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Defense Secretary’s 44-Rep Bench Press Goes Viral, Sparks Safety Concerns

6/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a bench-press video to the DoD Rapid Response X account after a morning run with troops at Guantanamo Bay.
The caption claimed he crushed 44 repetitions in the set.
By Friday afternoon the clip had amassed roughly 3 million views.
Viewers noted his feet were not firmly planted and elbows not fully locked, prompting fitness experts to warn the endurance-style set raises injury risk.

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Story summary

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a bench-press video to the DoD Rapid Response X account after a morning run with troops at Guantanamo Bay.
The caption claimed he crushed 44 repetitions in the set.
By Friday afternoon the clip had amassed roughly 3 million views.
Viewers noted his feet were not firmly planted and elbows not fully locked, prompting fitness experts to warn the endurance-style set raises injury risk.