Wuhan man dies after being pinned under 100kg barbell on gym bench

KUALA LUMPUR — In a deeply unfortunate incident, a 25-year-old man in Wuhan, China, tragically lost his life when he was pinned on the neck by a barbell weighing more than 100kg while performing bench presses.

The victim, identified as Zhang, was bench pressing without the presence of a spotter, leading to the fatal outcome.

The incident occurred at a local gym in Wuhan, located in China's Hubei province, at 3pm local time on Thursday (Sept 14).

A distressing 29-second video, which has since been circulating on various news platforms like Malaysia's China Press, depicted Zhang's struggle to lift the heavy barbell.

As Zhang strained to lift the weight, his arms gave way, causing the barbell's shaft, loaded with about 50kg on either end, to roll from his chest to his neck. Tragically, this pinned his head to the bench, leading to a desperate struggle lasting about 25s.

During this harrowing duration of time, Zhang made several attempts to free himself, even attempting to remove what appeared to be a weightlifting belt. However, he began experiencing violent spasms and abruptly lost consciousness.

It took more than a minute before someone in the gym noticed what had happened. Two gym employees rushed to lift the heavy barbell off Zhang, but despite their efforts, he could not be revived.

The victim, known as a regular attendee of the Wuhan Pafik Fitness Club where the incident occurred, had previously lifted substantial barbell weights. However, it remains unclear why he attempted the challenging exercise without a spotter.

Local authorities have launched an investigation into the accident. This incident recalls a similar case in July, when Indonesian fitness influencer Justyn Vicky lost his life while attempting a shoulder lift with a barbell weighing nearly 210kg.

Despite having a spotter, the barbell's shaft rolled over Vicky's head, resulting in a fatal injury. NEW STRAITS TIMES