Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's workout with US special forces is actually way harder than it looks

Newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth participated in a grueling early-morning workout ahead of NATO meetings.

During his weeklong trip through Germany, Belgium, and Poland, Hegseth popped in to visit with U.S. special forces members stationed overseas.

This included a stop in Stuttgart, Germany, where Hegseth joined the 10th Special Forces Group for morning physical training. The airborne unit, stationed at military installation Panzer Kaserne, is particularly significant and boasts over 70 years of history. The politician posted photos of himself working out with the group and wrote, "Strength equals readiness. Kicked off the day with [physical training] alongside the warriors of 1/10 SFG."

He added, "No bureaucracy — just sharp minds, strong bodies, and a mission-first mindset."

Hegseth's early-morning workout is not only a big change from what the public is used to seeing from government officials; it is actually way more challenging that it appears to the naked eye.

In Hegseth's first photo, he could have been performing either a clean and jerk or a military press (over his head). He was more likely performing a standing chest fly, with a 45-pound Olympic bar and two 25-pound weights; performing any of these exercises outside with 95 pounds, seemingly as part of a circuit, in around 28-38 degree weather, is horrendous.

In another photo, Hegseth was using a deadlift bar (up to 55 pounds), along with what appeared to be two 45-pound weights and two 25-pound weights.

Deadlifting 195 pounds while trying to keep up with special forces soldiers, in the rain, while jet-lagged is impressive for any human, let alone a 44-year-old government official. The message of health, as rare as it is from the federal government, should not be overlooked.

'Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war ...'

According to Newsweek, Hegseth will soon meet with Polish leaders after having met with with U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command.

While meeting with NATO on Wednesday, Hegseth revealed that the United States is not willing to dedicate troops to Ukraine and that it should not be expected for the country to return to its borders from before 2014, when its internal conflict began.

"We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, but we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective," Hegseth said in a video posted to X.

He added about Ukraine, "Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering."

The secretary went on to say that durable peace for Ukraine means that the war with Russia must not start again and that Ukraine should not be a member of NATO. He referred to the prospect of a membership as not being "a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement."

Regarding troops on the ground, Hegseth said, "Any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops. If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission, and they should not be covered under Article 5."

Article 5 refers to the idea that when any NATO member is attacked, it is considered an attack on every member country.

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