See Ruth Bader Ginsburg Barely Tolerate a Workout with Stephen Colbert

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is not messing around when she hits the gym. The 85-year-old Supreme Court Justice lifts weights, does push-ups, tosses around medicine balls, and more, all while wearing a sweater that reads “Super Diva” and listening to a soundtrack of opera. Opera. Arias might be luxurious to you, but they’re just sweat music to the notorious R.B.G.

The justice’s workout regimen went viral last year when her trainer, Bryant Johnson, released a how-to book detailing her tough routine. But now, at long last, an intrepid figure has actually been granted access to R.B.G. during workout hours, giving the people a closer look at her grueling sessions. Take it away, Stephen Colbert.

The Late Show host visited the justice down in Washington, D.C., for a segment Wednesday, where he joined her for a workout—but not before asking two pressing questions about what she actually has in common with Biggie (they’re both from Brooklyn), and whether hot dogs are sandwiches (yes, she rules). Then they got down to business, hitting the gym in workout gear—R.B.G. in her “Super Diva” sweater, Colbert in a button-down shirt and tie with a pair of gym shorts. “Let’s get fully ripped and exploded, let’s get shredded, let’s get stupid strong,” Colbert challenged. And R.B.G. accepted.

In classic Colbert fashion, the workout was more about the late-show host pushing his limits and clowning than it was about exercise. He started by introducing Ginsburg to some new workout music: “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” by the C+C Music Factory. Ginsburg positively hated it.

“I would never, never exercise to that noise,” Ginsburg said, softly shaking her head. “Let’s shut it off.” (So, for the running tally here: opera music is good for the gym, but dance music is trash noise.)

They eventually got back to work, with Ginsburg putting Colbert through the ringer. Her workout . . . is legitimately hard! And she’s laser-focused, ignoring Colbert’s quips and puns throughout the entire session. That bod ain’t gonna tone itself, you know?

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