'20 minute AMRAP of a dumbbell circuit and a bit of cardio to finish'. This is the sort of thing you'd be unsurprised to hear on any gym floor. Slightly less expected? Hearing them in the same sentence as ‘the Pope’.
But according to Rome Reports – a Rome-based news agency specialising in coverage of the Vatican – 70 year old Pope Leo XIV appears to be a properly fitness-conscious pontiff.
Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost was already known to enjoy sport and exercise. As a cardinal, he reportedly trained at Omega Fitness Club, a gym in Rome’s Borgo neighbourhood, not far from St Peter’s Square, around three times a week. According to his former trainer, Valerio Masella, Prevost wasn’t looking for anything miraculous. He just showed up, asked what he could do with the time he had, and got on with it.
Masella recalls the then-cardinal arriving at the gym and asking: ‘Today I have 20 minutes. What should we do?’ Other days, it might be half an hour. Either way, the work got done.
And while we don’t have Pope Leo’s full programme – no confirmed sets, reps, loads, progression model or papal bench press PB – Masella says his training included cardio machines, stationary bikes and treadmills to build cardiovascular endurance, alongside machines and free weights.
Apologies if you were hoping for a miracle Vatican muscle-building plan. But this information, though sparse, points to the sort of unsexy, repeatable training most busy men would benefit from: get your heart rate up, apply the principles of strength training to your entire body, look after your posture and stop waiting for the perfect one-hour window before you do anything.
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Something like this simple 30 minute dumbbell-only workout.
Prevost’s sporting habits go beyond the gym, too. The American pontiff has admitted that during breaks at Castel Gandolfo, he uses the time to unwind and exercise, taking part in 'a bit of tennis, a bit of swimming.’ He is also said to be a strong tennis player, using the game for exercise, stress relief and, importantly, the simple joy of playing.
Now, according to Rome Reports, Pope Leo could be taking that habit back behind Vatican walls. The outlet says his newly renovated Apostolic Palace residence will include a spacious home gym.
So, no, we still don’t know how much the Pope can bench. But we do know this: even when he only had 20 minutes, he still trained. And for most of us, that’s some divine advice.
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