to share a video of himself working out to promote his Virgin Active gym chain. Captioning the post, “Give it your all, whether it’s a marathon or just a 10 minute workout. Everything Counts,” the bearded Branson can be seen pushing his body to the limit, proving that age really is just a number when it comes to staying in shape.
LOOK: Richard Branson performs a scorching workout
It’s true that Branson doesn’t squat, deadlift, or bench press with immense loads, but all of the moves he does act as great full-body exercises that will serve to strengthen your muscles and keep your joints alive and kicking.
Richard Branson’s training includes the following exercises:
- Row with bands: Resistance bands provide an excellent medium for resistance training. While you’re unlikely to see the same level of gains you would with weights, they can certainly help you maintain your fitness level, build some muscle and improve mobility and flexibility.
The banded row targets the muscles of the upper body, particularly the rear deltoids and rhomboids (the muscles around the scapulae). Your biceps and core will also get some attention, as this is a pulling movement, and your core will be engaged to help stabilize your body.
To perform, attach a resistance band to an anchor point at chest height. Hold the resistance band with both hands with an overhand grip with your arms extended and shoulder-width apart. Now, keeping your shoulders tight and your core engaged, pull the band toward your sternum, widening your elbows. Pull until your elbows are behind your back, pause for a second or two, then slowly return your arms to the starting position.
Repeat for 10 – 12 reps for 3 – 4 sets.
- Battle ropes: Battle ropes are an excellent tool for building strength and endurance, as they are usually quite heavy and incredibly long, meaning you have to use all your strength to make them move. All in all, they are great to include in any complete cardio workout.
To use battle ropes, you’ll obviously need a set first. Unless you have the space at home, you will probably have to go to a gym. While there are a number of variations on ways to use the battle ropes, in Richard’s case, he’s performing the classic battle rope wave move.
To perform, hold a rope in each hand with a neutral grip, arms extended. Squat down slightly, brace your core, and start alternately moving each arm up and down. If you haven’t used battle ropes before, you’ll soon find that you’ll need a lot more force than you perhaps thought to get them to move properly.
Continue rocking for 1 to 2 minutes per set, for a total of 3 to 4 sets.
- Chin up: Chin-ups are the pull-up’s slightly easier brother to perform, but they promise to be just as effective for working your upper body. The main difference between pull-ups and chin-ups lies in the grip. Chin-ups see you using a supinated (underhand) grip, while pull-ups use an overhand (overhand) grip.
To perform, grab onto and hang from a set of handles or a bar (above you, naturally) with a supine grip. Lock your shoulders, brace your core, and pull yourself up toward the bar. Many people will use their biceps to do this, but this draws attention away from the chest muscles, and they also benefit from the pull-up exercise.
To navigate this, focus more on pulling your elbows toward the ground below you.
Repeat as many reps as you can muster for 3 to 4 sets. Chin-ups are often considered the easier exercise compared to pull-ups, mainly due to the tighter grip.
If you want to increase the difficulty, you can perform pull-ups instead. A classic upper-body exercise if ever there was one, pull-ups are one of those exercises that seem easy to perform, but in practice, they’re just the opposite. We have previously heard from Conor McGregor regarding How to perform the perfect pull-upso we encourage you to check it out for some helpful tips.
Richard Branson performs all three exercises to perfection, which for a 72-year-old is pretty impressive. So what’s your excuse? Hit up a gym, incorporate these exercises into your routine, and you, too, could look as ripped as Branson in your 70s.
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