News
Stephen Colbert Could Barely Keep Up With RBG At The Gym & The Video Is Priceless
When it comes to staying in shape, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg takes her workouts seriously. The famous SCOTUS justice, who is also known as "Notorious R.B.G." among her younger fans, made that obvious when comedian and Late Show host Stephen Colbert worked out with Ginsburg at her gym in Washington, D.C., in a segment for his Wednesday show.
While talking with his audience, Colbert said that it's no secret that he loves Ginsburg. "She's amazing [and] incredible," he said. "She's a feminist icon and a favorite among the young people."
What's more, he noted, Ginsburg has no plans of retiring from her position any time soon (she made that clear in 2015 in a candid New York Times interview), and as far as her physical health goes, Ginsburg stays in tip-top shape with the help of her intense workout. According to ABC News, Ginsburg has been working out since 1999 with the same personal trainer, Bryant Johnson.
In the video, Colbert and Ginsburg talk about her popular nickname, "Notorious R.B.G," which was created by New York University student Shana Knizhnik in 2013 as a spin on the legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G.'s name. In case you're curious about the justice's personal stance on her nickname, Ginsburg actually likes it. In 2017, she spoke about the things she and Notorious B.I.G. have in common, according to NBC News.
In the video with Colbert, she shares the same factoids, including a bit about how both icons were raised in Brooklyn, New York.
Colbert and Ginsburg also debated whether a hot dog is a sandwich (Ginsburg rules "yes," in case you wanted to know). Colbert then asks Ginsburg if she's ready to get "stupid strong," but she isn't intimidated in the least. All Ginsburg says is, "Let's go."
The Supreme Court justice, who is 85 years old, gracefully manages to proverbially knock the breath out of 53-year-old Colbert by completing all repetitions for her workouts while the Late Show host grimaces and struggles throughout Ginsburg's workout routine in the video.
In the clip, Ginsburg tells Colbert that she likes opera as background music for her workouts. She absolutely hates the track that Colbert suggests, which is "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" by C+C Music Factory. "I would never, never exercise to that noise," the justice tells Colbert.
"Let's shut it off," she says softly.
Colbert then meets her personal trainer, Johnson, and then Ginsburg warms up. In order to get her body ready for the more intense bits of her workout regimen, she initially does clockwise and counterclockwise arm-rolls and knee-rolls. With the help of Johnson, Ginsburg also warms up her thighs and legs up doing trainer-assisted half-squats on the bench. Then it's time for the treadmill and repetitions of leg-raises while doing planks. There's a bit of weightlifting, too — which just goes to show that when it comes to working out, Ginsburg means serious business.
The Late Show host seems to be enjoying himself, regardless of how tough the workout looks. He even jokes to Ginsburg, "How strong are you on the Second Amendment? 'Cause welcome to the gun show! Boom, boom, boom," and then pumps his biceps.
But he's not as tough as Ginsburg, at least as far as the video shows. A visibly-struggling Colbert admits at one point, "I'm cramping while working out with an 85-year-old woman." He also wanted to know if Ginsburg "juices," which she does not.
Ginsburg's workout routine is a popular topic for her fans. In fact, In 2017, Politico's reporter Ben Schreckinger actually tried out Ginsburg's exercise regimen and it, to quote Schreckinger, "nearly broke" him. Given how much Colbert struggled, perhaps that's not such a surprise.