Louis Theroux witnessed first-hand the radicalization of fitness culture—from the world of bodybuilding Strange week To his latest gym-loving personalities Inside the menosphere Documentary
But at 55, his own routine is much simpler.
Instead of lifting heavy, Theroux now relies on short, bodyweight workouts to stay in shape — prioritizing consistency over intensity.
Body weight basics
It’s a strategy he first adopted during the 2020 Covid shutdown. Knee issues meant he could no longer walk the trails of his local park in his early 40s, but Theroux still needed a way to stay active. His natural curiosity led him to the Joe Weeks YouTube series, PE with Joywhich quickly became a part of his routine.
“I did it religiously,” Theroux said in 2020. “It’s almost a security blanket. When it’s so weird in prison, and with everything going on, just having something in the diary that’s non-negotiable every morning. [really helped]. I converted a bit of missionary to Joe Weeks’ exercise program.
Theroux completed one episode of the series each day, after which the pair appeared together in a BBC sports video in 2022. The trainer’s 10- to 30-minute bodyweight sessions helped Theroux achieve what he calls the best shape of his life — though aesthetics weren’t the main goal. He told Lauren Kelly, “It’s not about the muscles, it’s about the mental health, but the muscles are a byproduct.”
The case for ‘environmental practice’
Despite his commitment to bodyweight training, Theroux has been outspoken about his lack of interest in traditional gym workouts.
‘I think they should close all the gyms where people are working out – I find it completely pointless that people are expending energy doing nothing,’ he told the TikTok account Subway Takes.
Instead, he advocates what he calls ‘environmental exercise’ – movement that naturally fits into your daily life.
‘In the old days, people used to work really productively. Today you can get your groceries from the supermarket — and that’s a sign of this culture where you can get exercise in a quiet way,” he said. “I was living in LA, and people would say, ‘I’m thinking of cycling.’ I’m like, ‘Well, why don’t you just cycle to work and then cycle home?’
A 15-minute workout that keeps him in shape
EMOM, 15 minutes (40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest)
- Sprint
- burpee
- Hanging a bike
- Push ups and twists
- squat jump
- Mountaineer
- Floor Touch Squat Jump
- Sprint and Boxing Punch
- Up and down board
- Push ups and shoulder taps
- long jump
- Reverse crunch
- tick jump
- Board jump inside
- Burpee and 6 round sprints
Ryan is a senior writer Men’s Health United Kingdom With a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Graduating from Cardiff University in 2020, and subsequently gaining an NCTJ qualification, Ryan began his career as a coaching journalist for Sports Headlines. Golf Monthly, Cycling Week and The world of rugby Before being promoted to staff writer and later senior writer with Football Magazine four four two.
During his two-and-a-half-year tenure he wrote news for the website and features for the magazine, while he interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ellie McQuist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His greatest memory, though, came when he got the chance to speak to then Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Growing up as a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan had the opportunity to represent the Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his prime, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 in Manchester in April 2025, but doesn’t credit the heats for dropping below the 3:30 mark…
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