Workout maestro capitalizes on fitness trend

Taiwanese singer and conditioning mentor Liu Genghong’s (aka Will Liu) household exercise routine livestream on Douyin, China’s model of TikTok, has absent viral. Within one particular 7 days, his selection of followers has surged to 36 million, who have nicknamed them selves “Genghong’s girls” (as most are woman).

Around the past 30 days, much more than 100 million men and women have watched Liu’s fitness livestream, with a one are living broadcast considered by 44.76 million, the largest audience on Douyin in 2022.

“Goodbye fat, hi there muscle tissue! Say it out loud with me!” he beckons viewers.

Virtually each individual night time on Liu’s livestream, he and his spouse, Vivi Wang, carry out large-intensity routines for about 90 minutes in their Shanghai residence.

He has followers across the country, from superstars and influential bloggers to firemen.

“No surprise I usually feel the complete creating shaking every single night time soon after 7:30. It really is mainly because my neighbors are hopping with this nuts gentleman,” a single netizen joked.

Liu had lived through what he phone calls “uneventful” levels for several years as a singer and fitness mentor. His only former declare to fame is his near friendship with megastar Jay Chou. Liu and his spouse have appeared in numerous of Chou’s tunes movies and motion pictures.

One particular essential to Liu’s success is his carefully curated playlist of Chou’s tunes, frequently serving as history new music.

Just one of Liu’s most well-known exercises is choreographed to the song “Compendium of Materia Medica” from Chou’s strike album “Nonetheless Fantasy.” The moves look uncomplicated but are as well powerful for most viewers to follow.

“Future time I see Chou in concert, I will be the a person hopping and slapping my leg in the group,” a Douyin consumer posted.

Wang, Miss out on Universe Taipei in 1999, is another emphasize of the livestream, serving as Liu’s university student in the course of the broadcast. Like each individual girl battling to burn up extra fat by way of exercise sessions, Wang is often unable to continue to keep up with her husband. She often flops onto the ground in the center of an work out, breathless, exhausted and soaked in sweat.

“Depart me on your own! I’m dying!” his wife cries out.

“Vivi (Wang), you may well will need a divorce!” a single netizen jokingly posted.

Not long ago, Liu even persuaded his 65-12 months-aged mother-in-regulation to join the exhibit. She surreptitiously tries to slip out of the home, but her son-in-legislation provides her back again – introducing to the show’s lighthearted attraction.

Liu has the means to socialize and interact with the viewers. He hardly ever stops encouraging people and is adept at chanting limericks and sing-track verses to inspire his dog-worn out followers: “Hold in there! You should not go! 90 minutes passes quickly!”

Earlier this month, Liu’s physical fitness livestream was suspended simply because his body-restricted outfit “confirmed off how large his upper body is.” He got all-around that, even so, with his sense of humor. The future working day, the couple wore down jackets in the course of the broadcast, turning the incident into an entertainment headline — which helped him obtain even more followers.

Liu’s increase to stardom is a reflection of China’s burgeoning fitness industry. In 2021, 300 million Chinese exercised on a standard basis, tops in the globe. Having said that, the average once-a-year expenditure of this group was 2,596 yuan (US$396), far lessen than the 14,268 yuan determine in the United States.

“Fitness-oriented programs are mushrooming on several social media platforms, which demonstrates people’s expanding want for excellent overall health and sports activities,” explained Hai Dong, a senior researcher at the Sporting activities Analysis Institute of Maintain, a sporting activities engineering system. “It truly is a good option for the physical fitness industry.

“Liu has been phenomenal,” he pointed out.

“Regardless of whether he’s a passing fad or not, the craze of national health and fitness is confident to occur with huge industry opportunity, which ought to be supported by products and solutions and providers that seriously aim on consumer desires and present a beneficial user encounter.”