Indonesian fitness influencer, 33, dies after 210kg barbell on his back rolls forward

A video of the incident has been circulating on social media.

Belmont Lay| July 25, 2023, 02:18 AM

Warning: This article contains media and descriptions of an accident that some might find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.

A 33-year-old Indonesian fitness influencer died after a barbell he was holding up on his back rolled forward and broke his neck.

Justyn Vicky was doing squats in Bali on Saturday, July 15 when the freak accident occurred, Indonesian media outlets reported.

A video of the incident showing what happened has been circulating on social media.

The location was at The Paradise Bali gym in Sanur, Indonesia.

Could not stand up straight

The move that Vicky was attempting to pull off was a squat.

The routine involved having the barbell on his shoulders as he attempted to go from a squat to an upright standing position.

He was attempting to lift 210kg in total.

However, unable to stand up, he reverted to a sitting position and the barbell dropped on the back of his neck and rolled forward over the back of his head to the ground.

Vicky had a spotter behind him, but the person who was supposed to provide support appeared to fall backwards along with the weightlifter.

A spotter is to provide assistance during weightlifting routines.

Died from the impact

The Daily Mail reported that the severity of the accident broke Vicky's neck, and there was "critical compression of vital nerves connecting to his heart and lungs".

Vicky was rushed to the hospital but died shortly after an emergency operation.

Not something he hadn't tried before

The exercise was something Vicky had tried before.

On July 5, he posted a video illustrating the squat and pulling it off.

via @justynvickybali_island

The video was set to audio that described the particular lift as one of the "most dangerous exercises" that is "capable of producing muscle mass increase" that cannot be produced by any other exercise.

"It's dangerous as hell," the description of the exercise said.

Tributes

The Paradise Bali, the gym where Vicky worked, wrote in an Instagram tribute post: "Justyn was more than just a fitness expert; he was a beacon of inspiration, motivation, and unwavering support."

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A post shared by PARADISE BALI (@the.paradisebali)

Top photos via @justynvickybali_island