It seems fitting, in a way, that New York Times employees are often seen as out of shape. Recently, the Times published an article featuring experts expressing concern over the new fitness challenge introduced by Pete Hegseth and RFK Jr. This challenge, known as the “Pete and Bobby Challenge,” involves completing 50 pull-ups and 100 push-ups in under ten minutes.
President Trump set the example by putting forth efforts to make America healthy again.
That’s why we are introducing the Pete and Bobby challenge.
100 push-ups. 50 pull-ups. 10 minutes. pic.twitter.com/ppRrwqSUm0
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) August 18, 2025
Chris Smits, a personal trainer based in Toronto, remarked to The Times, “Most people can’t even do five push-ups correctly, let alone a single pull-up without some sort of compensation. Going for such high numbers without a solid strength foundation can easily lead to injury or muscle strains.” Another expert noted, “High-volume bodyweight workouts look easy, but when you try doing 50 to 100 reps, most people find they’re not ready for it.”
I’m not here to criticize these fitness experts. They do have valid points—doing a lot of push-ups and pull-ups can be quite risky. The article even mentioned the rigorous “Murph Challenge,” named after Navy SEAL Michael Murphy. This challenge includes a mile run, followed by 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats, finishing with another mile—all while wearing a weighted vest. I attempted it a few years back, and honestly, it was one of the toughest physical challenges I’ve faced. Some exceptional folks can complete it in under an hour, but I took three. I was sore for weeks after that ordeal.
No, I’m here to take a jab at The New York Times for being so, well, discouraging when it comes to fitness.
Can’t they just celebrate the initiative by two public figures encouraging people to get healthy without resorting to quoting experts who nitpick everything? Is it really that hard? Why do they always have to come off like the overly cautious student in class?
Zohran Mamdani has both the politics and muscle mass of a 15 year old theatre kid
— Mr. Right (@mrrightdc) August 25, 2025
On another note, I really appreciate the straightforward “Just Do It” mindset from Pete and Bobby.
You know, you don’t have to take expert opinions to heart if you don’t want to. You could spend an entire afternoon just doing pull-ups, push-ups, and squats, even if it means you might get a little sore—or maybe even injure yourself a bit—but you’ll also come away feeling accomplished after tackling such a tough challenge.
