The One Exercise Gordon Ramsay Believes Everyone Should Do Everyday

Gordon Ramsay is in fucking good shape. Sorry for the language, maybe we’ve been hanging around with him for too long.

Let’s forget that he’s 57 years old for one second. When we shot our Men’s Health cover with him, the world-renowned chef, TV personality, and ultra-endurance athlete was only five weeks post-bike accident – Ramsay crashed into a pothole during a training ride in Connecticut and had to be rushed to the hospital for scans.

Most people would have cancelled the photoshoot under such circumstances. Moreover, after being advised to stick to walking for four weeks post-crash, you wouldn’t expect someone to be in such great shape, especially for a Men’s Health cover. But Gordon Ramsay isn’t most people. With biceps, shoulders, and a chest that many would envy after months of dedicated gym time, the question on everyone’s mind is, ‘How does he do it?’

If you check out the early episodes of Kitchen Nightmares on YouTube, you’ll notice that Ramsay’s physique has hardly changed over the years. While he might have good genetics, it’s clear he’s also putting in the work. Ramsay’s love for endurance sports might suggest hours on the bike, but that’s not the secret to his muscular build.

The answer? Push-ups.

‘Simple push-ups,’ Ramsay reveals. ‘You can gain so much from just a daily routine of 25 push-ups, doubling up on weekends before you even get out of bed. It’s something I strongly recommend.’

Ramsay credits fitness as one of the best-kept secrets of his life. ‘Anywhere I go, whether it’s a swim, a bike ride, or even a walk – keeping fit is essential. A healthy lifestyle leads a healthy life. And the energy you get from even a 20-minute training session, not necessarily every day but every other day, adding just 1% to that, gets you to where you want to go.’

The Benefits of Press-Ups

MH Fitness Director and self-professed ‘huge fan of press-ups’ believes press-ups are the ultimate, portable, upper body muscle-builder. ‘You can do them literally anywhere to hit the muscles of your chest and triceps, as well as helping to build your shoulder strength and stability,’ says Tracey. ‘Maintaining a straight, rigid plank position offers significant benefits by engaging your core isometrically, which helps build a solid foundation that supports other movements and daily activities. Given their low load [just your body weight], press-ups can be performed frequently, even daily. Over the years, many impressive physiques have been built with little more than a consistent daily dose of press-ups.’

The latest issue of Men’s Health is out Tuesday, or grab a digital edition today by hitting the link, where you’ll also get exclusive video content featuring Gordon.

Robert Hicks is the multiplatform director at Men’s Health UK. A Sport Science graduate and author of three fitness books published by Bloomsbury, Robert has written numerous articles on health, fitness and nutrition and created several documentaries, most notably Britain’s Steroid Epidemic and The Faces of Attempted Suicide. Robert has been working at Men’s Health UK for seven years.