Louis Theroux has witnessed first-hand the extremes of fitness culture – from the world of bodybuilding Weird Sunday to the gym-obsessed figure in his latest Inside the Manosphere documentary.
But at age 55, the routine is much simpler.
Rather than lifting weights, Theroux now relies on short, bodyweight workouts to stay in shape — prioritizing consistency over intensity.
Basic body weight
It was an approach he first adopted during the 2020 Covid lockdown. Knee problems meant he could no longer run laps of his local park by his early 40s, but Theroux still needed a way to stay active. His natural curiosity led him to the YouTube series Joe Wicks, PE And Joewhich quickly became a staple of his routine.
“I’ve done it religiously,” said Theroux in 2020. “It’s almost a security blanket. When there’s a lot of weirdness in the lockdown, and everything that’s going on, there’s just one thing in the diary that’s non-negotiable every morning. [really helped]. I became a bit of a missionary changing to the Joe Wicks training program.’
Theroux completed every day bar one of the series, with the pair later appearing together in a BBC training video in 2022. The Body Coach’s 10- to 30-minute bodyweight sessions helped Theroux get into what he described as the best shape of his life – although aesthetics were not the main goal. “It’s not about muscle, it’s about mental health, but muscle is a byproduct,” he told Lorraine Kelly.
The Case for ‘Ambient Training’
Despite his commitment to bodyweight training, Theroux has been known for his lack of interest in traditional gym workouts.
“I think they should close all the gyms where people work out – I find it pointless that people spend energy doing nothing,” he told the Subway Takes TikTok account.
Instead, he advocates what he calls ‘ambient exercise’ – movement that fits naturally into your daily life.
‘In the past, people would actually do useful work. Now you can get your groceries from the supermarket – and that’s a symptom of this culture where you can exercise in an ambient way,” he said. ‘I live in LA, and people will say, “I’m thinking of going biking.” I’m like, “Well, why don’t you just go around the house and go home?”‘
The 15-Minute Workout That Keeps Him In Shape
EMOM, 15 minutes (40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest)
- ran
- Burpees
- Bike crunch
- Push-up and twist
- Squat jump
- Mountaineer
- Floor touch squat jump
- Sprint and punch
- Up-down board
- Push-up and shoulder tap
- Jump and run
- Reverse crunch
- Jump jump
- In-out plank jump
- Burpee and 6-step sprint
Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health ENGLAND with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. After graduating from Cardiff University in 2020, and later gaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan began his career as a Trainee News Writer for a sports title. Golf Monthly, Weekly Cycling and World Rugby Before advancing to Staff Writer and then Senior Writer with the football magazine Four Four Two.
During the two-and-a-half years there he wrote news for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. A remarkable memory, though, came when he got the chance to talk to Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher when the club won League One in 2023.
After becoming a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood team 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 peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 in Manchester in April 2025, but credits his heat for failing to drop from the 3:30 mark he wanted…
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