A Chinese bodybuilder is inspiring netizens with his fit figure, but this athlete isn’t your typical weight-lifter. He’s over 50-years-old and a two-time gold medalist.

CGTN’s Hu Chao reports.

Fifty-seven-year-old Pan Xiping lives in the city of Yangquan in north China’s Shanxi Province. He’s been working out for three years, but has already grabbed two medals in a provincial bodybuilding competition. One was for the 60 kilograms level race and the other for the seniors race. He also ranked fifth in a national competition.

In order to be able to work out at any time, Pan also set-up his own fitness room in his home. It’s over 70 square meters and has nine kinds of fitness equipment. 

Pan is just over 5 feet tall. In 2013, he weighed around 176 pounds. After three years of practicing, he weighs 132 pounds: a 25-percent loss. He said he used to suffer from poor health, which was what prompted him to first work out.

Pan said the most difficult part was not the intense practicing every day, but keeping a very healthy diet. For six years, Pan took medicine for his health problems. But he says taking that medicine could not heal some rooted health problems.

Pan used to work out for one-and-a-half hours a day. Now he works out doubling the time to twice a day.