Pete Hegseth, the 46-year-old Pentagon chief and former Fox News host, who presents himself as a fan of extreme workouts and cultivates a “macho” image, has found himself at the center of a scandal over his workout videos. Military physical training experts tore apart the exercise technique the secretary demonstrates online, the Daily Beast writes.

Hegseth has repeatedly publicly criticized the physical condition of his subordinates, declaring that “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon” are unacceptable, and has also promoted initiatives to test testosterone levels in officers over the age of 30. However, when journalists and instructors took a closer look at his own training sessions, their verdict was disappointing.

The Atlantic asked professionals to evaluate videos from the “Pete & Bobby” challenge, which Hegseth launched together with 72-year-old Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (the latter worked out while wearing jeans).

Hegseth’s stated challenge: 50 pull-ups + 100 push-ups in < 10 minutes

The expert review result: numerous technique violations.

Experts highlighted several serious mistakes in Hegseth’s form:

  • During pull-ups, Hegseth tucks his knees to his chest and jerks his body to give his exhausted frame momentum. Retired Brigadier General Maureen LeBoeuf, the first woman to head the Department of Physical Education at West Point, said he would have immediately failed the test.

“His pull-ups or underhand-grip pull-ups, with those leg jerks — that would never have counted.”

  • Instead of classic overhand-grip pull-ups, the secretary regularly uses an underhand grip (chin-ups), which makes the task significantly easier.

  • In push-ups and bench presses, Hegseth regularly fails to complete the full range of motion, which is why people present in the Pentagon video have to keep telling him: “Go all the way down, all the way up!”

  • Certified trainer and retired Marine Joel Del Rosario noted that during kettlebell swings, Hegseth squats instead of using a hip-dominant movement and lowers the weight too far, creating dangerous strain on his back.

The irony of standards and public reaction

Journalist Tom Bartlett emphasized the irony of the situation: in his 2024 book The War on Warriors, Hegseth mocked female service members and transgender people for allegedly poor physical fitness. However, according to the official 8-page U.S. Marine Corps manual, the secretary’s own technique qualifies as “low-quality work” capable of causing injuries.

On The Daily Beast Podcast, the hosts and guests also mocked Hegseth’s fixation on checking service members’ testosterone levels, suggesting that his exaggerated focus on “masculinity” and fitness challenges is merely an attempt to compensate for his own insecurities and lack of real accomplishments.