I’ll admit, Restaurant Impossible (and previously Dinner impossible) is the one of the few cooking related shows I actually enjoy watching. This is probably due to the fact that it barely has anything to do with cooking and just revolves around Robert Irvine screaming at restaurant owners the majority of the time.
But yeah…let’s cut to the chase.
If you’ve ever watched Impossible a couple time, you’ve probably wondered the following:
1) Does he wear anything but fitted black polo shirts?
2) The dude is fucking huge, what’s his workout program?
It’s true. For a 49 year old, Robert Irvine is in pretty exceptional shape. But how did Irvine do it? What exactly does it take to essentially be the buffest chef on tv.
In order to build up his muscular physique, Robert Irvine followed a few rules.
Essentials to Robert Irvine’s Workout
1) Robert didn’t lift super heavy weights
According to NYT, Robert didn’t lift super heavy weights. Most of his lifts were done in the 10-25 rep range. There’s definitely nothing wrong with this, especially if you’re not training for pure brute strength.
I don’t do heavy weights. I’m 47 and too old for that now
Growing muscle is all about getting progressively stronger, and you don’t necessarily need to be pushing your 1 rep max every time. As long as you’re getting stronger (e.g. pushing more reps) regardless of the rep range, you’ll gain muscle.
2) He follows a bro split
By “bro split” I mean Robert trains one body part per day. He hammers one body part such as chest and then waits about 1 week before training it again.
Scientifically speaking, this type of workout isn’t too effective. Most people do best when training each muscle group 2x per week but there are a few genetically gifted that can pull off the bro split with great results. I guess Robert is one of them.
3) He loves to run
I’m not a huge fan of running but Robert does it so he can keep his endurance levels up when working his show. Every day he’ll run for about 20 minutes via treadmill or elliptical machine.
4) He doesn’t train legs
Robert Irvine doesn’t train legs. Gasp!
Yeah I was a bit surprised too, but according to Robert,
I very rarely do legs because I do cardio about 20 minutes every day. So I try not to do too many leg workouts other than running.
I think that’s a pretty huge mistake. I don’t expect Robert to start squatting 500 pounds but your legs are one the largest muscles in your body. Does it really make sense to not train them at all?
Running builds up endurance, it doesn’t build stronger more muscular legs. So train your legs, kids.
Do the workout below to look like Robert Irvine – Robert Irvine Workout Routine
Obviously you won’t look like Robert Irvine since he has decades of training experience on you, but the workout below is a great way to jump start your muscle building efforts.
It’s a super simple 3-day per week workout geared towards beginners.
Day 1
- Bench press (prefferably with dumbells) – 3 sets/6-8 reps
- Back or front squat – 3 sets/5 reps
- Chin ups – 3 sets as many as you can
- Barbell curl – 3 sets/12-15 reps
Day 2
- Barbell row – 3 sets/6-8 reps
- Deadlift – 3-4 sets/5 reps
- Military press – 3 sets/10-15 reps
- Tricep extension – 3 sets/12-15 reps
Day 3
- High pull – 3 sets/6-8 reps
- Lunges – 3 sets/8 reps per leg
- Shrugs – 3 sets/10-12 reps
- Barbell curl – 3 sets/12-15 reps
Any questions about the Robert Irvine workout? Leave them below and I’ll answer them.
You don’t have any woman celebrities!
LOL sorry I’m working on that.
any suggestions?
Lol he looks like the typical average dose steroid user. The operative word being USER, and I stress that I’m not saying ABUSER.
most guys in their mid 30s begin to lose testosterone and can easily get tested and be prescribed T injections.
His overall muscle belly shape and size suggest he is doing this.
He has much larger upper body proportions than lower body. And those ratios are not just from his exercise routine.
It’s always possible that he’s on something, but I don’t think he is. He trains hard and has been doing so for decades.
So obvious he is using steroids(not that I care). Shape, size, water retention :just another ego seeking wanna be “celebrity “..yawn..
Overall muscle belly shape has nothing to do with steroid use or not use… What you are born with is what you have and that either gets bigger, smaller or it just stays the same but steroids do not change the shape of anything, they can only make the shape you already have bigger… Saying that you can tell by the way the muscle belly looks that someone is doing steroids is just ignorant.
Also you would not be so ignorant as to think that steroids are making his upper body big but not the lower body? You are 100% wrong, it is 100% completely his routine that makes his upper body appear larger because as he stated, he does not work his legs directly.
People should stop spouting their opinions as fact and maybe do a little reading and educate yourself, it’s not hard and all of the info you will ever need is out there on the Internet… Ignorance is no longer a viable excuse if one has the ability to read.
I’m 46…and inspired by Irvine to return to my fitness regimen. I am similar to him in that I don’t train my legs often. At 235 lbs. and not working at a desk, my legs get plenty of exercise without specifically working them. Someone with a leaner frame or smaller bone structure and less muscle (and fat, lol) as me would have to work them more for bulk.
thanks for the informative article…
When you’re in your mid 40s, it’s not the worst thing in the world to not do heavy squats and deads as long as you train the rest of your body and eat healthy. So many people bash on robert for not training his legs, but he’s fucking 50. I don’t know a single guy in his 40s who’s even in that good of shape.
