But the images were praised by Gaspard Gantzer, a French spin doctor, who described them as “interesting” both in terms of public relations and aesthetics.
Mr Macron was intent on showing he was “in good physical shape… and remains someone who is full of energy and motivated”, but also that he “is ready to fight”.
Mr Gantzer added that many French people shared Mr Macron’s “cult of the body. They go to the gym and sometimes have aesthetic surgery. The boys love showing their big arms and their muscles in the gym”.
Brigitte Macron, the French first lady, said in December that her husband spent 45 minutes working out twice a week, notably with a punchbag.
In January, he published a video of himself in the gym in a French boxing federation T-shirt, boxing gloves slung over his shoulder. In the clip, he encouraged the French to take up half-an-hour of exercise a day to enter into the spirit of the Olympics in Paris this summer.
He is not the only world leader to use sport for public relations purposes. Nicolas Sarkozy was often shown jogging or cycling. Rishi Sunak is said to work out every morning on his Peloton exercise bike and Barack Obama released photos or films of him playing basketball, baseball and other sports.
Ms de la Moissonnière has released other photos of Mr Macron being physical in an apparent bid to counter claims he is aloof and out of touch.
These include the centrist in an unbuttoned shirt displaying a hairy chest during a rally in Marseille in 2022 and another in a green hoodie that triggered comparisons with Volodymyr Zelensky’s preferred attire.
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