Aaron Donaldretired from the Los Angeles Rams in March 2024, closing out a legendary decade in the NFL. He left behind a resume that includes eight first-team All-Pro selections, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, 10 Pro Bowl appearances, and a Super Bowl ring. Now 34, settled into retirement, Donald still trains hard. A gym clip making waves online is about to show fans exactly what elite looks like when the cameras stop rolling on game day.
Aaron Donald Rows Wife’s Bodyweight
The clip was shared on March 28, 2026, by popular NFL account Dov Kleiman on X, with the caption: “Insane: The legendary Aaron Donald has gone viral for curling his wife with EASE. Donald is easily in the best shape of his life.”
In thevideo, Donald stands in a bent-over position and grips his wife Erica’s hands while she lies flat on her back. He lifts her repeatedly off the floor using just one arm, moving through smooth and controlled reps. What stands out most is how effortless the movement looks.
Aaron Donald Goes Viral Rowing His Wife One-Armed Like a Warm-Up Set
Aaron Donald Goes Viral Rowing His Wife One-Armed Like a Warm-Up Set (Imagn Images)
Donald barely breaks a sweat during the set. Erica laughs throughout, clearly enjoying every moment of the unusual workout. The former Rams star moves with the same calm power that made him nearly impossible to stop on the field.
Since retirement, Donald has posted regular training content on social media, showing fans he has not slowed down.
During his NFL career, Donaldgenerated more pressures than any other player in the PFF era by a margin of 119, sealed Super Bowl LVI in 2022 with a game-defining fourth-down pressure on Joe Burrow, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in January 2026. Canton comes calling in 2029, considered by most a formality.
This latest clip turns a couple’s gym session into a jaw-dropping reminder of exactly who they are watching. While most fans were blown away, not everyone online saw it the same way.
Fans Backlash Over Aaron Donald Rowing Style
The debate started the moment Dov used the word “curl” to describe the movement. Fans immediately pushed back, and the comments went in several directions at once.
One personpushedback: “N***a would tear a a bicep tryna curl her dumbass”
Anothercalled out Dov directly: “That’s not a curl Goofy ass Dov”
A thirdtargeted Donald: “This man retired because he couldn’t hack it anymore and now he’s lifting his WIFE like that’s supposed to impress somebody??”
A fourthwrote: “Thats a single arm row but whos counting”
One userjoked: “Easy to do when your wife is not 300 pounds…like most Americans”
Most fans moved past the naming debate quickly and praised Donald’s conditioning instead, with many drawing direct comparisons to the effortless power he showed tossing offensive linemen aside on the field.
Aaron Donald stays locked in, retired but clearly not resting. The Los Angeles Rams, meanwhile, head into 2026 with a road trip to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers among their toughest early tests of the season.