Ripped Richard Branson Shares Workout To Keep You Kicking In Your 70s

Clearly no workout virgin.

Ripped Richard Branson Shares Workout To Keep You Kicking In Your 70s

We’ve waxed lyrical here at DMARGE about staying ripped in your 50s, but Virgin Group founder Richard Branson just proved you can indeed stay ripped in your 70s too, with a scorching workout anyone can try.


The British billionaire with flamboyant hair recently took to LinkedIn to share a video of himself working out to promote his Virgin Active chain of gyms. Captioning the post, “Give it your all, whether your all is a marathon or just a 10 minute workout. It all counts,” beardy Branson can be seen pushing his body to its limit, and proving age really is just a number when it comes to keeping fit.

WATCH: Richard Branson performs a scorching workout

Admittedly, Branson doesn’t perform any squats, deadlifts or bench presses with immense loads, but the movements he does perform all act as great full-body exercises that will serve to strengthen his muscles and keep his joints alive and kicking.

Richard Branson’s workout includes the following exercises:

  • Banded Row: Resistance bands provide a great medium for resistance training. While you’re unlikely to see quite the same level of gains as you would with weights, they can certainly help to maintain your fitness level, build some muscle and improve mobility and flexibility. 

    The banded row targets your upper body muscles, particularly the rear delts and rhomboids (the muscles around your scapula). Your biceps and core will also receive some attention, since it’s a pulling movement, and your core will be engaged to help stabilise your body. 

    To perform, attach a resistance band to an anchor point at around chest height. Hold the resistance band in both hands with an overhand grip with your arms out straight shoulder-width apart. Now, with your shoulders locked down and your core engaged, pull the band towards your sternum, flaring your elbows out. Pull until your elbows go behind your back, pause for a second or two and 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’re usually pretty heavy and incredibly long, meaning you need to use all your strength to get them to move. All in all, they’re great to include in any well-rounded cardio workout. 

    To use battle ropes, first you’re obviously going to need a set. Unless you have the space at home, then you’re likely going to have to head to a gym. While there are a number of variations for ways to use battle ropes, in Richard’s case, he’s performing the classic battle ropes wave movement. 

    To perform, hold a rope in each hand with a neutral grip, with your arms at full length. Squat down slightly, brace your core, and begin alternating moving each arm up and down. If you’ve not used battle ropes before, then you’ll soon realise you’re going to need a lot more strength than you perhaps realised to get them to move properly. 

    Keep swinging for 1 to 2 minutes per set, for a total of 3 to 4 sets. 

  • Chin-Ups: Chin-ups are the slightly easier-to-perform sibling of the pull-up, but promise to be just as effective at working your upper body. The main difference between chin-ups and pull-ups lies in the grip. Chin-ups see you using a supinated (underhand) grip while pull-ups use a pronated (overhand) grip. 

    To perform, grab hold of and hang from a set of handles or a bar (above you, naturally) with a supinated grip. Lock down your shoulders, brace your core, and pull yourself up to the bar. Many people will use their biceps to do this, but this draws attention away from the chest muscles, with also stand to benefit from the chin-up exercise. 

    To navigate this, focus more on pulling your elbows down to the ground beneath you. 

    Repeat for as many reps as you can muster for 3 to 4 sets. Chin-ups are often seen as the easier exercise compared to pull-ups, primarily due to the narrower 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 look easy to perform, but in practice, they’re anything but. We’ve previously heard from Conor McGregor as to how to perform the perfect pull-up, so we encourage you to check that out for some helpful hints. 

    Richard Branson performs all three exercises to perfection, which for a 72-year-old, is pretty damn impressive. So, what’s your excuse? Get yourself down to a gym, incorporate these exercises into your routine, and you too could look as ripped as Branson by the time you hit 70.

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