Zyzz still lives on for the fans.

Aziz Sergeyevich Shavershian, better known by his screen name ‘Zyzz’ remains one of the strangest phenomena in bodybuilding and fitness. He was born in Russia to Kurdish parents, but spent most of his life in Australia. He garnered da cultish following when he started posting videos on Youtube in 2007, and continues to be a common figure in bodybuilding culture today.

This week, someone on reddit posted a photo album they compiled of Zyzz with some uncommon pictures. Of course, Zyzz was never a competitive bodybuilder, but his influence did help push the aesthetics in fitness. Still today, the balance between size and aesthetic is an important conversation in bodybuilding.

Zyzz denied ever using steroids, although many suspicions were strengthened when his brother was arrested for possession in anabolics in 2011.

Most notable might have been Zyzz’s lifestyle. He worked as a male stripper and a model, and as many of these pictures show, he knew how to have a good time. On 5 August 2011 he suffered a fatal heart attack in a sauna, while on holiday in Thailand. The autopsy revealed a previously undiagnosed congenital heart defect. Many suspect that party drugs might have contributed to his death at such a young age, although he had a family history of heart problems.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, his death was the sixth most searched death-related topic in Australia for 2011. Love him or hate him, he was certainly an influential bodybuilder.

And in an interview with Simplyshredded, Zyzz expressed a profound love for the activity of training:

“I can safely say that my motivation to train goes far beyond that of merely impressing people, it is derived from the feeling of having set goals and achieving them and outdoing myself in the gym. I absolutely love it, the feeling of pushing out that last rep, and getting skin tearing pumps is something I don’t see myself without.”

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