I’m 5’8″ with 28″ inseam. My calves were 19 inches at one point with no work on them an 10% BF. I could do 1,200 lbs on the squat machine. So no, I don’t do legs.
Seriously anyone over 50 probably should not be doing heavy squats as they have lifted tons of weight over their lifetime anyway and like me experiencing problems with hip joints. , I like Robert would not even consider doing squats anymore. True to a young athlete with that body composition I would suspect steroid use larger upper body frailing lowerbody. But now.. now he’s just protecting his body and not doing those squats saving the hips and the back.. you’ll see wait until you reach the age of 50 plus.
You don’t nee to squat heavy but that doesn’t mean you should be avoiding lower body work altogether.
Your legs haul you around all day every day, unless you are specifically trying to gain size and strength doing squats and heavy legwork is hugely overrated and leg intensive cardio i.e. walking, fast walking, jogging, running, sprints, you get the point, is good enough to keep your legs in great shape.
Depends on how you define “great shape.”
Of course we all have our own opinion on what constitutes a great set of legs, but in general you should be doing some resistance exercise if you’re healthy beyond just walking or sprinting.
Sounds like the general concensus is that once you hit 30 your t-level goes in the tubes, and when you hit 50 you can’t muscle up without juicing. I’m 70 and weigh 175 at 5ft-9. I lift fairly heavy (that’s all relative) three times a week staying with 8 to 12 reps and push HARD. The gym I go to is mostly 20’s and 30’s guys and no one believed my age ’til I showed the ID. Hard work and consistancy will get the job done without supplements. And my wife doesn’t seem to think I have a T problem. By the way, I didn’t start going for size and heavy until three years ago. Weighed about 160 when I started and still wearing the same size jeans today.
I am a 66 year old male that needs to lose weight and start exercising. I have started a low carb diet for the past week and already feel much better. I need a plan of exercise. Starting slowly and then more progressively.
check out the free celebrity workouts on my site.
Every website I research always gives a rep range but not a weight range. I know that every one is different, but isn’t there a medium weight range for people over 40 like me ? I’ve been working out for 4 years now and can’t seem to get passed 17 1/2 inches on my armed when flexed. I’ve gone light weight for weeks and heavy weights for weeks with no…..and I mean ZERO effects. Thank you for your time.
because it’s impossible to give a weight range. It really is impossible. Age is irrelevent, and “medium” is so arbitrary.
So, as with every other type of exercise, it’s all trial and error. Got it.
In a sense…
For ex, if you’re trying to do 5 reps of bench press and you bench 135 and you’re able to get 7 reps easy. Then you should probably bump up the weight to 145-150.
Any british claiming to be a chef is a fraud.
hey be nice.
Am I being rude?
obviously…
I’m a 66 year old man who walks briskly up to 4 miles daily and I use resistance exercises and dumbells and I do leg raises. I stopped using heavy weights in my 40’s due to back problems. My weight remains around 200 and I’m 6′ tall. Chest is 48, waist 36, neck 17, biceps 18, forearms 15. I eat anything and everything and eat salads with at least 2 meals every day.
I will never look like the chef because I won’t take supplements but I’m told that my body appearance is that of a 30 year old and I feel great! Cut down your sugar intake and increase the amount of “live foods” in your diet to stay healthy.
Well you boys,. I am 72 yearts old and a fan of Robert Irvi ne. I have much respect for his tone. Personally I work out 6 days a week. walking fast walk, about 3.6 miles an hour three days and weight lifting the other 3 days. I am doing up to 200 lbs on the bench and 80 lbs. preacher curls 7 150 rowing. I am 6 ft. and 195 lbs. I think you are never too old to stay in shape.
Robert is absolutley using steriods and/or HGH. Im the same age, and working out for over 30 years , as a natural lifter,have had good results,but never that size and or look. I’m not ‘hating’, but I KNOW when someone is’ using’ just by looking at them. His choice,dont have a problem with it. Just hate when dudes lie about it.
Not sure why you say the ‘bro split’ doesn’t work, seeing as most pro bodybuilders only train each bodypart once a week.
Also, the exercise schedule you listed for him isn’t a bro split… you said he hits one bodypart a day, then his workout has 2 bodyparts a day.
It’s not the official workout.
It’s abundantly clear from photos that Irving doesn’t train legs…wow what a lopsided physique. Totally normal, untrained 50 year old legs, and a massive upper body. It’s clear he’s not going for strength he’s going for aesthetics, but even his aesthetics is off. For that single reason I’d take his nutrition advice with a major grain of salt.
And yes, also given that information I’d say he’s juicing. Traps like that without legs to indicate heavy DL/farmers carrys, etc means he’s juicing.
You are SPOT on correct Tom. He is just a 50yr old PED & or Roid using twig legged glam star. No leg power= wimp.